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Terms Used In New Jersey Statutes 2C:20-20

  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
  • person: includes corporations, companies, associations, societies, firms, partnerships and joint stock companies as well as individuals, unless restricted by the context to an individual as distinguished from a corporate entity or specifically restricted to one or some of the above enumerated synonyms and, when used to designate the owner of property which may be the subject of an offense, includes this State, the United States, any other State of the United States as defined infra and any foreign country or government lawfully owning or possessing property within this State. See New Jersey Statutes 1:1-2
8. Civil Actions. a. Any person damaged in his business or property by reason of a violation of section 7 of this amendatory and supplementary act may sue therefor in any appropriate court and shall recover threefold any damages he sustains and the cost of the suit, including a reasonable attorney’s fee, costs of investigation and litigation.

b. (1) All persons who have possessed or obtained control of stolen property are liable as principals and may be sued jointly or severally, whether or not possession or control was joint.

(2) Any person held liable for possession or control of stolen property under chapter 20 of Title 2C of the New Jersey Statutes shall have standing to bring a civil action for contribution from any person who possessed or exercised control over the stolen property and who knew, had reason to know, or was reckless with regard to the risk that it was stolen.

c. Any action for damages under chapter 20 of Title 2C of the New Jersey Statutes shall be maintained in the Superior Court sitting without a jury.

L.1981,c.167,s.8; amended 1991,c.91,s.143.