There shall be a Municipal Court, to be known as the "Municipal
Court of the Township of Clark," which shall have and exercise the
limited civil and criminal jurisdiction prescribed by law and the
applicable rules of the Supreme Court.
The Municipal Court shall have a Seal which shall bear the impress
of the name of the Court.
A.
Appointment; term. There shall be a Judge of the Municipal Court,
who shall be appointed by the Mayor with the advice and consent of
the Council. The Judge shall serve for a term of three years from
the date of his/her appointment and until his/her successor is appointed
and qualified.
B.
Compensation. The Judge of the Municipal Court shall be compensated
by an annual salary as fixed by ordinance. The compensation so paid
shall be in lieu of any and all other fees.
The Municipal Court shall be held in the Municipal Building
of the Township. The Judge shall designate the days when sessions
of the Court will be held and the hour thereof, in accordance with
the New Jersey court rules applicable to municipal courts.
A Court Administrator of the Municipal Court shall be appointed
by the Council for such term as is fixed by the Council and until
his/her successor is appointed and qualified. The Court Administrator
shall receive an annual salary fixed by ordinance to be paid in the
same manner as the salaries of other municipal officers. Such salary
shall be in lieu of all fees, costs and any other allowances whatsoever.
The Court Administrator shall perform such functions and duties as
shall be prescribed for him/her by law, by the rules applicable to
municipal courts and by the Judge of the Municipal Court.
A.
There shall be a fee assessed by the Municipal Court of the Township
of Clark for the assignment of the Municipal Public Defender to any
eligible defendant facing charges in the Municipal Court whenever
justice so requires.
B.
The Judge of the Municipal Court shall, in his inherent discretion,
based upon the defendant's financial ability, determine whether a
fee should be imposed and the amount of such fee for assignment of
the Municipal Public Defender.
D.
The Municipal Court Administrator shall be responsible for keeping
and maintaining all records of accounts and amounts paid by defendants
assigned a Municipal Public Defender.
E.
The Municipal Court Administrator shall annually report to the Mayor
and Council concerning the number of defendants assigned to the Public
Defender, the number of defendants assessed a fee and the total amount
of fees imposed.
[Added 5-15-2006 by Ord. No. 06-11]
The Clark Township Municipal Court is authorized to charge a
fee of $25 to those individuals appearing before the Court whose checks
for fines and costs are dishonored or otherwise returned for nonsufficient
funds.
