I was Arrested. Where Will My Case be Heard in New Jersey?

If you've been arrested in any county in New Jersey, there are only two places that your case can be heard. It will either be heard in whatever Municipal Court, which is the town that the incident occurred in, or it will be heard in the County Superior Court, again, whatever county that charge arose from. In New Jersey, we have a number of different types of offenses that are heard in these different places. For a Superior Court matter or an indictable, which again would be like a felony that you see on television, we have first-degree, second-degree, third-degree, and fourth-degree. Those are all heard at the county level.

A first-degree is punishable by between 10 and 20 years in state prison. A second-degree is punishable by 5 to 10 years in state prison. A third-degree is punishable by 3 to 5 years in state prison. A fourth-degree is up to 18 months in state prison. If you are charged with a disorderly persons offense, a petty disorderly persons offense, a borough ordinance, or traffic tickets, those will be heard in the Municipal Court.

A disorderly persons offense, you face a maximum of 6 months in the county jail. A petty disorderly persons offense, you face up to 30 days in the county jail, and you face up to— you face fines on a borough ordinance. And you could face jail on some motor vehicle tickets. If you're charged with any one of those offenses, it's important to hire an attorney experienced in both Superior Court and Municipal Court.