New Jersey Statutes 2B:25-5. Duties of municipal prosecutor; use of special counsel, private attorneys
Terms Used In New Jersey Statutes 2B:25-5
- Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
- Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
- Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.
- State: extends to and includes any State, territory or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia and the Canal Zone. See New Jersey Statutes 1:1-2
b. A municipal prosecutor may, with the approval of the court and pursuant to the Rules of Court, authorize private attorneys to prosecute citizen complaints filed in the municipal court. A municipal prosecutor may, with the approval of the court, decline to participate in municipal court proceedings in which the defendant is not represented by counsel. The court shall afford the citizen complainant an opportunity to be heard prior to determining whether to approve a municipal prosecutor’s decision to authorize a private attorney to prosecute a citizen complaint or to decline to participate in a municipal court proceeding in which the defendant is not represented by counsel. When the municipal prosecutor declines to prosecute, the prevailing complainant may make an application to the court for counsel fee reimbursement to be paid out of applicable fines, but such reimbursement shall not exceed the amount of the applicable fines. Upon a finding that a conflict of interest precludes a municipal prosecutor from participating in a proceeding, the court shall excuse the municipal prosecutor and may, in such a case, request the county prosecutor to provide representation in accordance with section 6 of this act unless the municipality has provided for alternative representation.
c. A municipal prosecutor may at any time move before the municipal court to amend or dismiss any complaint for good cause shown in accordance with the Rules of Court.
L.1999,c.349,s.5; amended 2000,c.178,s.1.