N.J. Stat. tit. 2A, ch. 12

N.J. Stat. tit. 2A, ch. 12
in effect

N.J. Stat. § 2A:12-1 Administrative office of the courts; administrative director and deputy

There shall be a State office to be known as the administrative office of the courts with an administrative director appointed by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court pursuant to Article VI, Section 7, paragraph 1, of the Constitution, as the head thereof and a deputy administrative director also appointed by the Chief Justice. The administrative director and the deputy director shall be, and shall have been for not less than 3 years immediately prior to their appointment, bona fide residents of this State. The compensation, duties and functions of the director and deputy director shall be fixed by the Chief Justice or as otherwise provided by law. The director shall cause a seal of office to be made in such design as the Chief Justice shall approve and judicial notice shall be taken of the seal. L.1951 (1st SS), c.344; amended by L.1956, c. 159, p. 639, s. 3; L.1965, c. 74, s. 14; L.1973, c. 301, s. 1, eff. Dec. 7, 1973.

N.J. Stat. § 2A:12-2 Employees; other gainful pursuits forbidden; civil service

2A:12-2. Employees; other gainful pursuits forbidden; civil service. The director, with the approval of the chief justice, shall appoint and fix the salaries of such employees as may be necessary to perform the duties vested in him by this chapter. The director and such employees shall not engage directly or indirectly in the practice of law and shall not be subject to the provisions of Title 11A, Civil Service, of the New Jersey Statutes. L.1951 (1st SS), c.344; amended L.1994,c.86,s.1.

N.J. Stat. § 2A:12-3 Functions of director

The director shall, subject to the direction of the chief justice, perform the following functions: (a) Examine the administrative methods, systems and activities of the judges, clerks, stenographic reporters and employees of the courts and their offices and make recommendations to the chief justice with respect thereto. (b) Examine the state of the dockets of the courts, secure information as to their needs for assistance, if any, prepare statistical data and reports of the business of the courts and advise the chief justice to the end that proper action may be taken. (c) Prepare and submit budget estimates of state appropriations necessary for the maintenance and operation of the courts and make recommendations with respect thereto. (d) File requests for appropriations or permission to spend, as request officer for the supreme and superior courts and, as approval officer, approve and sign all encumbrance requests and statements of indebtedness on behalf of said courts. (e) Make necessary arrangements for accommodations for the use of the supreme and superior courts and the clerks thereof and for the purchase, exchange, transfer and distribution of equipment and supplies for said courts and clerks. (f) Investigate and collect statistical data and make reports relating to the expenditures of public moneys, state, county and municipal, for the maintenance of the courts and the offices connected therewith. (g) Examine, from time to time, the operation of the courts, investigate complaints with respect thereto, and formulate and submit to the chief justice recommendations for the improvement thereof. (h) Act as secretary of the judicial conference held pursuant to supreme court rules. (i) Attend to such other matters as may be assigned by the chief justice. L.1951 (1st SS), c.344.

N.J. Stat. § 2A:12-4 Information and statistical data

All judges, clerks, and stenographic reporters and their assistants and employees, shall comply with any and all requests made by the director for information and statistical data bearing on the state of the dockets of the courts and such other information as may reflect the business transacted by them and the expenditure of public moneys for the support of the courts and the officers connected therewith. All law enforcement officers shall comply with any and all requests made by the director for information and statistical data bearing on the operation of their offices. L.1951 (1st SS), c.344.

N.J. Stat. § 2A:12-5 Annual report

The director shall submit annually as of August 31 to the Chief Justice, a report of the activities of the administrative office of the courts together with his recommendations. L.1951 (1st SS), c.344; amended by L.1978, c. 87, s. 1, eff. July 27, 1978.

N.J. Stat. § 2A:12-5.1 Findings, declarations relative to school-based probation.

1. The Legislature finds and declares that: a. School-based probation is an approach to the supervision of children which shifts the primary location of probation operations to the school environment; b. School-based probation is designed to provide closer monitoring of a juvenile's behavior in order to improve school attendance and academic performance, lower school drop-out rates and reduce recidivism and out-of-home placements resulting from delinquent behaviors; c. School-based probation programs have stimulated much interest and enthusiasm because they are believed to enhance both the school environment and probation services; d. Studies that have been conducted on the program are very encouraging and have shown that children who have been assigned to school-based probation are more likely to be in the community longer prior to their first charge after their assignment to probation and are also more likely to be charged with probation violation and status offenses rather than new charges of a more serious nature; e. Children who have been assigned to school-based probation tend not to "penetrate" the juvenile justice system as deeply as do children who are assigned to more traditional forms of supervision, resulting in not only cost savings, but also reductions in the destructive effects of extended placements and involvement in the more restrictive components of the juvenile justice system; f. Various models of school-based probation have been implemented in many counties of this State, each designed to address the particular needs of the individual county or school district; and g. The Legislature would benefit from input by probation departments currently involved in school-based probation and the school districts with which they are in partnership on their evaluation of the program and any recommendations regarding the expansion and replication of the program throughout the State. L.2001,c.406,s.1.

N.J. Stat. § 2A:12-5.2 Annual report to Legislature.

