Courts in New Jersey

In New Jersey, there is one federal district court, a state supreme court, a state superior court, and trial courts with both general and limited jurisdiction. These courts serve different purposes, which are outlined in the sections below.

Click a link for information about that court type.

• Federal courts
• State supreme court
• State superior court
• Trial courts
• Courts of limited jurisdiction

The image below depicts the flow of cases through New Jersey's state court system. Cases typically originate in the trial courts and can be appealed to courts higher up in the system.

The structure of New Jersey's state court system.

Judicial selection process

The seven justices of the New Jersey Supreme Court and the approximately 360 judges of the New Jersey Superior Court are appointed by the governor with senate confirmation. Meanwhile, the chief justice of the supreme court assigns 32 judges from among the superior court judges to serve in the New Jersey Superior Court, Appellate Division.^[1][2][3]

When a vacancy occurs on the supreme court or superior court, the governor appoints a successor to be confirmed by the state senate. Newly appointed judges serve for seven years, after which they may be reappointed to serve until age 70.^[1]

Federal courts

The federal district court in New Jersey is the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey.

Appeals from these courts go to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit.

Active judges

The list below displays the number of active judges by the party of the appointing president. It does not reflect how a judge may rule on specific cases or their own political preferences.

• Democrat appointed: 15
• Republican appointed: 2

Judicial selection

Judges who sit on the federal district courts are nominated by the president of the United States and confirmed by the United States Senate. These judges serve life terms. To read more about the judges on these courts, click here.

Bankruptcy courts

There is one federal bankruptcy court in New Jersey. These courts have subject-matter jurisdiction over bankruptcy cases. The federal bankruptcy court in New Jersey is:

• United States bankruptcy court, District of New Jersey

State supreme court

See also: New Jersey Supreme Court

The New Jersey Supreme Court is the court of last resort in the state. It is an appellate court with no original jurisdiction. The court may hear appeals if the case involves a constitutional question, if a judge in the appellate division dissented, if capital punishment is sought, or if the court granted certification. The court also has administrative power over the state's courts and attorneys.^[4][5]

The following judges sit on the court:

State court of appeals

See also: Appellate Division of Superior Court

The New Jersey Superior Court, Appellate Division is the intermediate appellate court in New Jersey. Its rulings may be appealed to the New Jersey Supreme Court. According to the New Jersey Courts website, the court "is generally composed of 32 judges who sit in two and three judge panels chosen from parts consisting of four judges. Appellate Division judges hear appeals from decisions of the trial courts, the Tax Court, and State administrative agencies. The Appellate Division decides approximately 6,500 appeals and 10,000 motions each year."^[2]

The following judges sit on the court:

Trial courts

New Jersey Superior Courts

See also: New Jersey Superior Courts

The New Jersey superior courts are the main trial courts in New Jersey. They hear all criminal, civil and family cases. Each of New Jersey's 21 counties contains a superior court.^[2]

Courts of limited jurisdiction

New Jersey Municipal Courts

See also: New Jersey Municipal Courts

The New Jersey municipal courts have jurisdiction over municipal ordinance violations, minor criminal offenses, as well as traffic and motor vehicle violations. There are 539 municipal courts in the state.^[2][6]

New Jersey Tax Court

See also: New Jersey Tax Court

The Tax Court hears appeals of decisions made by county boards of taxation and the State Division of Taxation.^[2][7]

Surrogate Court

Surrogate court judges in New Jersey are elected in each county to five-year terms. Surrogate court judges administer wills, trusts, and estates. They also serve as the deputy clerk of the superior court.^[8][9]

In other states

See also

• Judicial selection in New Jersey
• New Jersey judicial elections

External links

• Search Google News for this topic
• New Jersey Courts

Footnotes

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