What is a Municipal Court?
Every municipality in New Jersey, from the biggest city to the smallest township, has its own Municipal Court, though some smaller towns share regional courts (municipality = municipal). These courts usually involve violations that occurred within that municipality, such as local ordinances and laws.
New Jersey does not classify crimes in terms of felonies or misdemeanors, terms you may have heard before. Instead, serious crimes are called indictable crimes because the prosecution must first bring the case to a grand jury to demonstrate there is sufficient evidence to support a criminal charge with a trial before a jury; each county has a Superior Court, also called trial court, which hear most cases related to these types of crimes, such as murder, robbery, or car theft, as well as family and civil cases. Less serious crimes where penalties do not exceed six months in jail are called disorderly person offenses, while the least serious are called petty disorderly person offenses. These are the sorts of cases heard in Municipal Courts, where most cases involve parking and traffic matters.
It is important to note that due to the less severe nature of these crimes, Municipal Court hearings do NOT have juries. The judge alone determines guilt or innocence and imposes any sentence incurred. Municipal Court judges have the power to enter penalties up to the limit of the law, including jail, fines, probation, and license suspensions.
Municipal matters can more or less be grouped into three categories with examples:
1. Traffic Offenses
Leaving The Scene of an Accident
Failure to Maintain Insurance
Driving While Suspended or Revoked
Driving While Intoxicated (DWI)
Speeding
Reckless Driving
Careless Driving
Driving Under the Influence (DUI)
2. Local Ordinance Violations
Dog and Cat Leash Violations
Noise Violations
Building Code Violations
3. Disorderly Persons Offenses
Simple Assault
Shoplifting
Underage Drinking
Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
Marijuana Possession
Disorderly Conduct
Domestic Violence
A person convicted of a disorderly offense can be sentenced to up to six months in jail and/or a fine up to $1,000. A person convicted of a petty disorderly offense can be sentenced to up to 30 days in jail and/or a fine up to $500.
