Superior and municipal courts have issued plans for dealing with the coronavirus.Municipal courts will begin a two-week suspension Monday for those scheduled to appear before a municipal court to contest a traffic or parking ticket, or minor local ordinance violation.“As part of our continuing response to the spread of COVID-19, we are suspending municipal court sessions for a two-week period,” Chief Justice Rabner said. “Where it is possible to resolve court matters without compromising the health and safety of the public and court staff, we will continue to do so.”
In-person Superior Court proceedings scheduled for Monday and Tuesday will be postpone as the Judiciary prepares to shift to virtual participation for attorneys, litigants and all court users, with extremely limited exceptions.
The postponements, are part of an ongoing series of actions taken in consultation with the New Jersey Department of Health to reduce the risk of public exposure to COVID-19 coronavirus.
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“On a typical court day, hundreds if not thousands of attorneys, litigants, and inmates appear in courts throughout the state," Rabner said. "We are limiting physical interactions in our courts and shifting to video and phone conferencing options for attorneys, litigants and the public.”
Attorneys and litigants scheduled to appear for in-person matters at the trial level of the Superior Court and Tax Court on Monday and Tuesday should await notice of a new hearing date. Ongoing jury trials will continue as announced.
Critical court operations necessary to public safety or the administration of justice will continue.
Emergent applications, as well as Extreme Risk Protective Orders and domestic violence temporary restraining orders submitted through local police departments, will continue to be accepted. The court also will continue to hold first appearance hearings and pretrial detention hearings.
Questions about individual cases should be directed to the relevant court offices. Updated information regarding court operations will continue to be made available at
njcourts.gov.
