Terms Used In New Jersey Statutes 39:8-72

  • Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
  • 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.
  • 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
  • Plea: In a criminal case, the defendant's statement pleading "guilty" or "not guilty" in answer to the charges, a declaration made in open court.
  • 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
  • Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
14. An action for the recovery of a civil penalty for violation of this act or any rule or regulation adopted pursuant to this act shall be within the jurisdiction of and may be brought before the municipal court in the municipality where the offense was committed or where the defendant may be found, or where the measurement of emissions was physically made. The municipal prosecutor shall proceed in the matter on behalf of the State, unless the county prosecutor or the Attorney General assumes responsibility for the prosecution. The civil penalties provided by this act or any rule or regulation adopted pursuant thereto shall be recovered in the name of the commission, as appropriate, and any money collected by the court in payment of a civil penalty shall be conveyed to the State Treasurer for deposit into the State General Fund. The civil penalties provided by this act or any rule or regulation adopted pursuant thereto shall be collected and enforced by summary proceedings pursuant to “The Penalty Enforcement Law of 1999,” P.L.1999, c.274 (C. 2A:58-10 et seq.). If the ticket has not been marked to indicate that a court appearance is required, the defendant shall have the option to waive trial, enter a plea of guilty, and pay the penalty, either by mail or in person, to the violations clerk, subject to the Rules Governing the Courts of the State of New Jersey.

L.1995,c.157,s.14; amended 2003, c.13, s.87.