If you have a disorderly persons offense like possession of CDS (e.g. marijuana or heroin), shoplifting, criminal mischief, trespass, or simple assault, pending in Newark Municipal Court, call our highly experienced criminal attorneys and former prosecutors for a free consultation. The following is some helpful information that you may want to know about criminal charges in this court.
Newark Municipal Court
The official address and public entrance of the Court is 31 Green Street, Newark NJ, and that is what is depicted in this image. The building is know as the Brennan Marshall Justice Complex. If you have any questions regarding your criminal charge, mandatory appearances, or any other need to contact the court, main telephone number is 973-733-6520. The Director of the court is Eunice Samuels-Lewis and the Chief Administrator is James Simpson. Court sessions are conducted Mon-Fri. @ 8:30 a.m. and Mon-Fri. @4:00 p.m. The Chief Judge is Richard Nunes.
What types of cases does the Newark Municipal Court have jurisdiction to hear?
The municipal court possesses limited jurisdiction to hear traffic tickets and misdemeanor criminal charges known as disorderly persons offenses. Common violations falling within this category include harassment, possession of marijuana, and shoplifting. Since the Essex County Superior Court and Prosecutor’s Office tend to be highly burdened with borderline third and fourth degree indictable crimes, it is not uncommon for cases like possession of heroin, aggravated assault, to also make their way back to the municipal court as “remands”. A remand occurs when the county prosecutor decides to downgrade a felony criminal charge and sends it back to municipal court for disposition. The total number of disorderly persons offenses handled in Newark Municipal Court is staggering with 2798 violations filed in the month of July 2014 alone.
What can happen if I am convicted of a criminal offense in Newark Municipal Court?
While the court cannot decide felony cases, there is nevertheless the potential for significant penalties and consequences if you are convicted. The chief consequences of a conviction is a 2C criminal record. What this means is that whenever you apply for a job, loan, or there is another reason for someone to do a criminal background check, you will be labeled as a person with past criminal problems. Another significant ramification is the possibility of up to six (6) months in the county jail and fines and assessments which, in most cases, can exceed $1,000.
How can one of our Newark Municipal Court Defense Attorneys help you?
Our firm utilizes its 100 plus years of combined experience, including years of service as prosecutors, to reach the best outcome available to our clients. In terms of our success rate in Newark Municipal Court, we have been able to succeed in the vast majority of cases in avoiding a criminal conviction on behalf of our clients. This often means a reduction of the charge to a Newark municipal ordinance violation, something that avoids our client having a criminal record or being subject to the penalties that come with a disorderly persons offense. There are also many cases where we are able to achieve an outright dismissal of the offense. Call our Newark Criminal Defense Attorneys 24/7 at 973-710-1520 for a free consultation.