Gloucester County Criminal Court handles all criminal cases that are filed in Gloucester County. See below for more information about criminal cases in Gloucester County.
Right to an attorney
The US Constitution’s Sixth Amendment ensures the right to an attorney regardless of whether or not you can afford one. In Gloucester County a public defender will be appointed by the judge if you cannot afford private representation.
What happens in Gloucester County at an arraignment?
In Gloucester County the defendant is brought into court and informed by the judge of the charges that have been filed against them along with informing them of their rights. At this time, the defendant can plead guilty, not guilty or no contest. If the defendant pleads guilty or no contest, there will be no trial and the defendant may be sentenced immediately or at a later date. If the defendant pleads not guilty a trial date is set.
Gloucester County Criminal Court
Sentencing in Gloucester County
In Gloucester County if the defendant is found guilty (by trial or plea), the defendant will be sentenced. This sometimes occurrs immediately after being found guilty, but can also take place at a later date. In most instances, a judge will impose the sentence that is requested by the prosecution, but they also have the descretion to impose a different sentence.
Prosecutor in Gloucester County
In Gloucester County, the prosecutor is an attorney representing Gloucester County. In some cases, the prosecutor may actually represent New Jersey. For the most part, the prosecutor in Gloucester County has discretion to both decide whether to file charges and also negotiate a potential plea deal with the defendant.
Jury by Trial Right
The US Constitution (Article 3 along with the 6th Amendment) ensures an accused defendant the right to a jury trial. This applies to crimes that have a $500 fine or a potential sentence of six months in jail (aka Serious Crimes). This right to trial by jury can also be waived by a defendant.
Appealing a guilty verdict
A defendant may appeal a guilty verdict to an appellate court. This is not a request to have another trial, but a request for an appellate court to review the case and determine that it was handled in a correct legal manner. There are a number of outcomes in an appeal including an upholding of the conviction, a finding that errors were made resulting in a retrial or resentencing or possibly a complete disimissal of all charges.
Mandatory Appearances in Gloucester County Criminal Court
At a mandatory or required court appearance in Gloucester County, the defendant must appear before the court. In the event of a “Failure to Appear” the judge may issue a warrant for the arrest of the defendant. Note: not all criminal hearings are mandatory, in a non-mandatory hearing an attorney may appear on your behalf without you being in court.
Jury Deliberations in Gloucester County
In Gloucester County, jury deliberations will take place in a jury trial after the prosecution and defense have presented their cases and rested. At this point, the judge will provide a list of instructions to the jury about what they are allowed and not allowed to do and what verdict options are available for them to decide. The jury will be sent to a private room to discuss the evidence presented in the case and attempt to reach a unaminous decision. When a unaminous decision is reached, the jury will inform the judge that they have reached a verdict and will return to the courtroom for the verdict to be read allowed. In the event that the jury cannot reach a unanimous verdict, the jury results in a deadlock and a mistrial is declared.
Can I request a Plea Agreement?
In Gloucester County you may be able to enter into a plea agreement depending upon the severity of the charges. It is also dependant upon the prosecution willing to accept a plea agreement. You can ask your attorney to attempt to negotiate a plea agreement with the prosecution to avoid having a jury trial along with the potential for a more serious sentence. Approximately 9 out of 10 criminal cases usually end in a plea agreement.
Where can I get help for my Gloucester County criminal case?
The 6th amendment of the United States Constitution provides a criminal defendant with the right to an attorney. As read in the miranda rights, this means that if a defendant cannot afford to hire a private attorney a legal attorney will be appointed to the defendant to represent him at no cost to the defendant. This is often a public defender. In addition, the court clerk for Gloucester County will also be able to provide general information about a specific criminal case. The clerk can only provide information and is not an attorney so they cannot provide legal advice, only a licensed attorney can provide legal advice about what the best options for are for your particular case.
What is the Burden of Proof?
The term “Burden of Proof” means that the prosecutor is required to prove the guilt of the defendant beyond a reasonable doubt. If the prosecutor cannot provide proof of the defendants guilt, then the judge or jury in a trial must find the defendant not guilty. In the United States the principle innocent until proven guilty derives from this that the defendant is assumed innocent and the prosecution has the burden of proving beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant is guilty.
Gloucester County Criminal Court hearings
Criminal hearings in Gloucester County will take place at the Gloucester County Criminal Courts. Please see here for a list of the Gloucester County Criminal Court Locations.
