This is a status report provided by the New Jersey State Bar Association on recently passed and pending legislation, regulations, gubernatorial nominations and/or appointments of interest to lawyers, as well as the involvement of the NJSBA as amicus in appellate court matters. To learn more, visit njsba.com.
Municipal Court Operations, Fines and Fees
The NJSBA offered a number of comments to the Supreme Court on its Report of the Supreme Court Committee on Municipal Court Operations, Fines and Fees. It lauded the Supreme Court for addressing the issue in light of the association’s own Report on Judicial Independence in the Municipal Courts last year, specifically the fact that the Supreme Court incorporated many of the association’s own recommendations. It offered additional comments, including recommendations to:
- Explore alternatives to incarceration in addition to alternatives to license suspension.
- Extend a proposed policy limiting the issuance of bench warrants to matters where outstanding fines or fees owed by a defendant exceed $250 to include cases with consequences of magnitude.
- Establish a goal of operating municipal courts in a paperless fashion, including sending electronic notices to defendants, to enhance the aim of centralizing and modernizing municipal court notice generation and printing to improve the quality and functionality of notice processing and to take advantage of high-volume printing and postage discounts.
- Develop an appeal process within the municipal court judge appointment procedure through which a candidate can appeal a decision of the Qualifications Committee and address whether a candidate who is found unqualified initially can be resubmitted after a period of time.
