The New Jersey Supreme Court this week dismissed approximately 551,200 unresolved, minor municipal court cases that are more than 11 years old. All driver's license suspensions will be rescinded and all arrest warrants recalled for these matters.
The Court ordered these dismissals - following review by the respective municipal prosecutors - to align with Rule 7:8-5(c), which specifies dismissal for cases older than ten years.
The dismissed cases include unresolved parking offenses, motor vehicle offenses, municipal ordinances, and other minor municipal matters. More serious Municipal Court cases – for example, disorderly persons and petty disorderly persons offenses, driving while intoxicated, reckless driving, and refusal to submit to a chemical test - are not included.
This Dismissal Order is the fifth in a series of Supreme Court orders that collectively will address approximately 1.7 million minor, unresolved Municipal Court cases involving the same types of charges. As with the prior dismissal Orders, this process "serves the interests of justice, considering the use of limited public resources by law enforcement and the courts, the ability of the State to prosecute cases successfully in light of how long matters have been pending and the availability of witnesses, and administrative efficiency," the Judiciary stated.
The first order, issued May 21, 2021, dismissed 313,231 cases. The second order, issued December 12, 2022, dismissed approximately 266,000 cases. The third order, issued December 11, 2023, dismissed approximately 298,000 cases. And the fourth order, issued October 7, 2024, dismissed approximately 257,500 cases.
The Judiciary has created a webpage to assist the public in identifying what matters are included or not included in this Dismissal Order. The webpage, located here, includes a database that can be searched to determine whether or not a particular case is included in this expansive dismissal. The webpage also includes: the list of serious charges excluded; further details on charges that are included in the Dismissal Order; a set of Frequently Asked Questions; and an explanation of how an individual can, if necessary, contact the Motor Vehicle Commission to restore a suspended license.
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