Atlantic County Court Records Lookup

The following is for information purposes only

With a population of around 274,500, Atlantic County is the 15th-most-populous county in New Jersey and has its county seat in Mays Landing. The Atlantic County trial court system consists of Superior Courts, Surrogate's Courts, and Municipal Courts. The Atlantic County Superior Courts have general jurisdiction over all civil and criminal cases, and generally only handle cases that are beyond the jurisdiction of other courts, the Surrogate courts handle probate-related matters and Municipal courts deal with certain types of criminal cases.

There are two Atlantic County Superior Courts, one in Atlantic City and the other in Mays Landing, and these handle case types, such as civil, criminal, family, chancery, and probate. The county also has two Surrogate's Courts, in Atlantic City and Mays Landing. Their jurisdiction extends to uncontested probate cases, which include the admission of wills into probate, the appointment of guardians for minors, and the appointment of personal representatives and administrators of estates. Atlantic County has a whopping 19 municipal courts in various parts of the county. These courts hear preliminary hearings for felonies, infractions of county or local ordinances, the majority of traffic and motor vehicle infractions, the majority of offenses involving disorderly persons, and infractions pertaining to fishing, hunting, and boating. Municipal Courts have the authority to hear crimes of the fourth degree and offenses carrying a sentence of less than a year in jail. Although local municipal courts lack jurisdiction over motor vehicle matters involving fatalities or serious injuries, a Superior Court may expressly give jurisdiction over such cases.

Atlantic County's court system handles an estimated 4,300 cases annually. This translates to a caseload of approximately 0.02 incidents per capita, based on the county's crime rate of 2154 incidents per 100,000 people. The Atlantic County Superior Court Clerk's Office makes most court records electronically accessible to the public, including civil, criminal, family, municipal court, and tax court records. You can request a copy by filling out a request form. However, some records are exempt, including confidential information, medical records, and certain court proceedings like criminal and municipal cases.

In summary, the judicial system in Atlantic County is committed to delivering justice in a range of legal issues and is a crucial component of the county government. The county's Superior Courts, Surrogate's Courts, and Municipal Courts comprise its judicial system, which allows it to effectively manage the range of cases it hears.