Atlantic County Court Records
Atlantic County court records are documents, files, and other related information that can be reviewed to find details about court cases. These records are typically created and collected by court clerks during criminal and civil legal proceedings in the superior and municipal courts.
The contents of case records are not always consistent across criminal and civil cases. Criminal court records exclusively contain criminal case-related details, such as charges, indictments, offense dates, plea agreements, and sentencing. Civil records include non-criminal information, such as financial judgments, information about petitioners and case defendants, and the monetary value of cases, among others.
Where necessary, records from other institutions may be introduced during court cases. These include vital records, tax filings, and building permits, among others.
The public, attorneys, and judges rely on historical and real-time case records for various reasons. Employers may refer to case records when running background checks, residents may need to follow up on legal proceedings that may impact public policy, and real estate investors may check for judgment liens during property transactions.
Custody and dissemination of court records rest with the Superior Court Clerk’s Office and other authorized local court staff.
Are Atlantic County Court Records Public?
Yes. The Supreme Court of New Jersey, authorized by the New Jersey Public Records Act, allows the public to request and inspect court records (Court Rule 1:38). However, records specifically protected by law or court rules are not accessible to the public. Instead, the law specifies who may have access.
Examples of protected records include filings and information from child-related matters, expunged and sealed cases, juvenile proceedings, information about ongoing investigations, divorce matters, and sexual abuse proceedings. Sensitive personal data, such as social security numbers and medical records, may also be redacted before courts release documents to the public.
What Information is Available in Atlantic County Court Records?
The public can retrieve the following information and data from Atlantic County court records:
- Case identifiers
- Party names
- Attorney information
- Petitions
- Indictments
- Warrants
- Summonses
- Motions
- Complaints
- Docket entries
- Transcripts
- Witness statements
- Orders
- Jury verdicts
- Judgments
Atlantic County Court Records Search
The public can review or order court records by accessing online tools, visiting clerk’s offices, or contacting record custodians by phone or mail. However, before starting a search, it is important to identify the nature of the related case and the type of record sought.
For example, people searching court records for informational purposes may not need to request copies of court documents. At the same time, one may need to use tools that provide access to records produced by the Atlantic Central Municipal Court rather than the Superior Court, depending on where the record originated.
Online Access to Atlantic County Court Records
The New Jersey judiciary provides the following online tools for researching different court cases:
- Civil and Foreclosure Case Search : This system is available to registered users and shows details emanating from civil and foreclosure cases heard in the Superior Court. Users can search by docket number or party name to view case details and certain filed documents.
- Criminal Case Search (PROMIS/Gavel Public Access) : The criminal case search portal is open to the public and does not require login credentials. Users can search by name or county to view details, such as filing date, defendant name, disposition date, indictment number, sentence date, State Bureau of Identification number, case number, and case title.
- NJMCDirect: This database shows details about cases handled by Municipal Courts in Atlantic County. These cases include motor vehicle violations, minor offenses (like simple assault), and municipal code violations. Individuals can search for traffic/parking tickets and other municipal complaints by providing the court ID or name, ticket prefix, and ticket number. There is also an option to use the municipal case search system to search by party name or driver’s license number.
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Criminal Judgments Public Access: A dedicated database for judgments originating from criminal cases. Users
can search by a related case number (indictment/accusation, PROMIS case,
complaint, or SBI) or by a defendant’s name. The system displays a judgment
document showing
- Defendant details: Name, SBI number, date of birth, and aliases
- Dates: Date of arrest, offense, indictment, and plea
- Case details: Case number, case title, county of hearing, adjudication type, and original plea
- Charges: Original and final charges
- Judgment: Court verdict and sentencing statement
- Judgment Lien Public Access: A lien is a legal claim attached to a debtor’s real estate after a creditor wins a lawsuit and is awarded a money judgment. The judgment lien portal allows registered users to search for these claims by docket number, name, party name, or judgment number.
- The New Jersey Electronic Access Program (EAP): This program offers paying subscribers access to court records and documents created across different courts for $4 per minute. Information provided through the system includes disposition of motions, a list of documents filed during each case, names of litigants and their status, attorneys, scheduled proceedings, and filed orders. Interested parties can visit the website for more details about enrollment.
Request Copies of Atlantic County Court Documents
The New Jersey judiciary offers a centralized process for obtaining copies of case documents from various legal proceedings. These include civil, family, criminal, municipal, and tax cases.
The process involves downloading and filling out the Records Request form, saving the completed form, and submitting the saved form by clicking the Submit Completed Form button on the state judiciary’s website.
Requesters must include the correct processing location when completing the form. Records related to open cases are processed by the Atlantic County Superior Court. The statewide Superior Court Clerk’s Office serves as the process location for certain open cases (foreclosure case records and statewide judgment liens) and closed cases in general.
Individuals may order plain, certified, exemplified, or triple exemplified copies. One can also request a court seal or an apostille. Each type of copy attracts a specific fee.
