Formed in 1683, Essex County is one of the original New Jersey counties. As of 2020, its land area was 126.09 square miles, and its population was 863,728. Newark, the county’s seat, is the most populous city in New Jersey.
Courts in Essex County
The divisions of the Essex County Superior Court are responsible for handling cases arising from the county.
The civil division is broadly classified into the general civil division, the special civil part, the small claims division, and the general equity division. The general civil division hears claims involving monetary compensation of over $20,000, while the special civil part hears claims of amounts between $5,000 and $20,000. The jurisdiction of the small claims division is limited to monetary claims of $5,000 or less. Other civil claims that do not involve claims to monetary damages fall within the jurisdiction of the general equity division. The civil division also offers mediation and arbitration services.
The criminal division tries all cases involving adult offenders, including felonies and misdemeanors. In most cases, crimes committed by juveniles are treated as juvenile delinquency cases and tried by the family division. The family division also hears cases on a wide range of family matters, such as divorce, child support, paternity, custody, and domestic violence.
Essex County Municipal courts operate in municipalities and have jurisdiction over ordinance violations, disorderly persons offenses, and infractions punishable with a fine. Municipal courts also have limited jurisdiction over juvenile matters such as motor vehicle complaints and curfew violations.
In addition to the Superior Court, the New Jersey Tax Court operates in Essex County. The court has jurisdiction over tax matters arising from the county.
Where to Find Public Court Records in Essex County
The New Jersey Superior Court Clerk is responsible for keeping all court records in Essex County. To obtain copies of these records, complete the records request form and submit it online. If it is a record of the Tax Court, submit the request form via email instead. Essex County court records are also accessible electronically on the New Jersey Electronic Access Program (EAP). The cost of using the EAP service is $4 per minute.
Types of Public Court Records in Essex County
Public court records in Essex County are records of court cases that the public can access without any legal limitation. These include
- Civil and general equity case records
- Special civil part records
- Criminal case records
- Family case records
- Municipal court records
- Tax Court records
Confidential Court Records in Essex County
Not all court records in Essex County are open to the public. Certain records are made confidential by law, hence they are not accessible to the public. Such records include
- Records involving child victims of sexual abuse
- Cases involving trade secrets
- Juvenile records
- Probation records
- Records sealed by court order
The court also protects personal identifying and sensitive information such as Social Security numbers, credit card numbers, and health records from being disclosed in court records.
Juvenile Delinquency in Essex, NJ
Unfortunately, in many areas of the Essex 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 1044 juvenile cases were reported for every 100,000 people age 10 to adulthood in the jurisdiction of Essex County. Of that total, 43% of those proceedings were delinquencies which equaled 453 court cases. Another 0% were dependency cases that accounted for 0 of the juvenile cases.
A lot of counties, including, Essex County, are focusing on family therapy and relationships rather than punishment for juvenile crimes. Future Essex County juvenile delinquency numbers will show whether or not this approach is working.
| Juvenile Cases | Number of cases |
|---|---|
| Delinquency | 5,039 |
| Dependency | 0 |
| Status | 3,912 |
Government of Essex County, NJ
| County Seat: | Newark |
| Government Type: | County |
| Authority: | Home Rule |
| Year Organized: | 1683 |
| Total Square Miles: | 130 |
| 2019 Population: | 808,285 |
| Persons/Square Mile: | 0.00 |
| County Contact: | 465 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd
Hall Of Records Newark , NJ 07102-1735 http://www.essex-countynj.org |