East Brunswick Municipal Court – What To Know
Reviewed by William A. Proetta, Esq. · Updated
East Brunswick Municipal Court is at 1 Jean Walling Civic Center Drive. It holds both in-person and Zoom sessions, with first appearances usually by Zoom, and hears disorderly persons offenses, DWI and traffic charges and township ordinance violations from one of the county’s busiest corridors, where Route 18 meets Turnpike Exit 9. Indictable charges go to Middlesex County Superior Court in New Brunswick. Our Edison office is about 15 minutes away. Call (732) 659-9600 any time for a free case review. Se habla español.
East Brunswick Criminal Defense Lawyer
William Proetta Criminal Law defends people charged in East Brunswick, a township of nearly 50,000 with Turnpike Exit 9, Route 18 and Brunswick Square Mall inside its borders, and throughout Middlesex County.
- Local focus. Our Edison office is a short drive from East Brunswick, and we handle criminal and traffic cases across Middlesex County.
- Help with the Zoom first appearance. East Brunswick usually starts cases on Zoom. We handle the township’s virtual registration, appear with you, and you speak with your attorney directly before and after, not with a call center.
- We start early. We review police reports, store surveillance and body-cam video, and Alcotest data while the evidence is still available.
- Record protection first. Many East Brunswick cases are first offenses, often from the Route 18 retail corridor. When the facts support it, we pursue a dismissal, a downgrade or conditional dismissal so the charge doesn’t follow you.
East Brunswick Municipal Court
East Brunswick Municipal Court hears traffic and parking tickets, municipal ordinance violations, DWI cases, and disorderly persons offenses (New Jersey’s version of misdemeanors) arising in East Brunswick Township. With Route 18, the New Jersey Turnpike, and busy retail corridors running through town, the court sees a high volume of DWI, traffic, and shoplifting cases.
East Brunswick Municipal Court
1 Jean Walling Civic Center Drive, East Brunswick, NJ 08816
Telephone: 732-390-6915
Court Staff & Contacts
Municipal Court JudgesChristine M. Heitmann, CJMC
Paul J. Endler Jr., JMC
Shabbir Q. Shehabuddin, JMC
Courtney Fraind
Deputy Court AdministratorsDaniela Mendes
Nicole Galvao
Municipal ProsecutorsJeffrey Smith
Jeremy Solomon
Tim Arch
Joe Ricigliano
732-390-6913
Court TelephoneCourt Calendar & Office Hours
Published Court SessionsMonday – Friday: 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. (violations bureau window).
Check the official court page and appearance instructions →
Your summons or latest court notice controls your date, time, courtroom and whether you attend in person or virtually.
Parking & Arrival
The court is located in the Jean Walling Civic Center. The East Brunswick Municipal Court is part of a large municipal complex and there is a large parking lot with plenty of free parking stalls.
When to arrive: Allow approximately 20–30 minutes before any required in-person appearance for parking, security and check-in. This is practical planning advice, not a court-mandated arrival time.
The Township recommends allowing 1–2 hours if you plan to speak with the prosecutor on your court date.
Courthouse Map
This map shows the courthouse location. Use the directions link to plan your visit.
East Brunswick Court by the Numbers
East Brunswick Court Filings, Case Resolutions and Overall Caseload
Court Performance
Understanding Your East Brunswick Municipal Court Summons
A East Brunswick summons contains important information about the alleged offense including, the statute charged, the person or officer who issued the complaint, the location of court and when you are required to appear. The numbered areas below identify information worth carefully reviewing.
Key Information to Check
Court and Court Code
This identifies the municipality and court associated with the summons. For a case arising in East Brunswick, look carefully at the court information printed on your paperwork.
Summons or Complaint Number
This number identifies the individual summons or complaint. It may be needed when communicating with the municipal court or reviewing court records.
Complainant or Issuing Officer
The summons may identify the police officer or other complainant who issued or signed the charge, along with the involved police agency.
Date, Time and Location
These fields identify when and where the alleged offense occurred. They can also help identify potentially relevant police reports, video or other evidence.
Court Date and Time
Your summons may contain an initial appearance date. A later notice from the court can change that date or the manner in which the appearance will occur.
Where to Appear
Review the court location and appearance instructions carefully. Some proceedings may be conducted in person while others may be scheduled remotely.
