Editing New Jersey (section)

==Government and politics==
{{main|Government of New Jersey}}

===Executive===
{{Further|Governor of New Jersey|Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey}}
{{multiple image
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|image1        = Gov.Phil Murphy2022.jpg
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|caption1      = [[Phil Murphy]] [[Democratic Party (United States)|(D)]]<br /><small>[[List of Governors of New Jersey|56th]] [[Governor of New Jersey|Governor]]<br />since January 16, 2018</small>
|image2        = Tahesha Way.jpg
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|caption2      = [[Tahesha Way]] (D)<br /><small>[[List of Lieutenant Governors of New Jersey|3rd]] [[Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey|Lt. Governor]]<br />since September 8, 2023 </small>
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The position of Governor of New Jersey is one of the most powerful in the nation. The governor is elected on a ticket with their lieutenant governor as the only statewide elected executive officials in the state; the governor appoints the entire executive cabinet and judges of the Supreme and Superior Courts. [[Phil Murphy]] ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]]) is the [[Governor of New Jersey|governor]]. The governor's mansion is [[Drumthwacket]], located in [[Princeton, New Jersey|Princeton]], [[Mercer County, New Jersey|Mercer County]].

Before 2010, New Jersey was one of the few states without a [[Lieutenant governor (United States)|lieutenant governor]]. [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] [[Kim Guadagno]] was elected the first [[Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey|lieutenant governor of New Jersey]] on the Republican ticket with Governor [[Chris Christie]] and took office on January 19, 2010. The position was created as the result of a [[Constitutional amendment]] to the [[New Jersey State Constitution]] passed by the voters in 2005. Previously a gubernatorial vacancy would be filled by the president of the [[New Jersey State Senate]] as acting governor, thus directing half of the legislative and all of the executive process.

===Legislative===
{{Main|New Jersey Legislature}}
[[File:NJ Capitol.JPG|thumb|The design of the golden-domed [[New Jersey State House]] in [[Trenton, New Jersey|Trenton]] differs from most other U.S. state houses in not resembling the [[United States Capitol|U.S. Capitol]].]]
The current version of the [[New Jersey State Constitution]] was adopted in 1947. It provides for a [[bicameral]] [[New Jersey Legislature]], consisting of an [[upper house]] [[New Jersey Senate|Senate]] of 40 members and a [[lower house]] [[New Jersey General Assembly|General Assembly]] of 80 members. Each of the 40 legislative districts elects one state senator and two Assembly members. Assembly members are elected for a two-year term in all odd-numbered years; state senators are elected in years ending in 1, 3, and{{nbsp}}7 and thus serve either four- or two-year terms.

New Jersey is one of only five states that elects its state officials in odd-numbered years (the others are [[Kentucky]], [[Louisiana]], [[Mississippi]], and [[Virginia]]). New Jersey holds elections for these offices every four years, in the year following each federal Presidential election year.

===Judicial===
{{main|Judiciary of New Jersey}}
The [[New Jersey Supreme Court]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/supreme/index.htm|title=Supreme Court of New Jersey|publisher=Judiciary.state.nj.us|access-date=July 25, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081216011351/http://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/supreme/index.htm|archive-date=December 16, 2008}}</ref> consists of a chief justice and six associate justices. All are appointed by the governor with the [[advice and consent]] of a majority of the membership of the state senate. Justices serve an initial seven-year term, after which they can be reappointed to serve until age 70.

Most of the day-to-day work in the New Jersey courts is carried out in the Municipal Court, where simple traffic tickets, minor criminal offenses, and small civil matters are heard.

