Do I need to appear in court if I choose to plead guilty and pay the fine?

If the Court Appearance Required box has not been checked on the complaint and if the charge is listed on either the Statewide Violations Bureau Schedule or the Local Violations Schedule, you may pay the fine online or at the Court’s Violations Bureau window without appearing in court. The Statewide Violations Bureau Schedule is a list of state offenses that may be paid without going to court. Surf City Municipal Court’s Local Violations Schedule is a list of municipal ordinances that may be paid in lieu of court. By paying, you will be pleading guilty and giving up your right to a lawyer and your right to a trial. Court appearances are always required in criminal matters.

Online Municipal Court Resolution & Online Plea

The state has launched a new program for certain traffic violations. If you wish to dispute your case without having to appear in court [virtual or in-person], visit www.njmcdirect.com. Please note you will need a copy of the ticket. Once you are on the state website, click on traffic ticket, enter the ticket information and click search. The ticket information will open up, if the violation is an eligible offense, it will give you 2 options; 1] Pay ticket 2] Select Dispute Case. Click on Dispute case and follow the instructions. Once submitted please remember to check your email daily, as you will have 5 days to respond once the prosecutor responds.           

• Online Eligible Offenses Case Resolution

• Pay or Dispute; Does your case qualify for these options?

What do I do if I need an ADA accommodation or an Interpreter?

Please advise the municipal court office in advance if you require an ADA accommodation.  If you need the service of an interpreter, please notify the municipal court administrator prior to your court appearance.

Keys to a successful Virtual Zoom Meeting

• Set up in a closed room with no other voices or people
• Connect to the meeting using your legal first & last name
• Make sure you allow access for both audio & visual display
• If having problems; Sign in about 30 minutes early & someone will be able to help test your equipment

How to join Zoom?

* A microphone & live camera feed are required

* PC/Mac laptop/desktop – will require a browser which will run the zoom meeting.

* Smart phones – download Zoom Cloud Meeting app & allow access to your camera & microphone

* Dial in – dial into the session & appear by phone.  Press *9 during the conference call, it would raise your hand if you called on for attendance.

What do I do after my court appearance?

Once your payment options have been discussed with the Judge and if/when you are given fines in Municipal Court, a time-payment order will be sent to your email address for defendants scheduled virtually. If you have an in-person session, you will receive a copy of your time-payment order at the violations window.

How do I pay my fines?

You may pay at the Municipal Court payment window or by mail. Please remember we only accept Cash / Check / Money Order.

OR

You may pay online through njmcdirect.com

Law Agencies & Resources

•  NJ DMV [609] 292-6500
• Surf City Police Department [609] 494-8121
• NJ State Police [609] 882-2000
• Ocean County Intoxicated Driver Resource Center [IDRC [732] 341-9700, Press 3 then 1.
• Community Service [732] 831-7999
• Ocean County Prosecutor [732] 929-2027
• Ocean County Jail [732] 929-2043

Helpful Links

• Your day in court
• Sus derechos en el juzgado
• How to file an appeal

If you disagree with the judge’s decision, you may appeal, but if you appeal, you must file the appeal within 20 calendar days of your conviction. You will be required to pay a deposit that will be applied against the cost of preparing a transcript of the trial. You also will be required to pay a $100 filing fee. Ask the court staff to provide you with a copy of the appeal packet, “How to Appeal a Decision of a Municipal Court.” Information on representing yourself in an appeal is also available at njcourts.gov.

• Municipal Court Payment Alternatives
• Alternativas para los Pagos en los Juzgados Municipales
• Judiciary Records Request Form
• Financial Questionnaire / Public Defender Application

If you wish to be represented by the public defender, you must complete the above application and submit it to the court. In order to be eligible, you must be charged with a consequence of magnitude and your income must fall within the guidelines established. The Judge may require you to submit proof of your income. If approved there will be a fee assessed not to exceed $200.  Municipal Public Defender; Debra Rumpf, Esq.

• Citizen’s Complaint Forms

The Municipal Court accepts for filing all complaints. In order to sign a complaint for an offense that occurred within the jurisdiction of Surf City Borough. You need to come into the court office between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Please note we do not take complaints on court dates.  You should have the following information with you:

• Name and address of person whom you wish to sign against
• Time and date of offense
• Statute number which relates to the offense
• License plate number and description of motor vehicle if you wish to sign a traffic summons
• A brief description of the incident

Please note if you are using a phone or safari browser, you may need to copy to a pdf reader to utilize the fillable forms above.