2. a. The Administrative Director of the Courts, in consultation with the Commissioner of Education, shall submit an annual report to the Legislature evaluating the effectiveness of the school-based probation program. The report shall include, but need not be limited to: information on the cost-effectiveness of the program as compared to the more traditional model of juvenile probation; the methods by which the confidentiality of the child involved in the program has been protected and any information-sharing protocols which have been developed between school and probation staff; information on the impact of the program in such areas as drop-out rates, disciplinary referrals, tardiness, absenteeism and academic performance; recommendations as to the preferred model or models of school-based probation to implement on a Statewide basis or any specific parameters of the program that should be mandated; and any other recommendations regarding the expansion of the program. b. For the purposes of compiling the report required pursuant to subsection a. of this section, the Administrative Director of the Courts shall have access to the pupil record of any child who has been assigned to school-based probation. Information which is provided to the Administrative Director of the Courts pursuant to this subsection regarding a student who has been assigned to school-based probation shall be used under strict conditions of anonymity and confidentiality. No liability shall attach to any member, officer or employee of any board of education for the furnishing of any pupil records pursuant to this subsection. L.2001,c.406,s.2.

N.J. Stat. § 2A:12-5.3 DLWD, DHS to receive incarceration information electronically from AOC.

7. The Administrative Office of the Courts shall compile and provide to the Department of Labor and Workforce Development and the Department of Human Services identifying information on each inmate incarcerated in each county and local institution in each county which provides inmate incarceration information to the Administrative Office of the Courts, and any county which does not provide that information to the Administrative Office of the Courts shall provide the information to the Department of Labor and Workforce Development and the Department of Human Services. The information shall be transmitted electronically in a timely manner and shall provide identifying characteristics, including name and Social Security number, to be used by the Department of Labor and Workforce Development and the Department of Human Services to verify individuals' eligibility for benefit programs administered by each department. L.2013, c.274, s.7.

N.J. Stat. § 2A:12-6 Distribution of law reports.

2A:12-6. The Administrative Director of the Courts is authorized to distribute or cause to be distributed any bound volumes of the New Jersey Reports and the New Jersey Superior Court Reports heretofore or hereafter published and delivered to him, as follows: To each member of the Legislature, one copy of each volume of such reports. To the following named, for official use, to remain the property of the State, the following number of copies of each volume of such reports: a. To the Governor, four copies; b. To the Department of Law and Public Safety, for the Division of Law, four copies; and the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control, one copy; c. To the Department of the Treasury, for the State Treasurer, one copy; the Division of Taxation, three copies; and the Division of Local Government Services in the Department of Community Affairs, one copy; d. To the Department of State, one copy; e. (Deleted by amendment, P.L.2008, c.29); f. To the Department of Banking and Insurance, two copies; g. To the Board of Public Utilities in the Department of the Treasury, one copy; h. To the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, for the commissioner, one copy; the Division of Workers' Compensation, five copies; the State Board of Mediation, one copy; and the Division of Employment Security, three copies; i. To the Department of Education, for the commissioner, one copy; j. To the Department of Transportation, one copy; k. To the Department of Human Services, one copy; the Department of Corrections, one copy; and the Department of Children and Families, one copy; l. To each judge of the federal courts in and for the district of New Jersey, one copy; m. To each justice of the Supreme Court, one copy; n. To each judge of the Superior Court, one copy; o. To the Administrative Director of the Courts, one copy; p. To each standing master of the Superior Court, one copy; q. (Deleted by amendment, P.L.1983, c.36.) r. To the clerk of the Supreme Court, one copy; s. To the clerk of the Superior Court, one copy; t. (Deleted by amendment, P.L.1983, c.36.) u. (Deleted by amendment, P.L.1983, c.36.) v. (Deleted by amendment, P.L.1991, c.91.) w. (Deleted by amendment, P.L.1991, c.91.) x. To each county prosecutor, one copy; y. To the Central Management Unit in the Office of Legislative Services, one copy; z. To each surrogate, one copy; aa. To each county clerk, one copy; ab. To each sheriff, one copy; ac. To Rutgers, The State University, two copies; and the law schools, five copies each; ad. To the law school of Seton Hall University, five copies; ae. To Princeton University, two copies; af. To the Library of Congress, four copies; ag. To the New Jersey Historical Society, one copy; ah. To every library provided by the board of chosen freeholders of any county at the courthouse in each county, one copy; ai. To the library of every county bar association in this State, one copy; aj. To each incorporated library association in this State, which has a law library at the county seat of the county in which it is located, one copy; ak. To each judge of the tax court, one copy; al. The State Library, 60 copies, five of which shall be deposited in the Law Library, and 55 of which shall be used by the State Librarian to send one copy to the state library of each state and territory of the United States, the same to be in exchange for the law reports of such states and territories sent to the State Library, which reports shall be deposited in and become part of the collection of the Law Library. The remaining copies of such reports shall be retained by the administrative director for the use of the State and for such further distribution as he may determine upon. Amended 1983, c.36, s.1; 1991, c.91, s.29; 2001, c.137, s.1; 2006, c.47, s.21; 2008, c.29, s.84.