More serious criminal and civil cases are handled by the [[New Jersey Superior Court|Superior Court]] for each county. All Superior Court judges are appointed by the governor with the [[advice and consent]] of a majority of the membership of the state senate. Each judge serves an initial seven-year term and can be reappointed to serve until age 70. New Jersey's judiciary is unusual in that it still has separate courts of law and [[equity (law)|equity]], like its neighbor [[Delaware]] but unlike most other U.S. states. The [[New Jersey Superior Court]] is divided into Law and Chancery Divisions at the trial level; the Law Division hears both criminal cases and civil lawsuits where the plaintiff's primary remedy is [[damages]], while the Chancery Division hears family cases, civil suits where the plaintiff's primary remedy is equitable relief, and probate trials.

The Superior Court also has an [[New Jersey Superior Court, Appellate Division|Appellate Division]], which functions as the state's intermediate [[appellate court]]. Superior Court judges are assigned to the Appellate Division by the Chief Justice.

There is also a Tax Court, which is a court of limited jurisdiction. Tax Court judges hear appeals of tax decisions made by County Boards of Taxation. They also hear appeals on decisions made by the director of the Division of Taxation on such matters as state income, sales and business taxes, and homestead rebates. Appeals from Tax Court decisions are heard in the Appellate Division of Superior Court. Tax Court judges are appointed by the governor for initial terms of seven years, and upon reappointment are granted tenure until they reach the mandatory retirement age of 70. There are 12 Tax Court judgeships.

===Counties===
{{Further|List of New Jersey counties}}

New Jersey is divided into 21 counties; 13 date from the colonial era. New Jersey was completely divided into counties by 1692; the present counties were created by dividing the existing ones; most recently [[Union County, New Jersey|Union County]] in 1857.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kent |first1=Spencer |title=How NJ's 21 counties got their names |url=https://www.nj.com/expo/news/g66l-2019/02/4a5f4485007948/how-njs-21-counties-got-their-names.html |website=The Star-Ledger |date=February 14, 2019 |access-date=February 14, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190214233929/https://www.nj.com/expo/news/g66l-2019/02/4a5f4485007948/how-njs-21-counties-got-their-names.html |archive-date=February 14, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> New Jersey was formerly the only state in the nation where elected county officials were called freeholders. Elected county officials are now called county commissioners as of bill S855 signed by Governor Murphy on August 8, 2020. The county commissioners govern each county as part of its own [[Board of County Commissioners (New Jersey)|Board of Chosen County Commissioners]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=Office of the Governor {{!}} Governor Murphy Signs Legislation to Eliminate the Title of "Freeholder" from Public Office|url=https://www.nj.gov/governor/news/news/562020/20200821b.shtml|access-date=December 21, 2021|website=www.nj.gov|archive-date=December 21, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211221021006/https://www.nj.gov/governor/news/news/562020/20200821b.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref> The number of county commissioners in each county is determined by referendum, and must consist of three, five, seven or nine members.

Depending on the county, the executive and [[legislative]] functions may be performed by the [[Board of County Commissioners (New Jersey)|Board of County Commissioners]] or split into separate branches of government. In 16 counties, the County Commissioners perform both legislative and executive functions on a commission basis, with each commissioner assigned responsibility for a department or group of departments. In the other five counties ([[Atlantic County, New Jersey|Atlantic]], [[Bergen County, New Jersey|Bergen]], [[Essex County, New Jersey|Essex]], [[Hudson County, New Jersey|Hudson]] and [[Mercer County, New Jersey|Mercer]]), there is a directly elected [[County Executive]] who performs the executive functions while the commissioners retain a legislative and oversight role. In counties without an Executive, a County Administrator (or County Manager) may be hired to perform day-to-day administration of county functions.<ref>Hill, Michael. [https://www.njspotlightnews.org/video/the-structure-and-role-of-county-government-in-new-jersey/ "The structure and role of county government in New Jersey"], NJ Spotlight News, February 25, 2019. Retrieved July 15, 2022. "Atlantic, Bergen, Essex, Hudson and Mercer Counties have the freeholder-executive form. Union County's freeholders select a manager who can veto some of their actions. The other 15 counties have freeholders — 3 to 9 members depending on population. They appoint a chair or president, and the freeholders themselves take on the executive branch duties, such as running different departments." {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230715014157/https://www.njspotlightnews.org/video/the-structure-and-role-of-county-government-in-new-jersey/ |date=July 15, 2023 }}.</ref>

