What courts handle criminal cases?
A. Municipal courts hear and decide cases involving disorderly persons offenses. There are no jury trials in municipal court. The judge decides if someone has broken the law, and imposes fines of up to $1,000 and / or imprisonment for up to 6 months. Municipal courts can also present charges and set bail for serious crimes. However, the Superior Court, Criminal Division handles the trial in every case where an adult has been accused of committing a serious crime. In such a case, the accused has a right to a jury trial. Crimes committed by persons under 18 years of age are considered acts of juvenile delinquency. Such cases are usually heard and decided in the Family Division of Superior Court, although very serious offenses can be treated by the Criminal Division as if the defendant were an adult. Appeals from municipal court decisions are heard in the Superior Court Criminal Division, and appeals from trials held in the Criminal Division are made to the Superior Court Appellate Divisi
