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New Jersey Courts Postpone In-Person Proceedings

NJ Courts - Independence Integrity Fairness Quality Service

In-person Superior Court proceedings scheduled for Monday, March 16 and Tuesday, March 17 will be postponed, Chief Justice Stuart Rabner announced Sunday night. During that time, the Judiciary will prepare to shift to virtual participation for attorneys, litigants and all court users, with extremely limited exceptions.

The postponements, detailed in a notice issued Sunday, are part of an ongoing series of actions taken in consultation with the New Jersey Department of Health to reduce the risk of public exposure to COVID-19 Coronavirus.

“On a typical court day, hundreds if not thousands of attorneys, litigants, and inmates appear in courts throughout the state. We are limiting physical interactions in our courts and shifting to video and phone conferencing options for attorneys, litigants and the public,” Chief Justice Rabner said.

Attorneys and litigants scheduled to appear for in-person matters at the trial level of the Superior Court and Tax Court on Monday and Tuesday should await notice of a new hearing date. Ongoing jury trials will continue as announced.

Critical court operations necessary to public safety or the administration of justice will continue. Emergent applications, as well as Extreme Risk Protective Orders and domestic violence temporary restraining orders submitted through local police departments, will continue to be accepted. The court also will continue to hold first appearance hearings and pretrial detention hearings.  

Questions about individual cases should be directed to the relevant court offices. Updated information regarding court operations will continue to be made available at njcourts.gov.