June 03, 2025
Thom Carroll/for PhillyVoice
A new law in New Jersey will punish people who incite brawls with $10,000 fines and up to 18 months in prison. Gov. Phil Murphy signed the bill into law Monday to address the trend of violence in public places, including boardwalks and beaches at the Jersey Shore. The Wildwood Boardwalk is shown in the photo above.
To prevent chaos at the shore and other public places in New Jersey, a new law will crack down on people who start brawls by issuing $10,000 fines and punishing violators with up to 18 months in prison.
Gov. Phil Murphy (D) signed the bill Monday after more than a year of debate about how lawmakers can deter large groups from causing disruptions that have plagued boardwalks, beaches and community events in recent years. Nearly 90 people were arrested in Seaside Heights over Memorial Day weekend, when multiple fights broke out and three people were stabbed in separate incidents.
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“What we saw over Memorial Day weekend was dangerous, disruptive, and unacceptable,” New Jersey Assemblyman Dan Hutchison (D), who co-sponsored the bill, said Monday. “This law makes it clear that if you incite a public brawl, you will be held accountable."
Under the new law, people can be charged if they purposely engage in disorderly conduct that leads to fighting, other violent behavior or physically dangerous situations for those around them. The law applies to situations when instigating a fight or other disorderly behavior involves four or more people. Violators will be charged with a fourth-degree crime.
Notably, the law covers online posts that promote pop-up parties and other events that turn violent.
Murphy signed the bill after giving it a conditional veto last month because of concerns about protecting the right to peacefully protest. Lawmakers revised language targeting the use of masks and face coverings that conceal the identities of people involved in brawls, carving out exceptions for those who wear masks for religious purposes.
The bill passed the New Jersey Assembly last month with a 74-1 vote. Two lawmakers abstained. The Senate passed it with a 38-0 vote on Monday before it was sent to Murphy's desk.
The Murphy administration said the law creates upgraded penalties for disorderly conduct "in certain circumstances," but the governor did not expand on his support for the legislation. Democrats in the New Jersey Assembly said that disorderly conduct offenses that don't meet the criteria for the new law will be treated as they have been in the past.
For years, Jersey Shore communities have sought help from the state to give police and prosecutors more tools to discourage unruly behavior.
Law enforcement officials and elected leaders have often blamed juvenile justice reforms enacted in 2020, when the state attorney general's office issued a directive meant to spare young people from detentions and formal court proceedings that would remain on their records into adulthood. The changes were made to address racial disparities in juvenile justice, but leaders in shore communities claim their boardwalks and beaches have become free rein for emboldened teens and young adults who visit from out of town without fear of consequences.
"We need to give law enforcement the tools to stop this kind of chaos before someone gets seriously hurt, or worse," Hutchison said.
Some Jersey Shore communities — including Ocean City, Sea Isle City and Wildwood — have tweaked local ordinances in recent years to address unruly behavior. They've imposed stricter youth curfews, expanded the scope of breach of peace violations, and banned backpacks at night on boardwalks and promenades to prevent people from carrying around alcohol, drugs and fireworks.
In Wildwood, police have become more proactive in monitoring social media to stop organizers of unauthorized pop-up parties on the city's beaches. Police said they prevented a pop-up party that was being promoted last month.
“These groups are known to take over rental properties and cause property damage,” police said.
Beyond the Jersey Shore, the new law also will target chaotic crowds that gather and fight at malls, carnivals and other community events across the state.
The legislation is part of a package of bills that includes two other proposals still under consideration. One bill would make parents liable for minors who participate in disorderly gatherings, fining them $1,000 if their kids are caught. The other would require the New Jersey Attorney General's Office to develop an intervention program for juvenile outreach in communities that have been most impacted by violence.
Both of the pending bills remain in committee in the statehouse.
New Jersey Assemblywoman Carol Murphy (D), who co-sponsored the public brawl law, said it sends a strong message that provoking violence will not be tolerated.
“Residents have the right to feel safe at public events, in community parks, and on boardwalks," Murphy said.
