Perth Amboy Municipal Court — What to Expect and How to Prepare
If you have received a summons for Perth Amboy Municipal Court, this page explains where the court is, when it sits, and what happens on the day — whether you are facing a traffic ticket, a disorderly persons charge, or a DWI.
Perth Amboy is one of the busiest municipal courts in Middlesex County. It holds in-person sessions on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings, with additional virtual sessions on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. Which one you are scheduled for is stated on your summons.
Information on Perth Amboy Municipal Court
Perth Amboy Municipal Court
361 New Brunswick Avenue, Perth Amboy, NJ 08861
Phone: (732) 442-6011
Court sessions
Tuesday 9:00 a.m. in person · 4:00 p.m. virtual
Wednesday 1:30 p.m. in person
Thursday 9:00 a.m. in person · 4:00 p.m. virtual
Office hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:45 p.m.
Chief Judge: Hon. David Stahl
Presiding Judges: Hon. Andrea Mazzula-Adames, Hon. Michelle Roman
Court Administrator: Madelin Leonardo
Municipal Prosecutors: Mark Cintron, Samuel A. Freiheiter
Online payments: njmcdirect.com — Perth Amboy court code 1216
Please visit the Perth Amboy Municipal Court Official Website to learn more information about the court proceedings.
Directions to Perth Amboy Municipal Court
How to Plead Not Guilty in Perth Amboy
If you received a ticket and wish to plead not guilty, you must contact the court office at least seven days before the court date listed on your ticket. Do not wait until the day of court.
If you intend to retain a lawyer, contact the court within that window and say so. A first request for an adjournment to retain counsel is routinely granted, but the request is easier to make in advance than on the morning of your appearance.
Paying Without Appearing — And Why it May Be a Mistake
Some traffic matters can be paid at njmcdirect.com using a credit card. Perth Amboy’s court code is 1216. Payments can also be made at the Violations Window Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., by cash, check, money order, Visa, MasterCard, Discover or American Express, or by mail with a check or money order payable to Perth Amboy Municipal Court. Do not send cash.
Before you pay, understand what paying means: it is a guilty plea. The fine may be the smallest part of the consequence. Points, insurance surcharges, and a licence suspension can follow a payment made simply to make the ticket go away, and they cannot be undone afterwards.
What Happens at Your First Appearance
Most people have never been inside a municipal courtroom. Knowing the sequence makes the day considerably less stressful.
1. Arrive early and allow time for security. Give yourself time to park, clear the security screening, and find the courtroom. Arriving late can mean your case is passed to the end of the session — or, if the session ends, treated as a failure to appear.
2. Check in. Let the court staff know you are present. If you have retained a lawyer, your lawyer checks in on your behalf.
3. The judge addresses the courtroom. Before any individual case is called, the judge explains everyone’s rights: the right to counsel, the right to a trial, the right to remain silent, and the right to apply for a public defender. This is a general statement to the room, not a conversation with you.
4. Waiting. Cases are generally called by category rather than by arrival order, and defendants represented by counsel are often reached earlier. Most of a court date is spent waiting.
5. Your case is called. You will be asked how you wish to proceed. There are three realistic answers: plead guilty, plead not guilty, or request an adjournment so you can retain a lawyer. You do not have to resolve anything on your first appearance.
6. If you plead not guilty. The case is adjourned for a conference or trial. Between those dates, your lawyer requests discovery — police reports, body-worn camera footage, breath-testing calibration records in a DWI case — and begins discussing the matter with the municipal prosecutor.
If your session is virtual
Tuesday and Thursday afternoon sessions are held remotely. Join from somewhere quiet with a stable connection, test your camera and microphone beforehand, and be ready well before the start time. A virtual appearance is a court appearance: dress and conduct yourself as you would in the courtroom.
Charges Handled by the Perth Amboy Municipal Court
Even a minor criminal offense could expose the defendant to a number of severe penalties if they are convicted or plead guilty to the charges. These penalties may include jail time, monetary fines, driver’s license suspension, community service requirements, court costs and fees, and restitution to the victim in some cases. If you or your loved one has been charged with a disorderly persons offense, otherwise known as a misdemeanor, then you should understand that serious repercussions are on the horizon. These can include up to 6 months incarceration, probation, loss of driving privileges, and a charge on your criminal record.
Disorderly persons offenses
A disorderly persons offense is not an indictable crime, but it is a criminal charge carrying up to 6 months in county jail and a fine of up to $1,000, and it stays on your record.
– Simple assault — N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1(a)
– Shoplifting, where the value taken is under $200 — N.J.S.A. 2C:20-11
– Criminal mischief, where the damage is under $500 — N.J.S.A. 2C:17-3
– Defiant trespass — N.J.S.A. 2C:18-3(b)
– Possession of drug paraphernalia — N.J.S.A. 2C:36-2
– Obstructing the administration of law — N.J.S.A. 2C:29-1
Petty disorderly persons offenses
A petty disorderly persons offense (sometimes called a petty misdemeanor) does carry a lower maximum of 30 days and a $500 fine.
– Disorderly conduct — N.J.S.A. 2C:33-2
– Harassment — N.J.S.A. 2C:33-4
Traffic and DWI matters
These are heard in the same courtroom but carry a separate penalty structure. A DWI in New Jersey is not a criminal offense in the way a disorderly persons charge is, which means there is no right to a jury trial and no eligibility for expungement.
