Rockaway Township Municipal Court

Creation of the Court

The Court falls under the jurisdiction of the State Administrative Office of the Court (AOC), supervised by Assignment Judge Stuart A. Minkowitz, AJSC, of the Superior Court of Morristown.  The AOC audits court activities and procedures, and requires that the Municipal Court staff members prepare and submit reports to be used as the basis for the Annual Comparison Statistical Report, which is issued by the AOC.

Mission Statement

We are an independent branch of government constitutionally entrusted with the fair and just resolution of disputes in order to preserve the rule of law and to protect the rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the United States and this State.

Statement of Core Values
Required to accomplish our mission are four paramount values representing the core of what we stand for as an organization:

    •Independence

    •Integrity

    •Fairness

    •Quality Service

Consolidation of Rockaway Township and Mine Hill Municipal Courts
On January 1, 2016, Rockaway Township entered into an Interlocal Services Agreement with the Township of Mine Hill for the consolidation of their Municipal Courts.  The daily operation and court sessions of the Municipal Court of Rockaway Township and the Municipal Court of the Township of Mine Hill will be conducted at the Rockaway Township Municipal building.  As a shared court, each court remains separate, each keeping their own identity.
 
Payments
Each Municipal Court offers payment of your tickets through the New Jersey Municipal Court Direct.  The Rockaway Township court code is 1435 and the Mine Hill court code is 1420.
 
Payments can also be made at the violations window in the form of cash, check, or money order. CREDIT CARDS ARE NOT ACCEPTED AT THE WINDOW.

Payments by mail are to be by check or money order made payable to the Municipal Court by which you were charged.   Please print the ticket number on the front of the check or money order.  If you would like a copy of your receipt, your payment must be accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope.  PLEASE DO NOT MAIL CASH.
 

Plea of Not Guilty

Court Sessions

Court is held every Wednesday morning with the specific session times listed below:

Virtual Attorney appearances - 9 am

In-Person pro-se case management and trials - 10:30 am

All sessions of the Rockaway Township Municipal Court and Mine Hill Municipal Court are open to the public.  Use of a statewide computer system gives court personnel access to a wide variety of information about outstanding fines owed to a Court, and records pertaining to suspension of driving privileges.

Services of an interpreter are available as needed on a weekly case to case basis.

Please advise the municipal court office in advance if you require an ADA accommodation.

For Jury Duty, Probation, Divorce, Juvenile, Civil and Family Court matters please contact the Morris County Courthouse at (862)397-5700.

Expedited Expungements
If you are charged with a disorderly persons offense, petty disorderly persons offense, or a municipal ordinance violation, and those charges are either dismissed, you are acquitted or your case is discharged without a conviction or finding of guilt, you may be eligible for an expedited expungement pursuant to N.J.S.A. 2c:52-6.  For more information and to determine if you are eligible, you may inquire with the municipal court staff at the time of disposition.
 
Mediation
Mediation is a confidential, structured, non-adversarial process that allows a neutral third party to assist disputing parties in reaching a mutually acceptable solution.  The mediation process can be a less expensive, informal, and more meaningful alternative than the traditional trial process.  This is because of the efforts of the trained volunteers and the resolution being decided by the participants.  The court will refer the appropriate cases to mediation.

Records Requests
 Please note, the Municipal Courts are not bound by the OPRA requests that are sent to Municipal Clerks. Kindly complete this fillable form by typing in the information and send to the court. Please also note on the form if you would like a certified disposition or not. If a certified copy is needed there is a $10.00 fee, otherwise there is a $5.00 fee per disposition.

Plea by Mail

If you wish to "Plea by Mail," you can only do so if you live outside the tri-state area appearing in court would cause an undue hardship ** NOTE, The undue hardship requirement is being waved at this time due to COVID-19.  All plea by mail applications will be reviewed by the Judge and are pending Judicial review **. Simply print the Plea by Mail form (PDF) and follow the instructions on the form exactly. Mail the form to the court office, prior to your court date.

Forms and Helpful Links

Welcome to NJ Courts - English
Bienvenido a Los Tribunales de Nueva Jersey - Español
Your Day in Court - English
Sus Derechos en el Juzgado  - Español
How to File an Appeal - English
 ¿Quién debe usar este paquete? - Español
 How to Expunge your Criminal or Juvenile Record - English
Official Website of New Jersey Judiciary System
New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission
NJ Municipal Court Opening Statement - English 
Modelo de Alocución Inicial Para Los Juzgados Municipal - Español
 
                                                   
                                                   Rockaway Township Court
                                                          65 Mount Hope Road
                                                          Rockaway, NJ 07866
                                                             Ph:(973)627-9000
                                                            Fax:(973)627-5998
                                                   Mon-FRI - 8:30am to 4:30pm