Gloucester County Criminal Court Locations
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Gloucester County Superior Court
Address: 1 North Broad Street, Woodbury, NJ 08096
Phone: 856-853-3200 -
Gloucester County Superior Court – Civil Division
Address: 1 North Broad Street, Woodbury, NJ 08096
Phone: 856-853-3232 Fax: 856-853-3429 -
Gloucester County Superior Court – Criminal Division
Address: 70 Hunter Street, Woodbury, NJ 08096
Phone: 856-686-7500 Fax: 856-853-3735 -
Gloucester County Superior Court – Family Division
Address: 70 Hunter Street, Woodbury, NJ 08096
Phone: 856-686-7410 Fax: 856-686-7585 -
Gloucester County Surrogate’s Court
Address: 17 North Broad Street, PO Box 177, Woodbury, NJ 08096
Phone: 856-853-3282 Fax: 856-853-3311 -
Deptford Township Municipal Court
Address: 1011 Cooper Street, Deptford, NJ 08096
Phone: 856-686-2230 Fax: 856-845-6179 -
East Greenwich Township Municipal Court
Address: 159 Democrat Road, Mickleton, NJ 08056
Phone: 856-423-3010 Fax: 856-423-3146 -
Elk Township Joint Municipal Court
Address: 680 Whig Lane, Monroeville, NJ 08343
Phone: 856-881-6631 Fax: 856-863-9421 -
Franklin Joint Municipal Court
Address: 1571 Delsea Drive, Franklinville, NJ 08322
Phone: 856-694-1661 Fax: 856-694-2192 -
Glassboro Municipal Court
Address: 1 South Main Street, Glassboro, NJ 08028
Phone: 856-881-0383 Fax: 856-881-8253 -
Greenwich Township Municipal Court
Address: 21 North Walnut Street, Gibbstown, NJ 08027
Phone: 856-423-0113 Fax: 856-224-0283 -
Harrison Township Municipal Court
Address: 114 Bridgeton Pike, Mullica Hill, NJ 08062
Phone: 856-478-4049 Fax: 856-478-9802 -
Logan Township Municipal Court
Address: 125 Main Street, PO Box 314, Bridgeport, NJ 08014
Phone: 856-467-3425 Fax: 856-467-5016 -
Mantua Township Municipal Court
Address: 405 Main Street, Mantua, NJ 08051
Phone: 856-468-3078 Fax: 856-468-3823 -
Monroe Township Municipal Court
Address: 125 Virginia Avenue, Williamstown, NJ 08094
Phone: 856-728-9800 Ext. 278 -
Paulsboro Municipal Court
Address: 1211 Delaware Street, Paulsboro, NJ 08066
Phone: 856-423-3888 Fax: 856-423-4787 -
Pitman Municipal Court
Address: 110 South Broadway, Pitman, NJ 08071
Phone: 856-589-3144 Fax: 856-582-1235 -
South Harrison Municipal Court
Address: 114 Bridgeton Pike, Mullica Hill, NJ 08062
Phone: 856-478-4049 Fax: 856-478-9802 -
Washington Township Municipal Court
Address: 1 McClure Drive, Sewell, NJ 08080
Phone: 856-589-0546 Fax: 856-582-6917 -
Wenonah Municipal Court
Address: 1 South West Avenue, Wenonah, NJ 08090
Phone: 856-468-0242 Fax: 856-468-4097 -
West Deptford Township Municipal Court
Address: 400 Crown Point Road, PO Box 89, Thorofare, NJ 08086
Phone: 856-845-4004 Ext. 115 or 116 Fax: 856-384-3065 -
Westville/National Park Joint Municipal Court
Address: 114 Crown Point Road, Westville, NJ 08093
Phone: 856-456-0066 Fax: 856-456-1040 -
Woodbury Heights Municipal Court
Address: 500 Elm Avenue, Woodbury Heights, NJ 08097
Phone: 856-848-3256 Fax: 856-845-4000 -
Woodbury Municipal Court
Address: 200 North Broad Street, Woodbury, NJ 08096
Phone: 856-845-0691 Fax: 856-845-8207 -
Woolwich Joint Municipal Court
Address: 120 Village Green Drive, Woolwich Township, NJ 08085
Phone: 856-467-1555 Fax: 856-467-9291