The presiding judge of the Monmouth Vicinage Municipal Division is the Honorable James M. Newman. The Municipal Division of Monmouth handles an array of cases in the vast number of municipal courts within the Monmouth Vicinage. It covers and reviews the operations and caseload from 53 municipal courts within the Monmouth Vicinage, which is 665 square miles in size. Also, the Presiding Judge of the Criminal Division in the Monmouth Vicinage is the Honorable Francis J. Vernoia. For general information on the Criminal Division in the Monmouth Vicinage, the phone number is (732) 677-4500.
Felony cases (called indictable crimes in New Jersey) on first appearance are often handled in the New Jersey municipal courts and thereafter transferred to the Superior Court. At the municipal court level in New Jersey, there are 539 municipal courts statewide with 330 judges presiding among them. These courts are operated by the city, township or borough where the court is located.
Disorderly persons offenses (misdemeanors in other states), traffic violations and other charges are heard in municipal court. Examples of cases that appear in municipal court include assault, trespassing, DWI, shoplifting and some drug offenses. In Monmouth County, some non-violent disputes and petty offenses (e.g., pet complaints, property disputes, etc.) are handled outside of the realm of traditional litigation in the Complementary Dispute Resolution program. This program is run by volunteers that act as moderators, commanding an informal stage upon which disputes may be handled expeditiously in a cost-effective manner.
It is important to answer summonses that are to be heard at the municipal court level, as failure to do so may result in a violation and the court taking additional action. Some ways a court may impose punishment for failure to appear include the issuance of an arrest warrant, financial penalties or the suspension of driving privileges. After a decision has been rendered at the municipal court level, it can be appealed to the New Jersey Superior Court, and must be filed within 20 days of conviction.
The following pages list municipal court information for the towns in Monmouth County, NJ in which Villani & DeLuca offer legal representation. To find information on the Monmouth County legal services provided by Villani & DeLuca in each of these municipalities click the link above.
