There is hereby created a Municipal Court for
the Borough of Eatontown as established by Borough ordinance. The
Director of the Municipal Court shall be the Municipal Court Administrator.
There shall be a Municipal Court Judge of said
Municipal Court, who shall be appointed by the Mayor and approved
by the Council and who shall serve for a term of three years from
the date of his or her appointment and until his or her successor
is appointed and qualified; provided, however, that the Judge who
shall be in office upon this article becoming effective shall be the
Municipal Court Judge and shall continue to be the Municipal Court
Judge for a term equal to the balance of the term of which he or she
was originally appointed.
The Municipal Court Judge shall receive an annual
salary to be fixed by ordinance in the same manner as salaries of
other municipal officials are fixed and which shall be in lieu of
all fees, costs and other allowances whatsoever.
The Municipal Court Judge shall have the functions,
duties, powers and jurisdiction conferred by N.J.S.A. 2B:12-1 et seq.
or by general law or ordinance.
The Mayor and Council shall provide for an employee
of the Borough of Eatontown to act as the Municipal Court Administrator
of said Municipal Court and to receive such compensation as shall
be fixed by the Council by resolution, from time to time. He or she
shall perform such functions and duties as shall be designated for
him or her by law, the rules applicable to municipal courts and by
the Municipal Court Judge. The Municipal Court Administrator shall
also be the Director of the Municipal Court with the powers and duties
prescribed to Department Directors within the Borough. Specifically
the Municipal Court Administrator shall:
A. Carry out the rules, regulations and policies and
procedures related to the operation of the Court.
B. Interview and speak to prospective complainants; receiving
complaints and dispense information relating to Court matters.
C. Maintain the financial records of the Court.
D. Attend Court, taking minutes of the trials and entering
them in the docket; arrange trial calendars; sign Court documents;
prepare and issue warrants and commitments.
E. Take and prepare bail bonds and make inquiry as to
their sufficiency and equity; receive and account for fines and costs.
F. Interview persons on informal police Court matters
to determine if there is a basis for formal action and, if necessary,
issue summons or warrants requiring Court appearances in this regard;
maintain and classify records and files.
There is hereby created the Office of Deputy
Court Administrator and Violations Clerk of the Municipal Court of
the Borough of Eatontown at a salary set forth in the Annual Salary
Ordinance for the Borough of Eatontown.
The Municipal Court shall be held in the Borough
Hall of the Borough of Eatontown or other designated area. The Municipal
Court Judge shall sit at least one day of each week, which day is
to be determined by him or her and a certified certificate made hereof
and filed with the Borough Clerk, and at such other times as the business
of the Court may require subject to the rules applicable to municipal
courts.
All requests for discovery in matters pending in the Municipal Court shall be submitted through the Municipal Prosecutor. All fees for discovery shall be per Chapter
150, Article
II, entitled "Miscellaneous Fees."
There is hereby created the position of Municipal
Court Prosecutor of the Borough of Eatontown (hereinafter referred
to as the "Prosecutor") who shall serve in accordance with the following
provisions of this article:
A. The Prosecutor shall be appointed by the Mayor with
the advice and consent of Council and shall hold office until December
31 of each year of said appointment.
B. The Prosecutor shall be a licensed attorney admitted
to the practice of law by the Supreme Court of the State of New Jersey.
C. The Prosecutor may be an attorney other than the Borough
Attorney. In that event, the Borough Attorney may serve as the Acting
Prosecutor in the absence of the Prosecutor, and the Prosecutor may
serve as Acting Borough Attorney in the absence of the Borough Attorney
or Special Counsel.
D. The salary of the Prosecutor shall be established
by Salary Ordinance of the Borough of Eatontown.
E. The Prosecutor shall serve in accordance with the
New Jersey Court Rule 7:4-4(B) and such statutes and rules as may
be adopted and applicable.
There is hereby created the position of Municipal
Court Public Defender of the Borough of Eatontown who shall serve
in accordance with the provisions of this article.
The Municipal Public Defender shall be an attorney
licensed by the State of New Jersey, appointed by the Mayor and affirmed
by the Council. The Municipal Public Defender shall serve for a term
of one year from the date of his or her appointment until his or her
successor is appointed and qualified. The appointment shall be made
at the annual reorganization meeting in January of each year. If a
vacancy occurs during the course of the year, the appointment shall
be for the balance of the unexpired year.
The Public Defender shall represent any individual
who, upon determination by the Municipal Judge, is either indigent
or financially unable to afford an attorney.
The salary of the Public Defender shall be the
annual salary as established by the Borough Salary Ordinance.