In light of the Coronavirus / COVID-19 National Emergency situation, many non-essential public and private businesses have suspended or restricted operations, including the New Jersey Judiciary, which will affect local, municipal, state, and superior courts.
If you have a current or upcoming court date or hearing scheduled in any court – including traffic court, municipal court, DUI and DWI court, Superior Court, or other judicial proceeding – it may be canceled and postponed to a later date. To find out for sure, you can reach out to the Law Offices of Edward M. Janzekovich for help and guidance.
If you have a DUI/DWI or other hearing scheduled during this time, it will be important to reach out to an attorney and confirm the status of your case. If you are arrested, charged, or convicted during this time, there can also be situations where you will still need to appear, and it is important to reach out to a lawyer for verification.
Municipal Court Closings
On Saturday, March 14, 2020, a notice was issued by the NJ Judiciary, Chief Justice Stuart Rabner and Acting Administrative Director of the New Jersey Courts, Glenn A. Grant, J.A.D., directing all Municipal Court sessions be suspended for two weeks. The suspension will begin Monday, March 16 and continue through Friday, March 27, 2020.
Persons who are scheduled to appear before a Municipal Court to contest a traffic or parking ticket, or minor local ordinance violation should not appear and should await notice of a new court date. However, the Municipal Courts will continue to handle certain matters, including detainments, probable cause determinations, applications for temporary restraining orders, Extreme Risk Protective Orders, and search warrants; as well as other matters that implicate public safety.
If you have a DUI/DWI or other hearing scheduled during this time, it may or may not be affected, or it may be switched from an in-person hearing to a telephonic or telecommunication hearing. An attorney can confirm.
The official notice, posted below, can also be found here: https://njcourts.gov/notices/2020/n200314a.pdf?c=ewi
State and Superior Court Closings
Similarly, several notices from the Chief Justice and Administrative Office of the Courts have been issued with direction and guidance regarding closings and postponements. Some, but not all, matters, cases, and hearings before the State Superior Courts have been postponed and will be rescheduled. However, many proceedings will continue through the use of remote communication, and many deadlines and electronic filing requirements remain in place.
If you or someone you know has a matter currently scheduled in front of the County Court, State Court, or Superior Court, it is important to contact an attorney as soon as possible to determine if the matter has been postponed until a later date or if the matter will be proceeding through the use of internet or remote technology.
Moreover, the Administrative Office of the Court is constantly monitoring this situation, and additional meetings are scheduled this week to determine how other cases will be affected moving forward. Therefore, it may be necessary to continue to check on the status of your proceedings on a daily basis to determine if anything has changed.
The March 12, 2020 Notice to the Court can be found here: https://njcourts.gov/notices/2020/n200312d.pdf?c=spB
The March 15, 2020 Notice to the Court can be found here: https://njcourts.gov/notices/2020/n200315a.pdf?c=9yu
Other Court and Judicial Proceedings
An updated schedule of County Superior Court and State Court Closings can be found here: https://njcourts.gov/courts/closings.html
Unfortunately, it will be impossible to cover all the various types of court proceedings in this blog. During this time, if you have a legal matter that requires urgent attention, or if you are unsure if your case is affected by the Coronavirus and COVID-19 closings, you should ask a lawyer immediately.
New Jersey DUI and DWI Attorney, Edward M. Janzekovich, Can Answer Your Questions About Coronavirus and COVID-19 Court Closings
Until further notice, local, municipal, and state court proceedings will be affected throughout the state. An attorney will be able to answer your questions about Court proceedings and check on the status of your matter. To speak with an experienced New Jersey DWI/DUI lawyer about your situation, call us at 732-257-1137 or contact us online today. We serve clients throughout the state of New Jersey.