This is a brief primer of the New Jersey criminal justice system as it relates to a defendant. Arrest — This begins the criminal process. The individual taken into custody by law enforcement is processed by being fingerprinted and having a mug shot taken. These are entered into a criminal database. The arrestee is given a green sheet s which sets forth their actual charge s.
The person arrested is now a defendant. This is subject to a range depending on the degree of the crime that is charged. For lesser crimes, a person can be released on their own recognizance ROR.
Pre-Indictment Conference PIC — This is a relatively recent development in New Jersey Criminal Jurisprudence in which the defendant may appear in Superior Court where an offer is made to resolve their case prior to grand jury presentment. An announcement is read by the Superior Court judge in which it is emphasized that a given defendant may receive his best offer at this early stage of their criminal case. Defendants are encouraged to resolve their cases at this first court appearance.
It is most assuredly not designed to provide the best outcome for a defendant. Grand Jury — Presentment to a grand jury typically occurs months after an arrest. The grand jury is comprised of 23 individuals. A prosecutor presents a witness or witnesses against the defendant in an effort to secure an indictment. There is no judge in a grand jury presentment.
Likewise, there is no defense attorney in a grand jury presentment. Most significantly, the defendant does not have an absolute right to testify before a grand jury upon the request of a defendant or defense attorney, a defendant may be permitted to testify.
This is a rare occurrence. It is a completely one-sided proceeding. There are no rules of evidence in the grand jury. Last, in parentheses, is the year of the decision. A citation of State v. Ramseur N. Parks N. And a citation of National Paving Co. Director of the Division of Taxation 3 N. Tax , means that the opinion can be found in volume 3 of the New Jersey Tax Court Reports, on page , and that it was decided in Law books are available in the libraries of each of the county courthouses, whose addresses and phone numbers are listed in the back of this brochure.
There is a Superior court in each of New Jersey's 21 counties. The Superior courts are grouped into 15 court districts called vicinages. Vicinage comes from the Latin word vicinus, and means vicinity, neighborhood or district. Addresses of local courthouses are available for printing or downloading. Los otros dos son el Poder Ejecutivo y el Poder Legislativo. Los tribunales son una parte muy visible de nuestro sistema legal.
Las decisiones que se toman en nuestros tribunales influyen en las vidas de las personas de muchas maneras. En todas las causas, los tribunales de Nueva Jersey se esfuerzan por lograr una cosa: la justicia. La independencia judicial permite que los jueces tomen las decisiones que ellos consideran correctas, justas y equitativas, aunque a veces sus decisiones puede que no sean populares.
Para que nuestros tribunales sean justos, los jueces deben ser imparciales, es decir, no pueden favorecer a uno u otro lado en una causa. En Nueva Jersey, hay varios tipos diferentes de tribunales. Al Tribunal Superior a veces se le llama tribunal procesal o de primera instancia debido a que es donde se llevan a cabo los juicios.
Hay un Tribunal Superior en cada uno de los 21 condados de Nueva Jersey. Hay aproximadamente jueces en los Tribunales Superiores de Nueva Jersey. El fiscal es un abogado que representa al Estado de Nueva Jersey y el abogado defensor representa al acusado.
El juez supervisa el proceso y asegura que se lleve a cabo de acuerdo con la ley y las reglas judiciales. Las pruebas son presentadas al jurado por los testigos que prestan testimonio. Si los miembros del jurado no pueden decidir entre condenar y absolver, el juez puede declarar nulo el juicio y puede llevarse a cabo un nuevo juicio con otro jurado.
No todas las causas penales se deciden mediante un juicio. Un acuerdo con el fiscal asegura que el acusado culpable sea castigado. Los acuerdos con el fiscal pueden celebrarse antes del juicio o incluso durante el juicio. Los jurados civiles constan de seis miembros. Las causas de Equidad General son decididas por los jueces en vez de por los jurados. Al igual que en las causas penales, las partes en las causas civiles a menudo aceptan resolver sus disputas sin ir a juicio.
Los acuerdos pueden producirse antes que comience el juicio o incluso durante un juicio. Estos tribunales superiores se denominan tribunales de apelaciones. Los tribunales de apelaciones revisan las decisiones de los tribunales inferiores para determinar si dichas decisiones fueron correctas de acuerdo con la ley. En vez de ello, los abogados presentan sus argumentos legales a los jueces.
En la Corte Suprema, las causas son decididas por un Juez Presidente y seis jueces asociados. En vez de ello, la Corte Suprema examina si los procesos. El proceso de nombramiento y permanencia en el cargo fortalece la independencia judicial. Los jueces de los Juzgados Municipales pueden ser nombrados de nuevo, pero no hay permanencia indefinida en el cargo.
Los jueces de los Juzgados Municipales pueden ser nombrados de nuevo, pero el cargo no tiene permanencia. Cuando los miembros del jurado deciden una causa, representan a toda la comunidad. Al servir como jurados, las personas ayudan a asegurar que nuestro sistema de justicia sea justo.
En Nueva Jersey, los jurados de los juicios penales constan de 12 miembros, en tanto que los jurados de los juicios civiles se componen de seis miembros. Un Gran Jurado decide si hay pruebas suficientes para que una persona pueda ser llevada a juicio por un delito. El Gran Jurado es dirigido por fiscales, que deciden las pruebas que han de presentar al Gran Jurado.
