In municipal court in New Jersey, a plea bargain is an agreement between you and the state that allows you to plead guilty to a lesser offense, combine certain offenses into one offense, and/or dismiss certain offenses. A plea agreement generally results in a lesser fine or other penalty. It is important to note that the prosecutor, who represents the state, is not required to offer you a plea agreement, and there may be circumstances where the prosecutor will not agree to a plea bargain. If you enter into a plea agreement in municipal court, you will usually have to put a factual basis on the record when you appear before the judge, which means that the judge will ask you questions about the incident that brought you to Court and then the judge will decide whether or not to approve the plea agreement. The prosecutor may recommend a fine to the judge, but the judge makes the final decision to approve the plea bargain and on the amount of fines. After you appear before the judge, you must pay your fines and court costs that day. If you cannot afford to pay the fines and costs in full, the judge may be willing to let you enter into a payment plan depending on your financial circumstances.

It is important to note that you are giving up certain rights, such as the right to a trial, if you enter into a plea agreement and that there may be other consequences as a result of the plea to a different charge, such as points on your license, higher fines, or insurance surcharges. If you are seeking a plea agreement in municipal court, it is a good idea to retain legal counsel to fully explain all consequences to you and to negotiate an agreement for you with the prosecutor. Call Laurie at (856) 438-0868 for all of your municipal court needs.