===Municipalities===
{{Further|List of municipalities in New Jersey}}
New Jersey currently has 564 municipalities; the most recent dissolution of a municipality was when [[Pine Valley, New Jersey|Pine Valley]] merged into [[Pine Hill, New Jersey|Pine Hill]] on January 1, 2022. Unlike other states, all New Jersey land is part of a municipality. In 2008, Governor [[Jon Corzine]] proposed cutting state aid to all towns under 10,000 people, to encourage mergers to reduce administrative costs.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90090911|title=Small Towns in N.J. Told to Merge or Face Cuts|newspaper=NPR.org|publisher=NPR|access-date=July 25, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100127122835/http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90090911|archive-date=January 27, 2010|url-status=live}}</ref> In May 2009, the Local Unit Alignment Reorganization and Consolidation Commission began a study of about 40 small communities in South Jersey to decide which ones might be good candidates for consolidation.<ref>[http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/20090529_N_J__town_mergers_could_start_in_18_months.html "N.J. town mergers could start in 18 months"] by Jan Hefler, ''[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]'', May 29, 2009. Retrieved May 29, 2009 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090614182032/http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/20090529_N_J__town_mergers_could_start_in_18_months.html |date=June 14, 2009 }}</ref>

====Forms of municipal government====
{{NJmunigov}}

Starting in the 20th century, largely driven by reform-minded goals, a series of six modern forms of government was implemented. This began with the [[Walsh Act (New Jersey)|Walsh Act]], enacted in 1911 by the [[New Jersey Legislature]], which provided for a three- or five-member commission elected on a non-partisan basis. This was followed by the [[1923 Municipal Manager Law]], which offered a non-partisan council, provided for a weak mayor elected by and from the members of the council, and introduced a [[Council-manager government]] structure with an appointed manager responsible for the day-to-day administration of municipal affairs.

The [[Faulkner Act (New Jersey)|Faulkner Act]], originally enacted in 1950 and substantially amended in 1981, offers four basic plans: [[Faulkner Act (Mayor-Council)|Mayor-Council]], [[Faulkner Act (Council-Manager)|Council-Manager]], [[Faulkner Act (Small Municipality)|Small Municipality]], and [[Faulkner Act (Mayor-Council-Administrator)|Mayor-Council-Administrator]]. The act provides many choices for communities with a preference for a strong executive and professional management of municipal affairs and offers great flexibility in allowing municipalities to select the characteristics of its government: the number of seats on the council; seats selected at-large, by wards, or through a combination of both; staggered or concurrent terms of office; and a mayor chosen by the council or elected directly by voters. Most large municipalities and a majority of New Jersey's residents are governed by municipalities with Faulkner Act charters. Municipalities can also formulate their own unique form of government and operate under a [[Special Charter (New Jersey)|Special Charter]] with the approval of the [[New Jersey Legislature]].<ref>Cerra, Michael F. [https://www.njlm.org/809/3982/Forms-of-Govt-Magazine-Article "Forms of Government: Everything You've Always Wanted to Know, But Were Afraid to Ask"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220716084544/https://www.njlm.org/809/3982/Forms-of-Govt-Magazine-Article |date=July 16, 2022 }}, [[New Jersey State League of Municipalities]], March 2007. Retrieved July 15, 2022.</ref>

