Essex County Court Records
New Jersey Court Rule 1:38-2 defines a court record as any information, order, judgment, decree, or opinion maintained by a court in physical, electronic, or any other form relating to a case or judicial proceeding. According to this rule, court records may include official transcripts, electronic case records, and recordings of a public judicial proceeding. However, they do not include unfiled discovery materials or records a court gathers, maintains, or stores not because of a case or judicial proceeding.
Essex County court records are significant in judicial proceedings for many reasons, which include:
- To hold the courts accountable and ensure transparency within the judicial system
- To keep precedents for future judicial hearings
- To preserve case activities and events in case of an appeal
In New Jersey, the Superior Court Clerk's Office performs several statewide functions for the judiciary, including storing and retrieving records for courts in Essex County and other county jurisdictions. Court records are transferred to the Superior Court Records Center after resolution. They are considered part of Essex County Public Records, which are disclosable to the public unless otherwise determined by law or judicial order.
Are Court Records Public in Essex County?
Yes, they are. The term "public records" includes records deemed accessible to the general public per N.J.S.A. 47:1 A-1. Admittedly, the Open Public Records Act (N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq.) does not apply to the New Jersey Judiciary. Instead, public records requests made to the New Jersey judiciary are governed by N.J. Court Rule 1:38, which allows the public inspection of many court records, including:
- Civil division records, including general equity records
- Special civil part records
- Criminal division records
- Family division records
- Municipal court records
- Tax court records
Nonetheless, certain Essex County court records exempt from public access include those from the juvenile and domestic relations courts and others listed in Court Rule 1:38-3. Examples include:
- Records that state statute, rule, or prior case law require to be kept confidential
- Medical-related and alcohol-related records and reports
- Records like notes, memoranda, etc., that were used by a judge or judiciary staff member while executing their official functions
- Records of consultations, deliberations, and discussions relating to a case
- Certain records from criminal and municipal court proceedings
- Expunged records
- Sealed juvenile records under N.J.S.A. 2A:4A-62
- All records in actions for name changes under N.J.S.A. 2A:52- 1 and R. 4:72-1 et seq.
- Records of (i) adjudicated or otherwise disposed of landlord-tenant cases in which no judgment for possession has been entered and (ii) landlord-tenant cases in which judgment for possession was entered seven years ago or older
What Do Essex County Court Records Contain?
Some information in Essex County court records include:
- Names of case parties and the attorneys of record
- Case initiation date, caption, and status
- A list of documents filed in the case
- Orders
- Scheduled hearings and dates
- Dispositions
- Motions, complaints, and other pleadings
- Briefs and their respective attachments
- Evidentiary exhibits (i.e., documents, videos, audio recordings, photographs, objects, and any other physical or digital evidence presented to a court as evidence).
- Indices
- Calendars
- Dockets
- Aggregate data maintained or created by the judiciary for statistics
Where to Conduct an Essex County Case Lookup
The following options are available to members of the public who want to conduct an Essex County case lookup:
- Visit the courthouse where the case was filed.
- Contact or write the Superior Court Clerk's Office.
- Access the New Jersey Electronic Access Program (E.A.P.) administered by the Superior Court Clerk's Office, which features several case management systems.
- Search eCourt public access portals maintained on the N.J. judiciary's website.
How to Conduct an Essex County Case Records Search
There are a few methods to conduct an Essex County case records search:
- The Superior Court Clerk's Office
Individuals can download, complete, and submit a records request form to the N.J. Superior Court Clerk's Office (the primary custodian of all N.J. court records). Typically, this form is submitted electronically unless the requester requires a tax court record, in which case the request form should be emailed to txctrecords.mailbox@njcourts.gov.
It costs 5 cents per page (letter size) and 7 cents per page (legal size) to retrieve copies of court records. One can also purchase Case Data Reports from the clerk's office.
Regardless of the preferred search method, the primary information needed to search and retrieve Essex County case records is a docket/case number or a case party's name.
- The Electronic Access Program
A person who wants to conduct an Essex County using the New Jersey Electronic Access Program (E.A.P.) must first create a Judiciary Account Charge System (J.A.C.S.) account. Next, they must enroll in the E.A.P. by completing a subscriber agreement and subscriber enrollment form and mailing the completed forms to:
Electronic Access Program
Richard J. Hughes Justice Complex
P.O. Box 971
Trenton, NJ 08625
Upon enrollment, the subscriber will receive their E.A.P. system login I.D. and password via email, which they can use to find records. The E.A.P. costs $4 per minute.
Another way to search Essex County court records remotely is to conduct a statewide search using public access portals provided on the N.J. judiciary website.
Essex County Civil Court Case Records
Civil court cases heard in the Essex County Superior Court involve disputes where a complainant seeks monetary compensation for injury caused by a defendant's actions. Examples include cases involving medical malpractice, automobile accidents, contract breaches, and tenant/landlord disputes.
A search for Essex County, civil case records, can be conducted using any previously mentioned methods. Specifically, interested persons can begin their search with the Civil Case Jacket Public Access system featured on the N.J. judiciary's website. This eCourts Public Access System consists of four case jackets:
- Civil Part: Civil cases in which the amount in controversy is more than $20,000.
- General Equity: Cases in which no monetary damages are being sought and some non-jury cases involving labor matters, trade secrets, foreclosures, urgent restraining orders, etc.
- Special Civil Part: Cases in which the amount in controversy is between $5,000 to $20,000. Cases where the amount in damages is $5,000 or less are also deemed Special Civil Part.
- Tax: Cases involving tax disputes.
The Civil Case Jacket Public Access system is searchable by party name or docket number.
Essex County Criminal Court Case Records
Criminal court case records contain information about criminal charges involving adult offenders and, in some situations, juveniles who were tried in adult court because of the severity of their offenses. The Essex County Superior Court handles criminal cases under the county's jurisdiction. Municipal courts within the county also hear minor criminal cases, such as bad checks.
Members of the public have different ways to retrieve Essex County criminal court case records, as highlighted earlier. However, one may begin with the Criminal Judgments or Criminal Convictions public access systems hosted on the N.J. judiciary's official website. Whereas the latter can be searched with a party name or case number, the former can be accessed with a defendant's name, an S.B.I. number, a complaint number, or an indictment number.
How to Get Court Records Online for Free
Different court records search systems are available on the New Jersey judiciary's website to obtain Essex County court records for free. Examples include the Find a Case search tools and the N.J. Electronic Access Program (E.A.P.). As well, some private aggregator websites offer interested visitors access to court records at no charge. However, a fee or subscription often applies when a user seeks a copy of a court record or requires access to comprehensive records.
Courts in Essex County, New Jersey
Below are the Essex County Superior Court locations:
Essex County Historic Courthouse
470 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard
Newark, NJ 07102
Phone: (973) 776-9300
Essex County Veterans Courthouse
50 West Market Street
Newark, NJ 07102
Phone: (973) 776-9300
Essex Probation Services Division
60 Evergreen Place
East Orange, NJ 07018
Phone: (973) 776-9300 Ext. 53201
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Justice Building
495 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard
Newark, NJ 07102
Phone: (973) 776-9300
Robert N. Wilentz Justice Complex - Family Courthouse
212 Washington Street
Newark, NJ 07102
Phone: (973) 776-9300