A fin de prestar servicio como jurado en Nueva Jersey, una persona debe cumplir con ciertos requisitos. John Jones, o sencillamente Smith v. Jones El Estado v. Sin embargo, no todos los nombres de las causas incluyen tanto al demandante como al demandado. La libertad a prueba es una pena que los jueces pueden imponer a las personas culpadas de delitos. La libertad a prueba se otorga, por lo general, a los infractores que son condenados por primera vez de delitos no violentos.
Los oficiales de libertad a prueba trabajan para el Poder Judicial. La libertad a prueba es distinta de la libertad condicional. Las opiniones escritas y publicadas de los tribunales se encuentran en los libros de derecho.
Estas opiniones publicadas constituyen lo que se conoce como jurisprudencia. Las opiniones publicadas de los tribunales de Nueva Jersey se incluyen en tres series diferentes de libros. Y las opiniones del Tribunal de Asuntos Tributarios se incluyen en libros de cubierta de color azul denominados Informes del Tribunal de Asuntos Tributarios de Nueva Jersey.
Las opiniones en estos libros se identifican con las citas de sus causas. La cita de una causa comienza con el nombre de la causa. Una cita de State v. Ramseur, N. Parks, N. Y una cita de National Paving Co. Director of the Division of Taxation, 3 N. Los tribunales superiores se agrupan en 15 distritos de tribunales denominados vecindades. Vecindad viene de la palabra latina vicinus, y significa vecindad, barrio o distrito. Las direcciones de los tribunales locales se pueden imprimir o descargar.
Please Enable JavaScript. Welcome to the New Jersey Court System The Judiciary, or court system, is one of the three co-equal but independent branches of state government established in New Jersey by the state constitution. Judicial Independence Judicial independence permits judges to make decisions that they believe are correct, fair and just even though their decisions may sometimes be unpopular. Open Proceedings Not only must the court system work and be fair, but it is important that people see that it works and is fair.
Equal Treatment For our courts to be fair, judges must be impartial -- that is, they may not favor either side in a case. Superior Court Cases involving criminal, civil and family law are heard in the Superior Court.
Criminal Cases Criminal cases are those in which a defendant is accused of a serious crime, such as robbery, theft, drug possession or murder. Civil Cases Civil lawsuits are cases in which a plaintiff claims that he or she has been injured by the actions of the defendant. Family Cases Family cases are civil cases in which the disputes involve children, spouses or domestic partners.
Tax Court Tax Court judges review the decisions of county boards of taxation, which determine how much a property should be taxed. Appeals Courts When people do not agree with the outcome of their cases in the trial court or Tax Court, they may appeal their case to a higher court. Appellate Division of Superior Court In the Appellate Division, cases are reviewed and decided by panels of two or three judges.
Reappointment After seven years, justices and judges can be reappointed. In cases that remain open there is no guilty plea , the defense may file one or more motions, or legal documents that ask the court for a specific action, such as to suppress evidence unlawfully obtained. The prosecution may file motions, too. The judge will set dates to rule on any motions and for a final status conference.
At the final status conference, or pre-trial conference, the judge will seek to determine there are no motions pending, discovery is complete, and that everything within reason has been done to dispose of the case. If the defendant wishes to proceed to trial, a trial memorandum is prepared and entered into the record with a trial date.
Anyone charged with a crime in New Jersey or anywhere in the United States has the right to a trial by jury. A defendant may also waive their right to a jury trial and, if the court approves, have their case decided by a judge alone.
At trial, the prosecution is tasked with proving its case, so it goes first, and the defense follows. The defense may or may not present an opening statement. Both sides then present their evidence to the jury.
Afterward, each side presents a closing statement to summarize the evidence and make their final arguments. The judge then charges the jury, which means advising jury members as to the verdicts the panel may return and what law applies to the case.
The jury then deliberates and eventually returns to report its verdict. Defendants are either found guilty or not guilty by a jury or judge. A guilty verdict must be unanimous. Normally, a person found not guilty acquitted has no further obligation to the court and is set free. Defendants who have been found guilty, or convicted, face sentencing, where punishments are rendered by the judge who tried the case. For some crimes, such as using a gun during a robbery, the judge must sentence the newly convicted criminal to prison for at least the minimum term defined by applicable law.
A person who has been convicted of a crime has the right to appeal their case to the Appellate Division of Superior Court. This court will review the trial record and decide whether decisions made by judges in the Superior Court were fair and equitable. Defendants may also file motions, or requests to their sentencing judge, to have the sentence modified or for other relief.
Whether regarding drugs , driving , or another accusation, being charged with an indictable offense in New Jersey puts your future at risk. You could lose your freedom and money paid for a fine, and damage prospects for employment or eligibility for government benefits if convicted. Schedule a free consultation with our respected New Jersey criminal defense attorneys today to learn how we can keep this from happening to you. Marshall Colin E. Bonus Esq. Get Your Free Consultation. Accused of Criminal Charges?
Criminal Process Table of Contents. Criminal Process on Your Own. Back to Top. Under Arrest in New Jersey and Seeking Release Through Bail Many criminal cases begin with an arrest by a police officer who has received a complaint or allegedly witnessed a violation of the law.
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