New Jersey Municipal Courts
New Jersey’s municipal court system is intended to handle three types of matters:
(a) Motor vehicle matters,
(b) Lesser criminal charges, and
(c) Violation(s) of municipal ordinances.
In New Jersey most towns have their own municipal court, although the recent trend has been to encourage towns to combine their courts as a more efficient way of handling these matters.
Charges brought against an individual may involve a simple fine or more serious penalties such as substantial fines and/or loss of one’s driving privileges.
Far too often people who get a municipal summons or a traffic ticket plead guilty, thinking they have no other options. It is important that individuals charged with offenses returnable in Municipal Court review these charges with an attorney to determine if there are possible defenses to the charge, and to understand the penalties if one is found to be guilty. A guilty plea or a guilty finding can have a snowball effect, leading to a license suspension for accumulated points, and increased insurance rates.
Gale & Laughlin, LLP represents clients in the defense of traffic violations, and seeks to reduce the number of points associated with your charged offense:
| Reckless Driving | 5 points |
| Careless Driving | 2 points |
| Tailgating | 5 points |
| Speeding up to 14 MPH above limit | 2 points |
| Speeding 15-29 MPH above limit | 4 points |
| Speeding 30 MPH or more above limit | 5 points |
| Failure to Obey Traffic Signal | 2 points |
| Improper U-Turn | 3 points |
| Improper Passing of School Bus | 5 points |
| Wrong Way on One-Way Street | 2 points |
| Failure to Yield at Intersection | 2 points |
I hired Jordan Gale for a recent Municipal Court Matter. He was a wonderful attorney. He was detailed, kind and extremely helpful. I could not imagine going to any other firm. I highly recommend Gale & Laughlin .
– Corey A
Drug Possession
Clients found in possession of small amounts of a controlled, dangerous substance may have their matter heard in the local municipal court. In some instances, the discovery of these drugs may be the result of a traffic stop or the appearance of an individual being under the influence of a controlled dangerous substance. In each instance there are certain procedures which the police must follow in order to prove an individual’s guilt. Let us review the specific facts of your matter to determine if these requirements have been met.
Effective Legal Counsel
Don’t face fines, suspensions, court costs or possible jail time without a knowledgeable attorney at your side. For decades our firm has been assisting clients with municipal court matters in communities throughout Monmouth County, Middlesex County and Ocean County.
All consultations for Municipal Court Cases are FREE, so contact us today.
