There shall be a Department of Law, the head of which shall be the Township Attorney. The Township Attorney shall be appointed by the Township Committee for a term of one year beginning January 1. He shall be an attorney at law of New Jersey.
The Attorney shall give all legal counsel and advice required by the Township Committee or any member thereof and shall, in general, serve as the legal advisor to the Township Committee of all matters of Township business. He shall represent the Township in all judicial and administrative proceedings in which the Township or any of its officers or agencies not separately represented may be a party or have an interest. In furtherance of his general powers and duties, but without limiting them, the Attorney shall:
A. 
Draft or approve as to form and sufficiency all legal documents, contracts, deeds, ordinances and resolutions made, executed or adopted by or on behalf of the Township.
B. 
Conduct appeals from orders, decisions or judgments affecting any interest of the Township.
C. 
With the approval of the Township Committee, compromise or settle litigation in which the Township is involved.
D. 
Render opinions upon questions of law submitted to him by the Township Committee or any member thereof with respect to Township matters.
E. 
Supervise and direct the work of any additional attorneys and technical and professional assistants the Township Committee may authorize for special or regular employment in or for the Township.
A. 
Creation. The office of Assistant Township Solicitor and Municipal Prosecutor is hereby created and established in the Legal Department of the Township.
B. 
Duties. The Township Solicitor is hereby authorized from time to time to assign and delegate to the Assistant Township Solicitor the performance of such services and duties in the work of the Legal Department as he may determine necessary in the administration of the Department. The Assistant Township Solicitor shall also be and serve as Municipal Prosecutor and shall represent the Township and the State of New Jersey, as the case may be, in the Municipal Court and in any other court, as directed by the Township Solicitor or the Municipal Judge, involving violation of the ordinances of the Township and the laws of the State of New Jersey.
C. 
Compensation.[1] The salary of the Assistant Township Solicitor and Municipal Prosecutor shall be in such amount as shall be fixed by ordinance, plus such expenses as he may incur in and about the performance of his duties, and as shall be approved by the Township Solicitor and Township Committee. The salary shall include all services necessary to be performed by him as Assistant Township Solicitor and Municipal Prosecutor and delegated pursuant to this section and as may be ordered by the Township Solicitor or Township Committee.
[1]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 49, Salaries and Compensation.
[Added 12-23-1987 by Ord. No. 65-1987]
It is hereby declared to be the policy of this municipality to provide for the constitutional guaranties of counsel to indigent defendants who are charged with criminal violations cognizable in the Egg Harbor Township Municipal Court. "Indigent defendant" is defined as one who is formally charged with the commission of a criminal offense and who does not have the present financial ability to secure competent legal representation.
[Added 12-23-1987 by Ord. No. 65-1987]
There is hereby created a Division of Municipal Public Defender within the Department of Law to provide for legal representation of any indigent who is formally charged with the commission of a criminal offense within the jurisdiction of the Municipal Court of the Township of Egg Harbor, County of Atlantic and State of New Jersey.
[Added 12-23-1987 by Ord. No. 65-1987; amended 5-28-2008 by Ord. No. 21-2008]
The head of the Division of Public Defender shall be the Public Defender, who shall be an attorney at law of this state. He shall be appointed by the Township Committee for a term of one year and shall hold office until January 1 of the year following appointment. The Public Defender shall receive such compensation as fixed and prescribed by Township ordinance. The Public Defender shall devote his/her entire time to the duties of this office. Any vacancy in this office shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment. The Township Committee may appoint a Deputy Public Defender, who shall be an attorney at law of this state.
[Added 12-23-1987 by Ord. No. 65-1987]
A. 
It shall be the duty of the Public Defender to provide for the legal representation of any defendant formally charged with the commission of a criminal offense where such charges are within the jurisdiction of the Municipal Court of the Township of Egg Harbor.
B. 
All necessary services and facilities of representation, including investigation and other preparation, shall be provided in every case. Said representation shall include any direct appeal from conviction and any such post-conviction proceeding warranting the assignment of counsel pursuant to court rules. Representation for indigent defendants may be provided for in the New Jersey Superior Court, Criminal Division, in any matter arising out of or related to an action pending or recently pending in the Egg Harbor Township Municipal Court.
C. 
In addition, the Public Defender shall provide legal representation for any person charged with a violation of motor vehicle or traffic laws, the violation of fish and game laws and the violation of the ordinances of the Township of Egg Harbor filed in the Egg Harbor Township Municipal Court.
[Added 12-23-1987 by Ord. No. 65-1987]
The Public Defender shall:
A. 
Recommend the appointment of investigators and clerical assistants as may be required for the conduct of the office for the approval of the Township Committee.
B. 
Accept the services of volunteer workers.
C. 
Keep and maintain proper financial records and records in respect to particular cases handled and submitted to the Township Committee, or any members which have been designated, monthly reports of the work of the Division and any recommendations or reports requested.
D. 
Prepare a yearly budget for expense items and expenditures attendant to these duties.
E. 
Direct and supervise all Division of Public Defender employees engaged by the Township Committee.
F. 
Have a general responsibility for the operation of the office.
G. 
Formulate and adopt rules and regulations necessary to effectuate the purpose of this article and for the efficient operation of the office.
[Added 12-23-1987 by Ord. No. 65-1987]
The Public Defender shall be under the direct supervision and control of the Township Committee, separate and apart from the Township Solicitor and Assistant Township Solicitor.
[Added 4-13-1994 by Ord. No. 8-1994]
A. 
The Township may require a person applying for representation by the Public Defender to pay an application fee of not more than $200.
[Amended 12-10-1997 by Ord. No. 56-1997]
B. 
The Municipal Court may waive any required application fee, in whole or in part, if the court determines, in its discretion, that the application fee represents an unreasonable burden on the person seeking representation.