– Driving while intoxicated — N.J.S.A. 39:4-50
– Refusal to submit to a breath test — N.J.S.A. 39:4-50.4a
– Driving while suspended — N.J.S.A. 39:3-40
– Reckless driving — N.J.S.A. 39:4-96
– Careless driving — N.J.S.A. 39:4-97
– Leaving the scene of an accident — N.J.S.A. 39:4-129
– Driving without insurance — N.J.S.A. 39:6B-2
The penalties for a standard traffic offense such as speeding, and careless driving, tend to be limited to things like points on your driving record, fines, and suspension of your driver’s license. Other traffic offenses like DWI, driving with a suspended license, and leaving the scene of an accident, carry penalties that are similar to criminal charges. Depending on the circumstances, you could be facing many more problems than you would otherwise anticipate when facing a motor vehicle violation. Even accumulating too many points on your license could lead to a license suspension and higher car insurance payments, all of which can affect your daily life in the years to come.
Perth Amboy Municipal Court Can Not Hear Every Case
Municipal courts in New Jersey have limited jurisdiction. They hear disorderly persons offenses, petty disorderly persons offenses, motor vehicle matters, and local ordinance violations. They do not resolve indictable offenses — the more serious charges most people would call felonies.
If you are charged with an indictable offense in Perth Amboy — such as robbery, eluding, aggravated assault, a weapons offense, or drug distribution — your case may begin with a first appearance here, but it will be transferred to the Middlesex County Superior Court, Criminal Division, in New Brunswick, where it is presented to a grand jury. Our Middlesex county criminal lawyers routinely appear in the Middlesex County Superior Court on a weekly basis to defend clients for a wide array of charges such as the ones mentioned above.
That transfer changes almost everything: the exposure, the procedure, the availability of diversionary programs such as Pre-Trial Intervention, and the timeline. If you are unsure which category your charge falls into, the degree is usually stated on your complaint.
Seeking to Expunge a Disorderly Persons Offense in Perth Amboy NJ
If you are ultimately convicted or plead guilty, in your municipal court case, you will be left with a criminal record. However, it might still be possible to get the conviction removed from your record through what is known as an expungement. The expungement process exists so that a single mistake doesn’t haunt someone for the rest of their life. When your conviction is expunged, it can no longer be accessed by anyone, aside from select judicial and law enforcement bodies and agencies. The effect of an expungement is the same as erasing the conviction from your record. Once the expungement has been approved and finalized, you will be able to answer “No” when asked if you have ever been convicted of a crime in New Jersey.
There are certain requirements for expunging a criminal charge and/or conviction from your record. For starters, there is a waiting period: most disorderly persons convictions must remain on an offender’s record for five years from the date of conviction or completion of any sentence before the offender can apply for an expungement. If there are compelling circumstances, then the waiting period for an expungement shrinks to three years. For municipal ordinance violations, the waiting period is just two years. For dismissals, acquittals, and discharges, there is no waiting period. If you were not convicted, then you are immediately eligible to apply for an expungement. After completing a program like conditional dismissal, you become eligible for an expungement in 6 months. This is important because without an expungement, the arrest and charge will continue to appear on your permanent record. If you would like to know more about applying for an expungement and how our attorneys can assist with the entirety of the process, please feel free to contact us anytime.
Perth Amboy Municipal Court Frequently Asked Questions
When does Perth Amboy Municipal Court hold sessions?
In-person sessions are held Tuesday and Thursday at 9:00 a.m. and Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. Virtual sessions are held Tuesday and Thursday at 4:00 p.m. Your date and time are on your summons — always go by the summons.
How do I plead not guilty?
Contact the court office at (732) 442-6011 at least seven days before your court date. Waiting until the day of court is not the same thing and can cost you options.
What if I miss my court date?
The court can issue a bench warrant and suspend your driving privileges. Failing to appear can also result in a separate contempt charge under N.J.S.A. 2C:29-9. If you have already missed a date, contact the court promptly — this is usually fixable, and it gets harder the longer it is left.
Can I pay my Perth Amboy ticket online?
Yes, for some violations, at njmcdirect.com. Perth Amboy’s court code is 1216. Remember that paying is pleading guilty.
Can I appear virtually?
Tuesday and Thursday afternoon sessions are virtual. Whether your matter is scheduled in person or remotely is set by the court and shown on your summons; contact the court if you need to ask about changing it.
What should I wear?
Business casual, including for a virtual appearance. No shorts, no hats, no tank tops.
Will a Perth Amboy conviction show up on a background check?
A disorderly persons conviction is a criminal conviction and appears on a standard background check. Traffic matters appear on your driving record instead. Some disorderly persons convictions become eligible for expungement after a waiting period; DWI convictions are not expungeable in New Jersey.
Do you have Spanish-speaking staff?
Yes. We handle cases in Spanish, and a significant share of our clients are Spanish-speaking.
Perth Amboy Municipal Court Lawyer
The attorneys at William Proetta Criminal Law, Esq., are an experienced criminal lawyers who have successfully handled thousands of cases. Our office exclusively handles criminal, DWI, and serious traffic violations such as Driving While Suspended. As such, we are always at the forefront of our field of law. Contact our Edison Office at (732) 659-9600 for a free initial consultation and speak with a Perth Amboy defense attorney free of charge.