NEW JERSEY COURT SYSTEM MISSION STATEMENT

WE ARE AN INDEPENDENT BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT CONSTITUTIONALLY ENTRUSTED WITH THE FAIR AND JUST RESOLUTION OF DISPUTES IN ORDER TO PRESERVE THE RULE OF LAW AND TO PROTECT THE RIGHTS AND LIBERTIES GUARANTEED BY THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES AND THIS STATE.

WELCOME TO THE KINNELON MUNICIPAL COURT

 
By far, most of the cases filed in New Jersey's courts are heard in the Municipal Courts. In fact, about six million of the seven million cases filed in New Jersey's courts each year are filed in the Municipal Courts.

The Municipal Courts have jurisdiction over a great variety of cases, including Motor Vehicle/Traffic & Parking Violations, Forest and Parks Violations, Weights & Measures Violations, Violations of Municipal Ordinances, Penalty Enforcement Actions, and cases involving minor criminal offenses known in New Jersey as Disorderly Persons or Petty Disorderly Persons offenses. 

In any matter you might have before the Kinnelon Municipal Court, we will be happy to help you if we can.  Please know, however, that we are permitted to help you only in certain ways, since we need to be fair to every party involved in a case.

Below is a list of some things our Court Staff CAN and CANNOT do for you, per the directive of the New Jersey State Judiciary.  Please read it carefully before asking the Court Staff for help.

 

WE LOOK FORWARD TO HELPING YOU IN ACCORDANCE WITH THESE GUIDELINES.
 

YOUR DAY IN COURT

PRIOR TO ENTERING THE COURTROOM PLEASE TURN OFF OR SILENCE YOUR PHONE OR PAGER.

WHEN YOU GET TO COURT, CHECK IN WITH THE COURT OFFICER WHO IS PRESENT IN THE FOYER OF THE BUILDING

FOR SECURITY PURPOSES YOU WILL BE ELECTRONICALLY SCANNED

ALL COURT PROCEEDINGS ARE RECORDED. PLEASE REMAIN QUIET UNTIL IT IS YOUR TURN TO SPEAK

THE JUDGE WILL GIVE AN OPENING STATEMENT EXPLAINING COURT PROCEDURES AND A DEFENDANTS' RIGHTS

A CASE MAY BE POSTPONED TO GIVE YOU TIME TO OBTAIN REPRESENTATION BY A PRIVATE ATTORNEY OR BY A PUBLIC DEFENDER IF YOU QUALIFY. IF YOU ARE SEEKING REPRESENTATION BY THE COURT APPOINTED PUBLIC DEFENDER YOU MUST CONTACT THE COURT SO YOU MAY BE PROVIDED WITH A FINANCIAL QUESTIONNAIRE, WHICH MUST BE FULLY COMPLETED SINCE YOUR QUALIFICATION IS DETERMINED BY THE INFORMATION PROVIDED ON THE QUESTIONNAIRE. THERE IS A $200 NON-REFUNDABLE APPLICATION FEE TO OBTAIN A PUBLIC DEFENDER.

A PLEA AGREEMENT IS A WAY TO SETTLE A CASE. PLEA AGREEMENTS ARE NEGOTIATED WITH THE PROSECUTOR, AN ATTORNEY WHO REPRESENTS THE STATE. YOU WILL BE GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO THE PROSECUTOR TO TRY TO SETTLE YOUR CASE. YOU MUST ADVISE THE COURT AT LEAST SEVEN (7) DAYS PRIOR TO YOUR COURT DATE THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK WITH THE PROSECUTOR OR YOU MAY BE REQUIRED TO MAKE ANOTHER APPEARANCE. YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO SPEAK TO THE PROSECUTOR. ALL PLEA AGREEMENTS MUST BE APPROVED BY THE JUDGE.

IF YOU PLEAD GUILTY IN COURT, THE JUDGE WILL ASK QUESTIONS REGARDING THE OFFENSE CHARGED TO MAKE SURE THERE ARE FACTS TO SUPPORT THE GUILTY PLEA AND TO DETERMINE THAT YOUR PLEA IS VOLUNTARY. THE JUDGE WILL THEN MAKE A FINDING AND IMPOSE A SENTENCE. IF YOU PLEAD GUILTY OR ARE FOUND GUILTY OF TRAFFIC OFFENSES IN COURT, THE PENALTIES LISTED ON THE VIOLATIONS BUREAU SCHEDULE DO NOT NECESSARILY APPLY.

IF YOU PLEAD NOT GUILTY, THE JUDGE WILL PRESIDE OVER A TRIAL TO DETERMINE WHETHER YOU ARE GUILTY OR NOT GUILTY. THE TRIAL MAY BE HELD THAT DAY, BUT IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES MAY BE RE-SCHEDULED.

IN A TRIAL THE PROSECUTOR FIRST WILL CALL THE STATE'S WITNESSES (WITNESSES AGAINST YOU). THEY WILL ANSWER THE PROSECUTOR'S QUESTIONS AND PRESENT ANY OTHER EVIDENCE THEY HAVE. WHEN THE PROSECUTOR IS FINISHED WITH EACH WITNESS, YOU, OR YOUR ATTORNEY, WILL BE PERMITTED TO ASK THEM QUESTIONS ABOUT THEIR TESTIMONY.

WHEN THE PROSECUTOR'S CASE IS COMPLETE, IT WILL BE YOUR TURN TO CALL WITNESSES AND PRESENT EVIDENCE ON YOUR BEHALF. YOU MAY TESTIFY, ALTHOUGH YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO DO SO. IF YOU TESTIFY, THE PROSECUTOR CAN ASK YOU QUESTIONS (CROSS-EXAMINE YOU). AFTER ALL WITNESSES AND EVIDENCE HAVE BEEN PRESENTED, THE JUDGE WILL DECIDE WHETHER YOU ARE GUILTY OR NOT GUILTY. IF YOU ARE FOUND GUILTY, THE JUDGE WILL IMPOSE A SENTENCE. YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO PAY ALL MONETARY PENALTIES AS ORDERED BY THE JUDGE. UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, THE COURT MAY PERMIT YOU TO PAY OVER A PERIOD OF TIME. YOU WILL BE GIVEN INSTRUCTION ON HOW TO COMPLY WITH ANY OTHER PARTS OF YOUR SENTENCE.

IF YOU DISAGREE WITH THE JUDGE'S DECISION, YOU MAY APPEAL. BUT IF YOU APPEAL, YOU MUST FILE THE APPEAL WITHIN TWENTY (20) CALENDAR DAYS OF YOUR CONVICTION. YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO PAY A DEPOSIT THAT WILL BE APPLIED AGAINST THE COST OF PREPARING A TRANSCRIPT OF THE TRIAL. YOU ALSO WILL BE REQUIRED TO PAY A $75 FILING FEE. PLEASE ASK THE COURT STAFF TO PROVIDE YOU WITH A COPY OF THE APPEAL PACKET, "HOW TO APPEAL A DECISION OF A MUNICIPAL COURT." INFORMATION ON REPRESENTING YOURSELF IN AN APPEAL IS ALSO AVAILABLE AT http://www.judiciary.state.nj.us.