NEW JERSEY CRIMINAL LAWYERS

New Jersey’s Municipal Courts

Understanding New Jersey’s Municipal Courts and What to Expect

If you find yourself charged with a crime in the State of New Jersey, it is most likely that your court appearance will be in one of the many municipal courts located within the city or township where you were arrested. The municipal court has jurisdiction over offenses that occur within its municipality borders. The court deals with different cases such as traffic and parking tickets, municipal ordinance violations like building code violations, hunting and fishing violations, and minor criminal offenses such as bad checks.

It is vital to understand the severity of whatever charges you face since even disorderly persons’ offenses which are typically regarded as low-level violations of the law carry penalties such as up to 6 months imprisonment or cash fines reaching $1000. Furthermore, conviction for any offense will reflect on an individual’s criminal background check carried out by potential employers, lenders, public assistance providers, among others. Hence having legal representation when facing trial in any New Jersey Municipal Court is essential.

Spodek Law Group provides a comprehensive guide comprising expert insights into New Jersey municipal courts. Our team of experienced lawyers includes former prosecutors as well as public defenders who have decades of experience appearing in New Jersey Municipal Courts.

What Cases get Heard in Municipal Courts?

The kind of matters heard by municipal courts gets categorized into four general categories;

Motor vehicle and traffic law violation
Disorderly person/petty disorderly person offenses (criminal cases resulting in jail-time or fines)
Municipal ordinance violations
J Division – Fish and wildlife; Division – Parks & Forestry; Office-of-Weight-&-Measures; Boating & Animal Cruelty Regulation Violations

Indictable Offenses are more serious than other crimes tried before them are passed from these courts straight to the county prosecutor who then decides whether or not to present it before a grand jury or send it back to the municipal court but with less severe charges. Cases brought before grand juries usually result in indictments and such are transferred to the superior courts of New Jersey.

When it comes to municipal court issues, criminal matters always require an appearance in court even for charges involving assault, harassment, shoplifting or simple drug possession cases. On the other hand, paying fines by mail or at the court office is applicable for all non-criminal matters like violations concerning traffic as well as boating and fishing offenses.

If there are no checked boxes of “Court Appearance Required” against a complaint, payments of fines can be made without stepping into a law court. Wherever personal injury is involved, if not guilty, pleading innocent or your charge listed on the Statewide Violations Schedule unchecked with “Court Appearance Required,” you will still have to appear before a judge in a trial.

Despite the severity of any offense charged against you, you have the constitutional right to seek legal defense representation that aims to provide you with the possible outcome while protecting your rights fully.

How Can Spodek Law Group Help You?

Our renowned New Jersey Municipal Court attorneys offer their expertise statewide representing clients who need legal representation for whatever case-related issue they face. If convicted and a guilty plea serves your interests , we will guide you accordingly; otherwise almost always than not our counsel is more beneficial in getting lighter penalties than when one goes alone. Never attend any court proceedings without first speaking to an attorney.

What Happens in New Jersey Courts?

Every day where municipal council cases get heard starts with judges introducing sought after procedures together with possible penalties that go with such cases. The proceeding then gets processed in this order

Requests for postponements
Unchallenged Motions
Initial Arraignments
Any Guilty Pleas
Contested Motions
Parties Declared Innocent But Without Representation

During every case hearing call up from which each defendant has three choices:

Ask that his/her case be postponed. The judge often grants this request to allow for the chance of obtaining a lawyer’s services, either public or private hire, and consequently prepare appropriately.

In pleading guilty to any charge(s) brought against an accused person, the judge would ask questions concerning charges to ensure that such charges have validity before levying fines as well as sentencing appropriately.

Putting in a plea which is innocent anything placed against him/her needing a trial presided over by the judge. Trials take place on schedule days appointed by the court.

Note that should an accused be found guilty, they are required to pay all penalties including court costs and any monetary fees. In certain cases, the possibility of paying in increments exists. Should anyone receive a verdict mandating jail time, six months is maximum jail term prescribed for minor offenses relating to municipal courts with sentences served at juvenile detention centers or country jails depending on certain conditions authorized by law.

Appearing before New Jersey municipal courts without capable legal representation is not advisable at all; this could lead to losing your freedom and suffering from financial hardship due to heavy fines imposed as punishment, harming future government benefits application processing capabilities or job prospects negatively. Don’t delay in scheduling an appointment with Spodek Law Group lawyers when you face charges in municipal courts, whether it is the first time or not.