New Jersey Court Records

New Jersey Court Records

1675 - 1947: Courts of General Quarter Sessions of the Peace were County Courts with jurisdiction over minor criminal cases such as desertions, vice, apprenticeship disputes, and bastardy. Also known as County Courts, they had civil jurisdiction prior to the creation of the Courts of Common Pleas in 1704.

1675 - Present: Small Cause Courts and Justices' Courts are presided over by Justices of the Peace. Justices of the Peace perform marriages, issue summons for debts, and rule on minor civil suits. They also had criminal jurisdiction over bastardy, domestic violence, trespass, disorderly conduct, and forcible entry. Most of these courts have been replaced in the twentieth century by District and Superior Courts. Some of their records have been deposited with county clerks, but some were kept by families of the justices.

1682 - Present: The Supreme Court of Judicature has statewide appellate jurisdiction in civil matters, original common law jurisdiction, and criminal jurisdiction in capital crimes such as treason and murder. Some common law matters handled by the Court included dower, naturalization, land title, and child custody. The early minutes also record criminal matters such as trespassing, adultery, prostitution, breaking the peace, malfeasance, assault, and rape. In 1947, the Supreme Court of Judicature became the highest court in the state.

1684 - 1696, 1705 - 1947: The Court of Chancery was a statewide court that received gradual civil and equity jurisdiction over matters such as mortgage foreclosures, lis pendens (disputes over land title), land partitions, the enforcement of the payment of debts, probate suits, lunacy inquisitions, naturalizations, divorces, and child custody. These functions are now handled by the Superior Courts.

1693 - 1947: Courts of Oyer and Terminer and General Gaol Delivery were County Courts that had jurisdiction over all crimes committed within the county except for the capital offenses of treason and murder. Records are found at the County Clerks' offices.

1704 - 1947: Courts of Common Pleas have recorded civil cases such as marriages, naturalizations, name changes, exemptions from military duty, lunacy cases, tavern licenses, insolvency cases, old-age assistance, manumissions, settlement of boundary disputes, and child support and custody. They also handled appeals from Justices of the Peace. These County Courts were replaced by the Superior Court.

1799 - 1947: Circuit Courts were County Courts with civil and equity jurisdiction (since 1838) over such matters as mortgage foreclosures, name changes, marriages, adoptions, estate partitions, naturalizations, debts, and probate suits. Circuit Courts were replaced by Superior Courts.

1877 - 1983: District Courts were City Courts that were given county-wide jurisdiction in 1884. They had jurisdiction over minor criminal offenses and civil suits. They replaced the Small Cause Courts in most places and were later replaced by the special civil part of Superior Courts.

1947 - 1978: County Courts took over the functions of the Courts of Common Pleas, Oyer and Terminer, General Quarter Sessions, Special Sessions, and Orphan's Court. County Courts were replaced by Superior Courts in 1978.

1947 - Present: Superior Courts are the major trial courts with county-wide jurisdiction over civil and criminal matters. They perform the functions of all the former County Courts. Records of criminal case are located at the county courthouses. Records of civil cases are at the office of the Clerk of the Superior Court.

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