N.J. Stat. § 2A:12-7 Legislative findings and declarations

The Legislature finds and declares that: a. In the area of child visitation a court often orders supervised visitation where there has been a history of child abuse, medical disabilities, psychiatric problems or other situations where the safety and welfare of the child may be jeopardized. b. Often court ordered supervised visitation never occurs due to the inability to locate volunteers willing to be present during the visitation and a facility in which the visitation may take place. c. The inability of a parent or guardian to spend time with a child poses serious psychological problems to both the parent and the child and prevents the growth of a normal, healthy relationship. d. The purpose of this act is to facilitate supervised visitation by making the facilities and members of local community organizations available to assist in court ordered supervised visitation. L.1983, c. 424, s. 1.

N.J. Stat. § 2A:12-8 Definitions

As used in this act: a. "Approved community organization" means a community organization which applies to the director for participation in the program and is approved for participation; b. "Director" means the Director of the Administrative Office of the Courts; c. "Program" means the Supervised Visitation Program created pursuant to this act. L.1983, c. 424, s. 2.

N.J. Stat. § 2A:12-9 Supervised visitation program; creation

There is created a program to be known as the "Supervised Visitation Program" which shall be administered by the director. L.1983, c. 424, s. 3.

N.J. Stat. § 2A:12-10 Purpose

The purpose of the program shall be to promote court ordered supervised visitation by having approved community organizations throughout the State supply facilities and personnel to enable supervised visitation to take place. L.1983, c. 424, s. 4.

N.J. Stat. § 2A:12-11 Duties of director

The director shall: a. Publicize the existence of the program; b. Adopt rules for the program including among other things-- (1) Standards for approved community organizations, (2) Standards for accounting and auditing, and (3) The number of approved community organizations needed throughout each county; c. Prepare uniform applications for community organizations to apply for participation in the program, which application shall request, among other things-- (1) The name, address, county and function of the community organization, (2) The size and location of the facility where supervised visitation would take place, (3) The average number of persons available in the facility at any given time who would be present during the supervised visitation, (4) The community organization's fee for use of its personnel and facilities for the program, (5) The number of persons the facility could accommodate at one time, and (6) The general contents of the facility; d. Select and approve those community organizations which comply with the director's standards and which would accept the lowest fee for participation in the program; e. Prepare a printed list by county of approved community organizations available for participation in the program; f. Distribute the list to each court within the State having jurisdiction over child visitation matters; g. Prepare and submit budget estimates of State appropriations necessary for the operation of the program and make recommendations with respect thereto; h. Report annually to the Legislature and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court on the activities of the program and make recommendations with respect thereto; and i. Do all other things necessary and proper to implement the purposes of this act. L.1983, c. 424, s. 5.

N.J. Stat. § 2A:12-12 Court with jurisdiction; order for visitation at approved community organization

Any court having jurisdiction over a child visitation matter, which orders supervised child visitation, may direct in the order that the visitation take place at an approved community organization. L.1983, c. 424, s. 6.

N.J. Stat. § 2A:12-13 Child of incarcerated person; care ensured; guideline development by Administrative Director of the Courts

1. a. The Administrative Director of the Courts, in consultation with the Governor's Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect, shall develop and recommend to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, no later than the 120th day after the effective date of this act, guidelines for each judge of the Superior Court and each municipal court judge to follow in order to ensure that appropriate arrangements are made for the care of an incarcerated person's child by a responsible adult. The Chief Justice shall provide for implementation of these guidelines as soon as is practicable after the date of receipt of the recommended guidelines. b. The administrative director, in consultation with the Governor's Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect, shall periodically review the guidelines adopted pursuant to subsection a. of this section and recommend to the Chief Justice such revisions as are deemed necessary. The Chief Justice shall provide for implementation of the revised guidelines as soon as is practicable after the date of receipt of the recommended revisions. L.1994,c.113.

N.J. Stat. § 2A:12-14 Advance notice to prosecutor; notice to victims; "prosecutor defined

2. a. The Administrative Office of the Courts shall establish procedures to ensure that advance notice is given to the prosecutor in any matter in which (1) a victim of an offense has been identified, and (2) the offense is within the jurisdiction of the Superior Court, and (3) the offense involves criminal conduct or conduct arising from an incident of domestic violence pursuant to N.J.S.2C:25-17 et seq. in which a criminal complaint has been filed. Notice shall include the date, time and place of the defendant's appearance before a judicial officer and shall include, but not be limited to, notice of motions or hearings to establish or reduce bail or authorize other pre-trial release from custody; notice of proceedings in which any plea agreement may be submitted; notice of trial and notice of sentencing. b. Upon receipt of such notice from the court, the prosecutor shall use any reasonable means available to notify a victim in advance of a scheduled proceeding. c. As used in this act, "Prosecutor" means the prosecutor of the county in which the defendant was convicted, unless the matter was prosecuted by the Attorney General, in which case "prosecutor" means the Attorney General. L.1994,c.131,s.2.
Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislative-activity/statutesFetched: 10/17/2026

Starting a business in New Jersey? New Jersey LLC guide: costs and requirements