Municipal Court
The typical New Jersey resident will never set foot in a Superior Court courtroom. In contrast, nearly every citizen will one day experience Municipal Court. Thus, municipal court represents the primary point of contact between the average citizen and New Jersey's system of criminal justice. Municipal Courts handle cases such as motor vehicle violations, local ordinance prosecutions, and disorderly person's offenses.
Disorderly and petty disorderly person's offenses
There are a number of crimes constituting “disorderly persons” offenses, including possessing a small amount of drugs, a simple assault, petty theft, etc. Under New Jersey law, a defendant convicted of a disorderly person's offense or a petty disorderly person's offense may be sentenced to a fine or imprisonment or both. The maximum prison sentence for a disorderly person's offense is six months; the maximum sentence for a petty disorderly person's offense is 30 days. The maximum fine for a disorderly person's offense is $1,000. The maximum fine for a petty disorderly person's offense is $500.
Often, one of the most impactful results of a disorderly person's conviction is the suspension of one's driver's license. The court may impose a driver's license suspension of up to two years if the defendant used a motor vehicle in the course of committing a disorderly or petty disorderly person's offense. A license suspension of six months is mandatory for any person who uses a motor vehicle to engage in prostitution as a patron.
A driver's license forfeiture is also mandatory for any person convicted of a disorderly or petty disorderly person's offense involving the possession of drugs or drug paraphernalia. The law does allow the court to grant an exception to license forfeiture if there are “compelling circumstances,” defined as extreme hardship plus the unavailability of alternative transportation.
I can help you argue to the court why your circumstances are compelling and the loss of your license will impose extreme hardship. Contact me today.