While municipalities retain their names derived from types of government, they may have changed to one of the modern forms of government, or further in the past to one of the other traditional forms, leading to municipalities with formal names quite baffling to the general public. For example, though there are four municipalities that are officially of the village type, none use the village form of government. [[Loch Arbour, New Jersey|Loch Arbour]] and [[Ridgefield Park, New Jersey|Ridgefield Park]] (now with a Walsh Act form), [[Ridgewood, New Jersey|Ridgewood]] (now with a Faulkner Act Council-Manager charter) and [[South Orange, New Jersey|South Orange]] (now operates under a [[Special Charter (New Jersey)|Special Charter]]) all migrated to other non-village forms.<ref>Liberman, Si. [https://www.nytimes.com/1993/10/10/nyregion/loch-arbour-journal-to-educate-its-children-a-village-pays-and-pays.html "Loch Arbour Journal; To Educate Its Children, a Village Pays and Pays"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220715155014/https://www.nytimes.com/1993/10/10/nyregion/loch-arbour-journal-to-educate-its-children-a-village-pays-and-pays.html |date=July 15, 2022 }}, ''[[The New York Times]]'', October 10, 1993. Retrieved July 15, 2022. "These concerns led to approval of a referendum that created what today is New Jersey's only municipality organized as a village. (South Orange, Ridgewood and Ridgefield Park call themselves villages, but have different municipal governments.)"</ref><ref>Shields, Nancy. [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98717297/loch-arbour-changes-from-village-form/ "Loch Arbour to change government; staying village for now; Will switch from five-member board of trustees to three-member board of commissioners"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230208010738/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98717297/loch-arbour-changes-from-village-form/ |date=February 8, 2023 }}, ''[[Asbury Park Press]]'', December 21, 2011. Retrieved February 7, 2023, via [[Newspapers.com]]. "Village residents Tuesday voted 51–35 to change its form of government from a five-member board of trustees to a three-member board of commissioners. The vote in the special election means that Loch Arbour is still a village, at least for now, but the town will have three commissioners elected at the same time every four years.... The special election to change the form of government under the Walsh Act is part of a number of steps being taken in search of an answer to a very high school-tax bill, which residents were forced to take on after the state in 2008 ended a special financial deal the village worked out with Ocean Township a decade ago to keep school taxes low."</ref>

===Politics===
{{Main|Politics of New Jersey}}

====Social attitudes and issues====
{{See also|LGBT rights in New Jersey|Gun laws in New Jersey}}
Socially, New Jersey is considered one of the more liberal states in the nation. Polls indicate that 60% of the population are self-described as [[pro-choice]], although a majority are opposed to late trimester and [[intact dilation and extraction]] and public funding of abortion.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/17086/poll-says-majority-of-americans-opposed-to-abortion-funding-in-health-care-bill|title=Poll says majority of Americans opposed to abortion funding in health care bill :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)|agency=Catholic News Agency|access-date=July 25, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.surveyusa.com/50State2005/50StateAbortion0805SortedbyState.htm|title=SurveyUSA Pro-Life vs. Pro Choice Sorted by State|publisher=Surveyusa.com|access-date=July 25, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110106172717/http://www.surveyusa.com/50State2005/50StateAbortion0805SortedbyState.htm|archive-date=January 6, 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> As of 2022, all aspects of reproductive choice (including abortion) are protected by law.<ref name=Repro>[https://pub.njleg.state.nj.us/Bills/2020/AL21/375_.PDF Text of the reproductive choice law passed by NJ in 2022] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221217182445/https://pub.njleg.state.nj.us/Bills/2020/AL21/375_.PDF |date=December 17, 2022 }}, from the state of NJ website, last access September 12, 2022</ref>

