Municipal Court Law
Municipal Court representation centers on:
- Traffic offenses
- DUI’s
- Violations of the township’s municipal code
- Minor offenses including “Disorderly Persons” or “Petty Disorderly Persons”
Our attorneys represent persons charged with these offenses, which are resolved in Municipal Court.
Traffic and motor vehicle offenses are just that-violations of the Motor Vehicle Code, such as speeding, careless driving, cell phone tickets, and equipment violations. Some of these can involve significant penalties in the form of fines, license suspension, and surcharges, and if they are serious enough, possible jail time, although that less common for traffic offenses.
DUI’s are also resolved in Municipal Court. Unlike in most states, DUI’s are not considered criminal matters in New Jersey; although the possible penalties include suspensions of up to 10 years for repeat offenders, possible jail time of up to 180 days, significant fines and penalties, and the installation of an interlock device on your car after the suspension period is over.
Municipal code violations are typically noise violations, sanitation violations, neighbor disputes, and building code violations.
Disorderly persons and petty disorderly persons violations are minor offenses. They may be called “misdemeanors” in other states. By law, these are not considered “crimes” in New Jersey. Typical types of matters are small shoplifting cases, minor thefts, trespassing, or possession of small amounts of controlled substances.