Barnegat Township Municipal Court

Barnegat Township Municipal Court cases in Ocean County, Barnegat, NJ

Barnegat Township Municipal Court is a municipal court in Barnegat, New Jersey, with limited jurisdiction under the New Jersey Judiciary. It handles motor vehicle and parking violations, driving while intoxicated and other traffic offenses, municipal ordinance violations, and minor criminal matters classified as disorderly persons or petty disorderly persons offenses (e.g., simple assault, shoplifting below statutory thresholds). The court also hears certain regulatory violations such as fish and game, health, and weights and measures cases. It conducts first appearances and other preliminary proceedings for indictable offenses, which are then transferred to the Ocean County Superior Court. It does not adjudicate divorces, custody, probate, or higher-value civil claims.

Barnegat Township Municipal Court Contact and Location Information

Services and Case Types Handled in Barnegat Township Municipal Court

Barnegat Township Municipal Court serves the public by resolving lower-level offenses and managing related court services. It:
- Processes case filings such as traffic/parking tickets, DUI/DWI, disorderly and petty disorderly persons offenses, municipal ordinance and code-enforcement violations, and certain fish/game and weights/measures matters.
- Conducts court hearings, including first appearances, status/plea hearings, bench trials (no juries), and sentencing.
- Handles complaints, probable-cause reviews for warrants, and referrals to mediation (Community Dispute Resolution Program) for minor neighbor/harassment disputes.
- Manages financial obligations: fines, penalties, time-payment plans, and compliance.
- Provides public defender applications for eligible defendants, interpreter and ADA accommodations, and scheduling assistance.
- Protective orders: may issue emergency temporary restraining orders when Superior Court is unavailable; ongoing domestic-violence and other protective orders are handled by Superior Court.
- Jury services: not provided in Municipal Court; jury trials occur in Superior Court.