New case filings in New Jersey trial courts declined significantly in the first four months of 2020 when compared with the same period in 2019.

Overall, new cases filed in the Superior Court of New Jersey from Jan. 1 to April 30 this year declined by 20.5% from a year ago. Criminal filings saw the biggest change, with a 34.1% decline. Family court filings dropped 26.5%, and civil filings fell 16.1% in the first four months of 2020.