The judiciary provides the option of submitting the request form by mail to
Superior Court Clerk’s Office
Richard J. Hughes Justice Complex
P.O. Box 971
Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0971
Fees for Court Records in Atlantic County
The following fees apply to different types of court document copy requests:
- Plain copies: 5 cents per letter-size page and 7 cents per legal-size page
- Certified copies: $15
- Seal of the court: $10
- Exemplified copy: $50
- Triple exemplified copy: $60
- Certificate of divorce: $10
- Certificate of statewide judgment lien: $10
- Certified copy of final judgment (divorce): $25
Atlantic County Courthouse Locations
The following are courthouse addresses and contact details in Atlantic County:
Atlantic County Superior Court
Civil and Family Divisions
1201 Bacharach Boulevard
Atlantic City, NJ 08401
Phone: (609) 402-0100 Ext. 47630
Criminal Division
Criminal Court Complex
4997 Unami Boulevard
Mays Landing, NJ 08330
Phone: (609) 402-0100 Ext. 47310
Fax: (609) 909-8190
Atlantic County Surrogate’s Court
Mays Landing Office
5911 Main Street
Mays Landing, NJ 08330
Phone: (609) 645-5800
Fax: (609) 645-5805
Atlantic City Office
1201 Bacharach Boulevard
Atlantic City, NJ 08401
Phone: (609) 343-2341
Fax: (609) 343-2197
Municipal Courts in Atlantic County
County Government Complex
5905 Main Street
Mays Landing, NJ 08330
Phone: (609) 909-5999
Fax: (609) 909-5992
Atlantic City Municipal Court
Serves Atlantic City and Pleasantville
Clayton G. Graham Public Safety Building
2715 Atlantic
Avenue
Atlantic City, NJ 08401
Phone: (609) 347-5560
Fax:
(609) 347-5450
City of Absecon Municipal Court
500 Mill Road
Absecon, NJ 08201
Phone: (609) 641-0663
1417 West Brigantine Avenue
Brigantine, NJ 08203
Phone: (609) 266-0440
Fax: (609) 266-6376
Franklin Joint Municipal Court
Serves Franklin and Buena Borough
1571 Delsea Drive
Franklinville, NJ 08322
Phone: (856) 694-1661
Town of Hammonton Regional Municipal Court
Serves Buena Vista Township, Egg Harbor City, Mullica Township, Borough of Folsom, and Borough of Northfield
100 Central Avenue
Hammonton, NJ 08037
Phone: (609) 567-4300 ext. 3
Borough of Longport and Margate City Municipal Court
Margate Municipal Building
9001 Winchester Avenue
Margate, NJ 08402
Phone: (609) 822-1998
City Hall
1 West New Jersey Avenue
Somers Point, NJ 08244
Phone: (609) 927-9088 Option 6
Criminal Records Access in Atlantic County
Criminal records constitute law enforcement and court information created from arrests, investigations, and criminal prosecution. These records are not managed by a single custodian. Thus, knowing the specific type of criminal record is an important first step in the search process.
Running a criminal history record check is the closest way to get a complete criminal history. However, the New Jersey State Police offers this service only to a select group of entities, including law enforcement, employers, and attorneys. Individuals can also contact the department for their criminal history (not someone else’s).
Law enforcement records (i.e., arrest and incident reports that do not appear in court records) are usually more accessible. Interested parties can contact the Atlantic County Sheriff’s Office or the local police department to obtain such information. However, it should be noted that law enforcement restricts access to records protected by law.
Additionally, criminal case records are accessible through the judiciary’s established methods for obtaining and inspecting court records. Criminal court records typically provide sufficient information to determine a person’s guilt.
Atlantic County Probate Records
Atlantic County probate records are generated when proceedings are initiated to probate the wills of deceased persons and administer their estates. The probate process also involves contested estates, the appointment of guardians for incapacitated persons, declarations of death, the appointment of trustees and conservators, adoptions, and formal accountings.
The Atlantic County Surrogate’s Court, as a branch of the Superior Court’s chancery division, handles probate proceedings. The court is overseen by the county’s Surrogate’s Office. This office also serves as a Superior Court clerk and the judge of the Surrogate’s Court. Individuals seeking wills and probate filings within the county can contact this office.
Atlantic County Family Court Records
Family law covers matters emanating from domestic family units and relationships, such as divorce and post-divorce, domestic partnerships, spousal and child support, child custody and visitation, adoption, and paternity cases.
The Family Division of the Superior Court handles these matters, and the resulting records can be obtained using the court records search methods outlined earlier. However, it must be noted that confidential family records, especially those related to children, are accessible only to the parties to the case and the attorneys on record.
Federal Court Records in Atlantic County
Federal court records in Atlantic County are documents and case information from the Camden division of the U.S. District Court, New Jersey. These cases cover matters related to federal law, such as prosecutions from federal law enforcement like the Federal Bureau of Investigation, litigations involving the U.S. government, and disputes between parties from different states or countries.
One can visit the courthouse in Camden to view case files on public computer terminals. The clerk’s office also allows in-person and mail-in requests for court records. Moreover, the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) provides case information and document viewing for a fee.
