Politics & Government

Study of Law Inspired by Toms River Murder Will Be Conducted

Study of law to start offender monitoring pilot program in Ocean County

Gov. Chris Christie this week signed a bill into law that calls for the state Attorney General to conduct an evaluation of the availability of technology needed to create and implement a system to electronically monitor defendants charged with, or convicted of, domestic violence.

Christie, earlier this month, signed a conditional veto of "Lisa's Law," the law that would immediately enact a pilot of the monitoring program in Ocean County. Christie's condition was that the study should be conducted first.

The law is named for Letizia "Lisa" Zindell, a 30-year-old Toms River woman who was killed by her ex-fiance in 2009 during a domestic dispute.

Frank Frisco, her killer, eventually committed suicide. But the day before the murder, Frisco had been released from jail despite violating a restraining order several times.

"Lisa Zindell’s tragic loss exposed a weakness in our laws for protecting victims from repeated domestic violence," said Assemblyman Ron Dancer (R-Ocean, Burlington, Middlesex and Monmouth), who sponsored the legislation calling for a study.

The measure gives the Attorney General 120 days to conduct the feasibility study and issue a report, according to Dancer's office.

Lisa's Law would create a four-year pilot program in Ocean County for electronic monitoring of certain domestic violence offenders and notification to the victim when that offender is within a certain proximity. As part of the law, the state Attorney General would be required to submit a report to the governor and the legislature at the end of each year of the pilot program, evaluating the program and recommending whether it should be continued statewide.


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