Terms Used In New Jersey Statutes 2A:67-31

  • Habeas corpus: A writ that is usually used to bring a prisoner before the court to determine the legality of his imprisonment. It may also be used to bring a person in custody before the court to give testimony, or to be prosecuted.
  • person: includes corporations, companies, associations, societies, firms, partnerships and joint stock companies as well as individuals, unless restricted by the context to an individual as distinguished from a corporate entity or specifically restricted to one or some of the above enumerated synonyms and, when used to designate the owner of property which may be the subject of an offense, includes this State, the United States, any other State of the United States as defined infra and any foreign country or government lawfully owning or possessing property within this State. See New Jersey Statutes 1:1-2
  • Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.
No person who has been discharged by the order of such court or judge upon a writ of habeas corpus issued pursuant to the provisions of this chapter shall again be imprisoned, restrained or kept in custody for the same cause, but it shall not be deemed the same cause:

a. If he shall have been discharged from a commitment on a criminal charge and is afterwards committed for the same offense by the legal order or process of the court wherein he shall be bound by recognizance to appear or in which he shall be indicted or convicted for the same offense; or,

b. If after a discharge for defect of proof or for any material defect in the commitment, in a criminal case, the prisoner is again arrested on sufficient proof, and committed by legal process for the same offense; or,

c. If, in a civil action, the party has been discharged for any illegality in the judgment or process hereinbefore specified, and is afterwards imprisoned by legal process for the same cause of action; or,

d. If, in a civil action, he shall have been discharged from commitment on mesne process and shall afterwards be committed on execution in the same cause or on mesne process in any other cause, after such first suit shall have been discontinued.

L.1951 (1st SS), c.344.