In a 2009 [[Quinnipiac University Polling Institute]] poll, a plurality supported [[same-sex marriage in New Jersey|same-sex marriage]] 49% to 43% opposed.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/local&id=6776022&rss=rss-wpvi-article-6776022|title=Poll: NJ voters support gay marriage|publisher=Abclocal.go.com|date=April 23, 2009|access-date=January 23, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604043330/http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news%2Flocal&id=6776022&rss=rss-wpvi-article-6776022|archive-date=June 4, 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> On October 18, 2013, the [[New Jersey Supreme Court]] rendered a provisional, unanimous (7–0) order authorizing same-sex marriage in the state, pending a legal appeal by Governor Chris Christie,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/10/nj_supreme_court_gay_marriage_christie.html|title=Same-sex weddings can begin pending appeal, N.J. Supreme Court rules|author=Salvador Rizzo|publisher=New Jersey On-Line LLC|date=October 18, 2013|access-date=October 19, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131018204614/http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/10/nj_supreme_court_gay_marriage_christie.html|archive-date=October 18, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> who then withdrew this appeal hours after the inaugural same-sex marriages took place on October 21, 2013.<ref name="DroppedAppeal">{{cite web |author1=Melissa Hayes |author2=Kibret Markos |author3=Chris Harris |author4=Scott Fallon |date=October 21, 2013 |title=Christie drops appeal of ruling allowing gay marriage in NJ |url=http://www.northjersey.com/news/state/Christie_administration_withdraws_appeal_of_ruling_allowing_gay_marriage_in_NJ.html?page=all |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140209185716/http://www.northjersey.com/news/state/Christie_administration_withdraws_appeal_of_ruling_allowing_gay_marriage_in_NJ.html?page=all |archive-date=February 9, 2014 |access-date=October 21, 2013}}</ref>

New Jersey also has some of the most stringent [[gun control]] laws in the U.S. These include bans on [[assault weapon|assault firearms]], hollow-nose bullets and slingshots. No gun offense in New Jersey is graded less than a felony. [[BB guns]] and black-powder guns are all treated as modern firearms. New Jersey does not recognize out-of-state gun licenses and aggressively enforces its own gun laws.<ref>[http://www.nraila.org/statelawpdfs/NJSL.pdf NRAILA.org] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111210170131/http://www.nraila.org/statelawpdfs/NJSL.pdf |date=December 10, 2011 }}</ref>

In 2020, the state's voting population passed a public question<ref name=MJ>[https://ballotpedia.org/New_Jersey_Public_Question_1,_Marijuana_Legalization_Amendment_(2020) New Jersey Public Question 1, Marijuana Legalization Amendment (2020)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240227153849/https://ballotpedia.org/New_Jersey_Public_Question_1,_Marijuana_Legalization_Amendment_(2020) |date=February 27, 2024 }} on Ballotpedia.org, last access February 26, 2024.</ref> that amended the state constitution to legalize [[marijuana]] and erase past legal convictions for possession. The measure passed by a two-thirds vote. At the time the measure was enacted, about a dozen other U.S. states had also legalized the sale and possession of marijuana. As of 2024, local governments and municipalities are still in the process of regulating marijuana-related businesses within their jurisdictions.

====Elections====
{{Main|Elections in New Jersey}}
{{See also|Political party strength in New Jersey}}{{multiple image
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| image1            = Cory Booker, official portrait, 114th Congress.jpg
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| caption1          = [[Cory Booker]] [[Democratic Party (United States)|(D)]]<br /><small>Senior [[U.S. Senator]]</small>
| image2            = Congressman Andy Kim (NJ-03) Headshot Photo (cropped).jpg
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| caption2          = [[Andy Kim (politician)|Andy Kim]] (D)<br /><small>Junior U.S. Senator</small>
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New Jersey is a [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] stronghold. [[New Jersey Democratic State Committee|New Jersey Democrats]] have majority control of both houses of the [[New Jersey Legislature]] (Senate, 24–16, and Assembly, 46–34), 9–3 split of the state's twelve seats in the [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. House of Representatives]], and both [[United States Senate|U.S. Senate]] seats. There have been recent Republican governors, however: [[Christine Todd Whitman]] won election in 1993 and 1997 and [[Chris Christie]] in 2009 and 2013.

