New Jersey Court Holds Sunday Sessions

The Newark Municipal Court is the first in New Jersey to hold Sunday sessions in an effort to get through a backlog of cases.

The initiative was launched by Mayor Sharpe James and Judge Shaka Taylor. It was approved by the State Supreme Court, with the cooperation of the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the municipal prosecutor and public defender, and the Newark Police Department.

“Crime and legal issues do not take days off, and we believe our municipal court should not do the same, either,” said Newark Mayor Sharpe James. “Consequently, to meet the Constitutional mandate for fair and speedy trials, and to provide our residents with the best in customer service, we have expanded our municipal court sessions to Sundays.”

The court handled 57 cases during its first Sunday session, held August 1. The court faced 63 prisoners on the second Sunday session, August 8.