On March 13, 2019, Governor Phil Murphy signed S-477 into law. The New Jersey State Senate passed the bill with a 32-1 majority, as did the Assembly with a vote of 71-0 with five abstentions. This is a crucial step towards protecting children who are victims of sexual abuse in the state of New Jersey.
This huge development will bring justice to child sexual abuse victims who previously had no legal grounds to stand on due to an egregiously short statute of limitations that applied to civil actions for sexual abuse claims.
NJ S-477 is so important because it extends the statute of limitations in civil actions for sexual abuse claims. The law also allows a two-year window for child sexual abuse victims to file lawsuits that would be restricted even with the new, longer statute of limitations.
Governor Murphy followed up his powerful legislative action with powerful words — The New Jersey Democrat highlighted the fact that sexual assault and rape crimes are very unique legal issues, especially when the victims are children. The Law Offices of Vincent J. Ciecka agrees with Governor Murphy’s approach to this issue; the perpetrators of these unspeakable crimes do not deserve to walk free simply because a statute of limitations has expired.
The bill becomes law on December 1, 2019. Our team unequivocally supports Governor Murphy’s decision to sign this bill, and we thank him along with the sponsoring Senators who supported the legislation every step of the way. Without Governor Murphy’s leadership and the initiative of his supporting sponsors in the New Jersey State Senate, none of this could have happened.
Our personal injury lawyers in South Jersey have a soft spot for kids — we’ve been sponsoring fundraisers and charity events for the Larc School for special needs children in Bellmawr for several years now. The Law Offices of Vincent J. Ciecka feels obligated to participate in such causes because we believe children are the future of our society and must be protected at all costs.
Our Camden County personal injury lawyers also have a stake in keeping the most vulnerable members of our community safe, and we demand justice be served to both the victims and perpetrators of these crimes. That’s why The Law Offices of Vincent J. Ciecka is a supporting member of organizations such as the New Jersey Association for Justice (NJAJ), a legal group that vehemently urged Governor Murphy to sign the bill. Groups like the NJAJ are dedicated to serving the communities they call home, just like The Law Offices of Vincent J. Ciecka!
