- Home
- Departments
- Municipal Court
Municipal Court
Welcome to the Stafford Township Municipal Court.
Office Hours: 8:30am - 4:30pm
Phone: 609-597-1000 Option 4 then 1
Fax: 609-242-8253
Email: court@staffordnj.gov
Complaints are taken every day from 8:30am to 3:30pm, except on court days.
Please note the Stafford Municipal Court does not accept credit / debit cards
.ONLY CASH / CHECK OR MONEY ORDERS ACCEPTED.
If you wish to pay by card, please visit the state website below; remember to have your ticket or payment plan order available
www.NJMCDirect.com
***************************************************************************************************************
New Online Municipal Court Resolution has been launched for select traffic tickets. Please refer to your traffic ticket when accessing the above website. You will input the required information and if eligible there will be 2 options 1- Pay ticket or 2- Dispute case. Select Dispute and follow the instructions.
If you wish to pay by card, please visit the state website below; remember to have your ticket or payment plan order available
www.NJMCDirect.com
***************************************************************************************************************
New Online Municipal Court Resolution has been launched for select traffic tickets. Please refer to your traffic ticket when accessing the above website. You will input the required information and if eligible there will be 2 options 1- Pay ticket or 2- Dispute case. Select Dispute and follow the instructions.
For more information visit the Forms and Resources page.
**************************************************************************************************************
UPCOMING 2023 COURT SESSIONS
All court sessions are held on Wednesdays.
At this time, court is being held via Zoom and in-person. You will receive a court notice stating which type of appearance you have.
All court sessions are held on Wednesdays.
At this time, court is being held via Zoom and in-person. You will receive a court notice stating which type of appearance you have.
**Please visit the VIRTUAL COURT page only if you have been sent a notice indicating you are scheduled for virtual court. If you received a notice with writing stating in-person, you must physically appear at the court and are not eligible for virtual court**
2023
April 5, 12, 19, 26
May 3, 10, 17, 24, 31
June 7, 14, 21, 28
July 5, 12, 19, 26
August 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
September 6, 13, 20, 27
October 4, 11, 18, 25
November 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
December 6, 13, 30
When you are scheduled for virtual court you will get an email with the link to join the session. Please read the VIRTUAL COURT GUIDELINES so you know how to join and what to expect prior to your session. In addition, you are required to watch the VIRTUAL COURT OPENING REMARKS. By joining the virtual session, you are certifying that you have watched the opening remarks.
April 5, 12, 19, 26
May 3, 10, 17, 24, 31
June 7, 14, 21, 28
July 5, 12, 19, 26
August 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
September 6, 13, 20, 27
October 4, 11, 18, 25
November 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
December 6, 13, 30
When you are scheduled for virtual court you will get an email with the link to join the session. Please read the VIRTUAL COURT GUIDELINES so you know how to join and what to expect prior to your session. In addition, you are required to watch the VIRTUAL COURT OPENING REMARKS. By joining the virtual session, you are certifying that you have watched the opening remarks.
* detailed information on the VIRTUAL COURT page*
**************************************************************************************
About the Municipal Court
The judicial staff of the Municipal Court are employees of the Township of Stafford but are governed by the rules of the court as determined by the State of New Jersey Supreme Court
The original jurisdiction of all motor vehicle and criminal complaints is the Municipal Court. The Court hears all non-indictable cases such as disorderly person offenses, township ordinances, SPCA violations, Forest and Parks complaints, Weights and Measures infractions as well as all motor vehicle summonses including DWI violations.
Although the more serious indictable complaints begin in the Municipal Court they are forwarded to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office for disposition or remand.
If you receive a ticket / complaint there will be a court date or pay by date indicating when you need to appear. If the ticket says "Court Date" the violation requires a court appearance so you must appear on that date or contact the court if you can not appear. If you have a pay by date the violation does not require a court appearance and payment can be made by mail, in-person or via www.njmcdirect.com.
If you wish to contest the violation you will need to contact the court for a court date so you can get a new court date to appear. When you call the court, you will be asked for your case number; if you don't have the number you can search for that number online by visiting NJ Municipal Court Case Search. In addition to your case number, you will be asked to verify your name, address, phone number and email address. You will be provided a court date and will receive a confirming court notice.
On the day of court you will have the opportunity to speak to the municipal prosecutor. Please note the first appearance is a status conference and the complaining witness / officer may not be present at the hearing. If a plea agreement is reached that information will be provided to the Judge, in which time he will accept your guilty plea and the case will be disposed that same day. If an agreement is not reached, your case will be rescheduled to allow you or the state the opportunity to provide any further documentation needed or to allow you time to consult with an attorney. If you wish to have a trial, the case will be rescheduled to a future date, at which time all parties will be required to appear.
If you wish to be represented by an attorney, but are unable to afford to hire your attorney, you can apply for a public defender. Please complete the Financial Questionnaire to Establish Indigency and email or fax to the court.
For more information about court please read YOUR DAY IN COURT BROCHURE
As per Administrative Office of the Court (AOC) rules, audio and video recording of the proceedings (both in-person and virtual) are strictly prohibited. If you would like a copy of the proceeding, please fill out a Judiciary Records Request form and forward same to the court. The form can also be used if you need a disposition of your case.
Although the more serious indictable complaints begin in the Municipal Court they are forwarded to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office for disposition or remand.
If you receive a ticket / complaint there will be a court date or pay by date indicating when you need to appear. If the ticket says "Court Date" the violation requires a court appearance so you must appear on that date or contact the court if you can not appear. If you have a pay by date the violation does not require a court appearance and payment can be made by mail, in-person or via www.njmcdirect.com.
If you wish to contest the violation you will need to contact the court for a court date so you can get a new court date to appear. When you call the court, you will be asked for your case number; if you don't have the number you can search for that number online by visiting NJ Municipal Court Case Search. In addition to your case number, you will be asked to verify your name, address, phone number and email address. You will be provided a court date and will receive a confirming court notice.
On the day of court you will have the opportunity to speak to the municipal prosecutor. Please note the first appearance is a status conference and the complaining witness / officer may not be present at the hearing. If a plea agreement is reached that information will be provided to the Judge, in which time he will accept your guilty plea and the case will be disposed that same day. If an agreement is not reached, your case will be rescheduled to allow you or the state the opportunity to provide any further documentation needed or to allow you time to consult with an attorney. If you wish to have a trial, the case will be rescheduled to a future date, at which time all parties will be required to appear.
If you wish to be represented by an attorney, but are unable to afford to hire your attorney, you can apply for a public defender. Please complete the Financial Questionnaire to Establish Indigency and email or fax to the court.
For more information about court please read YOUR DAY IN COURT BROCHURE
As per Administrative Office of the Court (AOC) rules, audio and video recording of the proceedings (both in-person and virtual) are strictly prohibited. If you would like a copy of the proceeding, please fill out a Judiciary Records Request form and forward same to the court. The form can also be used if you need a disposition of your case.