Municipal Court Offenses
There are more than 530 municipal courts in New Jersey and the Judiciary states that they resolve nearly 6 million cases per year. While municipal courts in New Jersey do not hear indictable offenses, they do hear disorderly and petty disorderly offenses along with other matters. Just because the matters are not indictable, however, does not mean they are without consequence.
Municipal ordinance violations and traffic violations typically fall under the jurisdiction of the municipal court where the Municipal Court Judge is both the trier-of-fact and trier-of-law. There are no juries in municipal court. Some common New Jersey municipal matters are: DWI, shoplifting, simple assault, noise violations and reckless driving. Despite not technically being considered a conviction of a crime under New Jersey law, a finding of "guilt" in these matters can still result in significant fines/penalties, points on your driving record and even jail time. If you have an upcoming matter in municipal court, please consider consulting with an experienced attorney. Our office offers affordable municipal court representation, including affordable DUI representation.
Please contact us by completing this form or by calling 732-701-7411.
DUI/DWI
Driving While Intoxicated/Driving Under the Influence cases are heard in municipal court in New Jersey. However, that does not mean these are not serious charges with potentially significant repercussions.
Penalties for a conviction may include: hundreds of dollars in fines, suspension of driver's license, installation of an interlocking device in your vehicle, $1,000/year insurance surcharge for a period of three years, attendance in a 12+ hour Intoxicated Driver Resource Center program and other penalties.
Traffic Violations
A traffic violation may seem like just a speed bump in your otherwise smooth day, but a conviction can lead to points on your license and/or monetary fines. Some examples of common violations in New Jersey include: reckless driving, careless driving, speeding, improper passing, use of a cellphone while driving and driving with a suspended license
Depending on your driving record, the purported violation and the accompanying fine/points the violation carries, it may be worth speaking with an attorney about your matter.
Municipal Ordinance Violations
There are 564 municipalities in New Jersey and each one of them has its own local ordinances. Some common ordinance violations are public urination, noise violations (nuisance code) and open containers.
Municipal ordinance violations may carry significant penalties. One Monmouth County shore town, for example, fines violators of public nuisance in the amount of $600 to $2,000 if convicted.
Please contact our office if you would like to speak with an attorney about your municipal ordinance matter.
Disorderly Persons Offenses
Many people have heard of felonies and misdemeanors, and while these are often the classifications in other jurisdictions, they are not used in New Jersey. New Jersey classifies offenses as either "indictable" instead of a felony or as a "disorderly person" (DP) offense rather than a misdemeanor.
There are also "petty disorderly person" (PDP) offenses which carry lesser penalties.
A Disorderly Persons offense can result in up to $1,000 fine and six months of jail time. A Petty disorderly persons offense can result in a fine of $500 and up to 30 days of jail time.