NJ A2980

Allows any New Jersey county to establish a county-municipal court with countywide jurisdiction over all municipal court matters plus civil cases up to $15,000 and landlord-tenant actions

Requires municipalities within a county that establishes such a court to agree within two years to have violations heard there, with the county assuming administrative costs for participating municipalities

Mandates that county-municipal courts be located in the same facility as the Superior Court Law Division and Family Part, with the option for Superior Court staff to operate the court

Requires the county prosecutor to handle all prosecutions in county-municipal courts rather than appointed municipal prosecutors

Judges for county-municipal courts would be nominated by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate, with the county executive or governing body submitting a list of three candidates for consideration