Atlantic County is the third largest county in New Jersey, with a total land area of about 555 square miles. As of 2020, about 274,000 people reside in the county. The county's eastern coast shares a border with the Atlantic Ocean, which is how it got the name Atlantic County in 1837. Its county seat is Mays Landing, an unincorporated community within Hamilton Township.

Courts in Atlantic County

The Atlantic County Superior Court is a general jurisdiction court with three divisions: civil, criminal, and family divisions. The Criminal Division of Atlantic's Superior Court has exclusive jurisdiction over all felony-related proceedings. Residents may also approach the Criminal Division to appeal Municipal court decisions. The Civil Division handles all civil matters beyond the jurisdiction of other lesser courts. General civil disputes of more than $20,000 are heard at the main Civil Division, while the Special Civil Part handles small claim matters that are less than $20,000. Every other non-monetary civil matter is resolved at the General Equity Division.

In Atlantic County, the Surrogate Court presides over criminal and civil lawsuits. Residents resolve probate cases like administration of estates of deceased persons, guardianships, and intestate matters at the Surrogate Court. The county also has 19 Municipal Courts created under state laws. Municipal court judges typically hear felony pretrials, ordinance violations, certain misdemeanors, and traffic crimes. In some cases, the Superior Court may permit Atlantic County Municipal courts to hear motor vehicle cases involving serious bodily injuries or deaths.

Where to Find Public Court Records in Atlantic County

Interested persons can look up Atlantic County public court records online via New Jersey’s Electronic Access Program (EAP). The statewide repository contains the following court documents:

• Case dockets
• Complaints and Petitions
• Answers
• Briefs
• Orders
• Indictments
• Verdicts
• Warrants
• Sentencing Reports
• Appeals

Record seekers must log in to the state’s EAP platform before accessing public court documents. Individuals without login details can only request court documents by mail or email. New Jersey also maintains a statewide repository for searching Municipal court records online. However, requesters may visit the Municipal courts in person to obtain the physical court documents.

Types of Public Court Records in Atlantic County

County residents can find the following types of public court records in Atlantic County:

• Civil court records
• Criminal division records
• Family court records
• Municipal court records
• Tax court records
• Judgment lien records
• Foreclosure case records

Confidential Court Records

According to the NJ Court Rule 1:38, court clerks in Atlantic County must not grant access to the following confidential court records:

• Expunged records
• Marijuana conviction records
• Juvenile delinquency records
• Medical records
• Prosecutors’ discovery materials in criminal proceedings
• Grand jury proceedings
• Victim statements
• Paternity records
• Adoption records
• Records of child victims of sexual assault
• Pretrial Services Program records
• Guardianship records
• Police investigative reports
• Confidential personal identifiers
• Sealed records

Generally, these confidential records are available only to record holders and their legal representatives. Interested parties may access these records by obtaining court orders in Atlantic County.

Juvenile Delinquency in Atlantic, NJ

Unfortunately, in many areas of the Atlantic County, juvenile delinquency issues are on the rise. There are many reasons for the rise in youth offenders. The juvenile sentence in New Jersey often depends on the severity of the crime, the number of crimes, and other family matters.

In 2017, a total of 1320 juvenile cases were reported for every 100,000 people age 10 to adulthood in the jurisdiction of Atlantic County. Of that total, 77% of those proceedings were delinquencies which equaled 1014 court cases. Another 0% were dependency cases that accounted for 0 of the juvenile cases.

A lot of counties, including, Atlantic County, are focusing on family therapy and relationships rather than punishment for juvenile crimes. Future Atlantic County juvenile delinquency numbers will show whether or not this approach is working.

Government of Atlantic County, NJ

https://www.nj.gov/

County Seat:	Mays Landing
Government Type:	County
Authority:	Home Rule
Year Organized:	1837
Total Square Miles:	672
2019 Population:	269,918
Persons/Square Mile:	0.00
County Contact:	1333 Atlantic Ave County Administration Building Atlantic City , NJ 08401-7212 http://www.aclink.org