A basic knowledge of New Jersey courts and judges can be very beneficial if you ever find yourself in the courtroom. All too often individuals and businesses find the need to file a lawsuit, or are at the receiving end of a lawsuit, and their lack of knowledge on how the court system works leaves them lost in the proceedings. Regardless of the circumstances that put you there, it doesn’t hurt to understand the court process.
It’s important to understand that there are multiple courts in each state that oversee different types of cases. Each of these courts have judges that administer the law and case process. When considering New Jersey courts and New Jersey judges, keep the following in mind:
1. Municipal courts in New Jersey are the courts that individuals are most likely to come in contact with for traffic violations and minor criminal offenses.
2. Serious criminal offenses may start at the New Jersey municipal court, but typically end up in the Superior Court of New Jersey.
3. The New Jersey Supreme Court and Appellate Division only hear appellate cases and each court has their own appointed NJ judges.
4. Bankruptcy information and case filings are also accessible through NJ court records.
Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Locate municipal and superior courts in New Jersey
Approximately 88% of cases heard in the municipal court in NJ are parking and traffic violations. The mayor of each municipality appoints the New Jersey judges in the municipal courts. The county courthouses make up the superior court of New Jersey. The county superior courts handle serious criminal offenses and civil matters. In addition to the state and federal court rules, circuit and county NJ courts have local rules and filing costs you must abide by when filing a case.
I recommend: Locate superior courts in NJ by county, along with detailed information on the superior court system, on the
New Jersey Judiciary website. If you need information on a specific case in the Superior court, use the
Superior Courts of New Jersey Motion Calendar Search.
File an appeal in the Appellate Division of New Jersey Courts
The New Jersey Supreme Court and Appellate Division both hear only appellate cases. The purpose of an appellate court is to review the trial transcript and original evidence of a case to determine if there were any errors in the original case decision. There are no witnesses, jurors or new evidence in a case heard before the New Jersey Supreme Court or Appellate Division. There are seven judges in New Jersey Supreme Court. The Appellate Division Court provides a panel of two to three judges to determine the outcome of each appellate case.
I recommend: Search the New Jersey courts opinions archive for information on current Supreme Court, Appellate Division Court and Tax Court decisions at the
Rutgers School of Law. Obtain information on the appellate process and appellate forms from the
New Jersey Judiciary website.
Access records from the bankruptcy courts in NJ
Whether you need to search for a bankruptcy filing on a debtor or determine if bankruptcy is an option for you or your company, the New Jersey Bankruptcy Courts can assist you with both. Because of its size, New Jersey, unlike most other states, only has one district bankruptcy court. The bankruptcy New Jersey court provides information on the basics for bankruptcy filing, contact information for trustees and bankruptcy attorneys and online search of New Jersey bankruptcy records.
I recommend: Visit the bankruptcy filing search on the
New Jersey CM/ECF Pacer website. If you need information on filing bankruptcy without an attorney, go to the
US Bankruptcy Court – District of New Jersey.
Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide
- Regardless of how much knowledge you have of courts and judges in New Jersey, you should hire an attorney who specializes in your specific type of case to represent you.
The official source of New Jersey Courts and Judges is
the New Jersey Courts and Judges page at Business.com
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