New Jersey Court Records Search
New Jersey’s Appellate Division of the Superior Court is the intermediate appellate court for the state. Appellate Division hears appeals from the trial courts, the Tax Court and state administrative agencies. They see about 6,500 appeals per year and 10,000 motions.
Appellate Division has 32 judges who rotate in two and three-judge panels. When someone from the trial court is dissatisfied with the results, they make an appeal. A panel of judges from the Appellate Division review these cases to ensure that the law was not violated during the process. They do so by reviewing the entire case, all documentation, court transcripts, briefs, and oral arguments prepared by each side. Decisions made at the Appellate Division are almost always final. However, litigants have the right to appeal to the Supreme Court but rarely do cases get approved.
The New Jersey Courts website has a lot of resources for a patron of the Appellate Division of Superior Court. They offer an overview of the process, bar notices, calendar, and recent opinions. They also provide help with writing briefs, preparing oral arguments, e-filing, and obtaining court transcripts. They also offer links specific for self-represented litigants and attorneys, the standards for appellate cases, a payment voucher system, online access to appeals, and a “build-a-brief-creator” tool for help with designing briefs.
Oral arguments are open to the public and the New Jersey Courts website posts a schedule of when they are to be heard. The general public may attend. Legal professionals and students studying the law are encouraged to attend to learn more about the process and format. New Jersey courts also hold regular seminars and public events which are posted on the court's website along with other information for the public and media.