Municipality / Court Code: 1204
1 Jean Walling Civic Center Drive, East Brunswick, NJ 08816
What to Expect at East Brunswick Municipal Court
Signs in the parking lot point you to the court entrance. Inside the doors, a long hallway runs left and right. Turn right and go to the end of the hallway, where officers run security with a metal detector. After security, turn right again. The courtroom is on your left before the end of the hallway, and the prosecutor’s door is on your right. Past the courtroom, on the left, is a separate area with the violations window for paying tickets and fines.
Benches line the hallway outside the courtroom for people waiting to speak with the prosecutor, who meets with attorneys and self-represented defendants one at a time; a line usually forms outside the door. Prosecutor duties are generally split, with Joe Ricigliano handling DWI cases and Jeffrey Smith handling criminal and traffic matters.
A lawyer saves you that wait in line and walks into the conference already knowing the evidence and the prosecutor who will handle your type of case.
Charges Heard in East Brunswick Municipal Court
East Brunswick’s mix of shopping, highways and neighborhoods shows up in its docket. Stores along Route 18 and Brunswick Square Mall lead to shoplifting complaints, and traffic on Route 18, the Turnpike and County Routes 527 and 535 leads to driving while intoxicated (DWI), breath-test refusal, reckless driving, leaving the scene of an accident, driving while suspended and driving without insurance charges. We also defend disorderly persons offenses, simple assault, aggravated assault, disorderly conduct, harassment, criminal mischief, drug possession, drug paraphernalia and resisting arrest charges.
Indictable Charges From East Brunswick
Most drug possession, aggravated assault, burglary and theft over $200 charges are indictable. The case begins with an East Brunswick complaint, but the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office takes it to Superior Court in New Brunswick, and a charge that is downgraded can return to East Brunswick. Penalty ranges and programs that can avoid a conviction, such as conditional dismissal and PTI, are covered on our Middlesex County criminal defense page.
Convenient Edison Office for East Brunswick Cases
Our office at 3840 Park Avenue, Suite 202A, Edison, NJ 08820 is about 15 minutes from the Jean Walling Civic Center. We meet East Brunswick clients in person, by phone or by video, and we also handle cases in the neighboring courts of Spotswood, Milltown, South River and Old Bridge.
East Brunswick Municipal Court FAQs
Who handles DWI cases in East Brunswick Municipal Court?
Prosecutor duties are generally split. Joe Ricigliano handles DWI cases, and Jeffrey Smith handles criminal and traffic matters.
Where do I pay a ticket at East Brunswick Municipal Court?
At the violations window, in a separate area on the left past the courtroom, after you go through security at the end of the right-hand hallway.
What happens if I’m charged with shoplifting at a store in East Brunswick?
A shoplifting charge under $200, the usual charge from a Route 18 store or Brunswick Square Mall, is a disorderly persons offense heard in East Brunswick Municipal Court. A first offender may be eligible for conditional dismissal. If the store’s lawyers send a civil demand letter, that’s a separate claim; paying it doesn’t end the criminal case.
Is a DWI in East Brunswick heard in municipal court?
Yes. DWI is a traffic offense in New Jersey, so it’s heard by a municipal court judge without a jury. Penalties can include fines, an ignition interlock requirement, and license suspension, so the evidence — especially the stop and the breath test — should be reviewed early. See New Jersey DWI penalties.
My charge is a third-degree crime. Will it stay in East Brunswick?
No. Indictable crimes, including third-degree offenses, are sent to Middlesex County Superior Court in New Brunswick. In some cases, a charge can be downgraded to a disorderly persons offense and sent back to municipal court.
Can a first offense stay off my record?
Often, yes. Depending on the charge, first-time offenders may qualify for conditional dismissal in municipal court, conditional discharge for drug offenses, or Pretrial Intervention (PTI) in Superior Court. Each program has eligibility rules, and admission isn’t automatic.
Can I expunge an East Brunswick shoplifting or disorderly persons conviction?
Usually, once the waiting period has passed. A disorderly persons conviction generally requires five years, and a dismissed charge can often be expunged soon after the dismissal. See our Middlesex County expungement page for eligibility.
Talk to an East Brunswick Criminal Defense Lawyer Today
East Brunswick often lists first appearances on Zoom within weeks of the charge, so it helps to call before that first date. Our Edison office at (732) 659-9600 offers a free, confidential case review, available 24/7. Se habla español.