As used in this chapter, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
GUARDIAN
A person, other than a parent, to whom legal custody of the
juvenile has been given by court order or who is acting in the place
of the parent or is responsible for the care and welfare of the juvenile.
JUVENILE
An individual who is under the age of 18 years.
PUBLIC PLACE
Any place to which the public has access, including but not
limited to a public street, road, thoroughfare, sidewalk, bridge,
alley, plaza, park, recreation or shopping area, public transportation
facility, vehicle used for public transportation, parking lot or any
other public building, structure or area.
[Amended 10-7-2003 by Ord. No. 8-2003]
It shall be unlawful for juveniles to be on
any public street or in any public place between the hours of 10:00
p.m. and 6:00 a.m. unless accompanied by a parent or guardian. This
prohibition does not apply if said juvenile is:
A. Traveling directly from or to work, having just completed
work or just going to work to start work.
B. Returning from a school-sponsored event and the juvenile
is going directly home from the sponsored event.
C. Returning home from a sports-related event, including
but not limited to all sports or other related sports events where
the juvenile has participated in or was attending said event and is
returning directly home from said event.
D. Attending an extracurricular school activity where
said school activity has ended and the juvenile is returning directly
home from such event.
E. Attending a religious or other community-based event,
including but not limited to cultural, educational or social events,
and said juvenile is in direct transit from said event back to the
juvenile's home.
F. Engaged in an emergency medical errand.
G. Attending a movie, play or other cultural or recreational
event and is in direct transit from said event back to said juvenile's
home.
H. Visiting a friend or relative at their home and is
in direct transit from said home back to the juvenile's home.
It shall be unlawful for a juvenile of any age under 18 years
within the discretion of the municipality to be in any public place
during the hours when the juvenile is required to be in attendance
at either a public or nonpublic school unless the juvenile is accompanied
by a parent or guardian or is carrying written permission from the
juvenile's educational authority allowing the juvenile to be in a
public place.
It shall be unlawful for any parent or guardian to allow any juvenile in his or her care to be on any public street or in any public place between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., unless pursuant to an exemption as specified in §
140-2.
Any person found guilty of having violated §
140-2 or
140-3 of this chapter shall perform community service and may be subject to a fine of up to $1,000, and if parents or guardians as well as a juvenile are found guilty of violating this chapter, the parents or guardians shall perform community service together with the juvenile.
It is the purpose of this chapter to establish
clear standards in precise language to apprise a juvenile and a parent
or guardian of conduct which is unlawful and of exemptions to that
conduct as intended by N.J.S.A. 40:48-2.52 and to carry out the intent
of the Legislature to encourage the family unit to provide for the
care, protection and wholesome mental and physical development of
children and the supervision thereof.