How to Look up Court Dispositions Online in New Jersey

Court Dispositions Explained

In the legal context, "disposition" is commonly used as a shorthand term for the resolution of a case. In the criminal or juvenile context, a disposition is the legal outcome of a case once all evidence has been presented and the judge has imposed a penalty, if appropriate. Entry of a disposition occurs once either a plea has been entered or a guilty verdict has been issued. The disposition functions to give the matter closure.
From the court perspective, there are two forms of dispositions – verdicts and sentences in criminal cases and dispositions in civil cases . However, many people not intimately familiar with the law use the term in a more general sense to refer to any result in a court proceeding. As "disposition" retains a broader meaning, it should be used as such to avoid miscommunication. Dispositions can take many forms, including:
Disposition documents are issued in criminal, municipal and family cases, as well as other types of civil matters, both at the law division and equity divisions. Even though dispositions are issued by New Jersey Courts, they are not unique to that state or jurisdiction. All courts maintain a record of the cases filed and the outcomes reached. These records are available to all parties.

Legal Authority in the Garden State

The Body of Law in New Jersey that governs records of the courts, including dispositions, are codified in the court rules which are found in Rule 1:38-1. Subsection (a) discusses the definition of a "government record" as defined under the Open Public Records Act or OPRA. O.P.R.A. mandates as follows:
……"
The law in New Jersey pertains specifically to which records are open to the public and which are not. Further, appellate case law on this topic has had some effect on what the Government is required to provide.
According to the law and as discussed above, the legal framework in NJ allows for the following Court Records to be made public:
Thus, given this legal framework the Courts must maintain and be able to provide the records noted above.

Step-by-Step Instructions

The New Jersey Judiciary provides online access to cases through the Civil Judgments and Orders Search. To search for a civil case, you must know the name of a party to the action and the county where the case was filed. It is necessary, however, that the case have been commenced after January 1, 2010. The search will return a list of civil cases in which the name you specify appears in the title of the case.
The process of searching online for a court disposition in a family court matter is similar. You will again be required to identify a party to the action. In this case, a search is possible regardless of when the matter was commenced.
To access the court system online, visit www.njcourtsonline.com and click "Site Map." In the principal section of the site map, click on "Court Records/Case Information," then select "Search Civil Judgments and Orders" or "Search Family Judgments and Orders." Finally, fill out the requested form using the requisite information as stated above.

Navigating the New Jersey Court Website

In order to access court dispositions online for the New Jersey Municipal Courts, you must navigate the New Jersey Courts website with a basic understanding of how the system works. The system is actually fairly simple to use once you understand that there are two different types of court dispositions that you may need to look for:

1) Electronic Record

These cases have been processed and are readily available. If you were arrested in the last 3 years, these records should be electronic.

2) Manual Record

These cases are NOT filed electronically. As a result, the only records available are those that are in the court’s files – typically , either in paper format in the Municipal Court where the case was heard or archived manually.
Both of these are accessible through the New Jersey Courts website. If you conduct a search for municipal dispositions but only see manual records, this does not mean that nothing exists. You have to go to the municipal court building where the charges were filed.
You can use the NJMCDirect system which is available on the Municipal Courts page of the New Jersey Courts website. This can get you results directly if the records were filed electronically. You can also look at your tickets in the back of the site for traffic tickets.

Security and Privacy Issues

The security and privacy of individuals’ personal information is a fundamental concern in dictating how the courts can provide access to court dispositions online. Within New Jersey, strictly speaking, there are no independent state laws or rules which prohibit or restrict the online publication or dissemination of court dispositions. Instead, the New Jersey Supreme Court has routinely examined applications to get the courts to post criminal dispositions online and has consistently concluded that the courts do have the authority to do so so long as the resulting information is made as secure and private as possible.
The Court has held there are two principles that must be advanced by ensuring the security and privacy of court dispositions. The first is the public’s right to know about the conduct of criminal offenders. The second is the protection of the public’s right to be assured that the offender will not commit the same or other crimes again. To that end, the courts must strike a balance between these conflicting principles and the public safety principles governing those issues.
What this boils down to is that, while the public has a right to access, the Court must be ever diligent of protecting the public against abuse of that access. This means the Court must actively monitor which cases are appearing on the website and which cases have not. It means they have to regularly audit the address information associated with those cases to ensure they have not been updated within some period of time. It mandates close monitoring of any off-site data storage or distribution systems which may be used. It envisions a forum where the public can report instances of abuse of the access and the ability for the court to respond to those complaints. It means the courts are highly vigilant against instances where the information contained in the database can be accessed or exploited by anyone other than a member of the public pursuant to process or eligibility.

Resolving Common Problems

Several users have reported a common problem when accessing court dispositions online. These include error messages, incorrect information, and difficulties logging into individual courts’ websites.
Problem 1: Error Messages
Sometimes users will get an error message when attempting to access a court disposition. Make sure you are using Google Chrome as your browser. Currently the courts have not optimized their pages for Internet Explorer or Microsoft Edge.
Problem 2: Incorrect Information
The court disposition report you receive is a record made by the police that is updated from time to time to reflect the status of the charges. The courts, however, do not update their records until they receive something in writing from the police. If you’ve paid a ticket or completed a diversionary program, it will take more time for the courts to get that information. Continue to check back because, over time, your record will be updated to reflect the changes.
Problem 3: Court Access Issues
In a few situations, the court disposition report will not be readable on any browser. In those cases, you can obtain a copy of the court disposition at the individual court’s clerk’s office. You may also need to get a copy of the court disposition at the courthouse depending upon where the ticket was issued أو where the court is located .
Problem 4: I Paid the Ticket, So Now What Happens?
Once you successfully pay your fine, the court will update its records. The payment may show up right away or it may take a week or two, but chances are you will not need to do anything else. If you went to court, paid the ticket, and satisfied the judge, it will take longer for the court to update their records. Continue to check back periodically or visit the courthouse where the ticket was issued to get an updated court disposition.
Problem 5: It’s Been Awhile And I Need Assurance I am Safe from Arrest
Once you have checked the court disposition report, if it reflects what you believe to be the current status, you should be safe from arrest. Additionally, if the ticket has been paid, it is highly unlikely that you will be arrested.
Problem 6: Difficulty Getting to the New Jersey Courts Disposition Search Page
You may run into issues getting to the new New Jersey Courts Disposition Search page. Start over and click on the link for Municipal Courts to get to the Court System main page.
Problem 7: I have a new phone, and even though I can get the information on my phone on the web, I want an app so I can get the information regardless of signal.
Currently there is no app that allows you to get a copy of the court disposition from your phone. The best option is to get the disposition on a smart phone or tablet that has some form of internet connection.