In federal elections, the state leans heavily towards the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]], having last voted for a Republican for president in 1988. New Jersey was a crucial [[swing state]] in the elections of [[1960 United States presidential election|1960]], [[1968 United States presidential election|1968]], and [[1992 United States presidential election|1992]]. The last elected Republican to hold a Senate seat from New Jersey was [[Clifford P. Case]] in 1979. Newark Mayor [[Cory Booker]] was elected in October 2013 to join [[Bob Menendez|Robert Menendez]] to make New Jersey the first state with concurrently serving black and Latino U.S. senators.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/10/booker_and_menendez_form_historic_duo_as_first_black_and_latino_senators_from_the_same_state.html|title=Booker and Menendez form historic duo as first black and Latino senators from the same state|author=David Giambusso|newspaper=The Star-Ledger|date=October 20, 2013|access-date=October 20, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021101504/http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/10/booker_and_menendez_form_historic_duo_as_first_black_and_latino_senators_from_the_same_state.html|archive-date=October 21, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:New Jersey Presidential Election Results 2024.svg|thumb|upright|[[2024 United States presidential election in New Jersey|2024 U.S. presidential election results]] by county in New Jersey {{leftlegend|#4389E3|Democratic}}{{leftlegend|#AA0000|Republican}}]]

The state's Democratic strongholds include [[Camden County, New Jersey|Camden County]], [[Essex County, New Jersey|Essex County]] (the state's most Democratic county—it includes [[Newark, New Jersey|Newark]], the state's largest city), [[Hudson County, New Jersey|Hudson County]] (the second-strongest Democratic county, including [[Jersey City, New Jersey|Jersey City]], the state's second-largest city); [[Mercer County, New Jersey|Mercer County]] (especially around [[Trenton, New Jersey|Trenton]] and [[Princeton, New Jersey|Princeton]]), [[Middlesex County, New Jersey|Middlesex County]], and [[Union County, New Jersey|Union County]] (including [[Elizabeth, New Jersey|Elizabeth]], the state's fourth-largest city).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/05/republican_vs_democratic_which_political_party_dom.html|title=Your neighbors lean red or blue? How many Republicans and Democrats are in all 21 counties|date=May 28, 2017|access-date=May 28, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170528133622/http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/05/republican_vs_democratic_which_political_party_dom.html|archive-date=May 28, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> Other suburban counties, especially [[Bergen County, New Jersey|Bergen County]] and [[Burlington County, New Jersey|Burlington County]], had the majority of votes go to the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]].

The northwestern and southeastern counties of the state are reliably Republican: Republicans have support along the coast in [[Ocean County, New Jersey|Ocean County]] and [[Cape May County, New Jersey|Cape May County]] as well as in the mountainous northwestern part of the state, especially in [[Hunterdon County, New Jersey|Hunterdon County]], [[Sussex County, New Jersey|Sussex County]], and [[Warren County, New Jersey|Warren County]].

To be eligible to vote in a U.S. election, all New Jerseyans are required to start their residency in the state 30 days prior to an election and register 21 days prior to election day.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.njelections.org/voting-information.html|title=New Jersey Department of State—Division of Elections|access-date=March 12, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170326035037/http://www.njelections.org/voting-information.html|archive-date=March 26, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

====Capital punishment====
{{Main|Capital punishment in New Jersey}}

On December 17, 2007, Governor Jon Corzine signed into law a bill that would eliminate the death penalty in New Jersey. New Jersey was the first state to pass such legislation since [[Iowa]] and [[West Virginia]] eliminated executions in 1965.<ref>Hester Jr., Tom (2007), [https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna22296966 "N.J. Bans Death Penalty"], Associated Press</ref> Corzine also signed a bill that would downgrade the Death Row prisoners' sentences from "Death" to "Life in Prison with No Parole".<ref>Peters, Jeremy W. "[https://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/18/nyregion/18death.html?pagewanted=print Corzine Signs Bill Ending Executions, Then Commutes Sentences of Eight]".{{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170701054225/http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/18/nyregion/18death.html?pagewanted=print |date=July 1, 2017 }} ''[[The New York Times]]''. December 18, 2007. Retrieved December 25, 2009.</ref>