NOTICE TO THE BAR

Last Thursday, April 16th, 2020, I participated in a Zoom Bench-Bar Meeting with your President, Joseph Maurice, Executive Director, Frank O’Marra, and the Chairs of your Civil, Family, Chancery, Criminal and Municipal Practice Committees.

My goal was to provide information about the new way we are doing the court’s business during the COVID-19 pandemic. During the meeting, I listened intently to the concerns of the Bergen Bar and am hopeful that I allayed some fears.   I wanted to reinforce that most court proceedings continue to be conducted remotely using video and/or phone options.

Just this morning, our Chief Justice issued a new Omnibus Order restating the judiciary’s commitment “to supporting court operations in a virtual format to the greatest extent possible, subject to constitutional considerations and the limitations of our finite resources.”  The Order speaks for itself, but provides that no civil or criminal jury trials will be conducted until further notice, that grand juries are suspended through May 31, 2020, as are Landlord/Tenant calendars and lockouts. Read More

NOTICE TO THE BAR

COVID-19 – SECOND OMNIBUS ORDER ON COURT OPERATIONS AND LEGAL PRACTICE – MORE OPERATIONS TO BE CONDUCTED REMOTELY; LIMITED DISCOVERY EXTENSIONS AND TOLLING PERIODS

The New Jersey Courts are committed to continuing court operations during and after the COVID-19 public health emergency. To that end, the Supreme Court announced the next phase of remote court operations and legal practice.

Please follow the link below and read the Second Omnibus Order from the Supreme Court of New Jersey relating to the status of continuing court operations and legal practice during the COVID-19 public health emergency.

Notice and Order – COVID-19 – Second Omnibus Order on Court Operations and Legal Practice – As Signed – 04-24-20.pdf

The Bergen County Criminal Part Judges are handling Criminal Matters by utilizing technology to enable the parties to appear remotely. Please the schedule below for the month of May for the assigned Criminal Part judges to handle emergent matters. Of course, this schedule is subject to change if the Courthouse opens to the public sooner

May 1 and 4: Judge Kazlau/Judge Wilcox

May 5 and 6: Judge Foti/Judge Bachmann

May 7 and 8: Judge Vinci/Judge Sattely

May 11 and 12: Judge Catuogno/Judge McGrogan

May 13 and 14: Judge Kazlau/ Judge Wilcox

May 15 and 18: Judge Foti/Judge Bachmann

May 19 and 20: Judge Vinci/Judge Sattely

May 21 and 22: Judge Catuogno/Judge McGrogan

May 25: MEMORIAL DAY (HOLIDAY)

May 26 and 27: Judge Kazlau/Judge Wilcox

May 28 and 29: Judge Foti/Judge Bachmann

JUDICIARY ELECTRONIC DOCUMENT SUBMISSION (JEDS) SYSTEM
STATE TAX APPEALS – ATTORNEYS REQUIRED TO FILE
CASE INITIATING DOCUMENTS IN JEDS

In response to the COVID-19 health emergency, the Judiciary has implemented the Judiciary Electronic Document submission (JEDS) which allows attorneys to submit filings electronically that cannot be accepted through eCourts. The JEDS webpage is found at https://www.njcourts.gov/selfhelp/jeds.html .

Effective immediately, attorneys are required to upload case initiating documents in State Tax appeals via JEDS and pay the filing fee by credit card or ACH transaction. After uploading these documents through JEDS the Tax Court Management Office will notify you if you owe additional fees and will upload the documents to the eCourts electronic filing system (eCourts Tax). All subsequent documents in state tax cases are required to be uploaded through eCourts.

JEDS is not a replacement for eCourts. All attorneys must file local property tax appeal documents through eCourts.

Questions regarding the new JEDS system may be directed to [email protected].

Dated: April 17, 2020

/s/ Cheryl A. Ryan

Tax Court Clerk/Administrator

NOTICE TO THE BAR JEDS.pdf

NOTICE TO THE BAR

This notice announces additional statewide steps by the New Jersey Division of Workers’ Compensation to address the ongoing public health crisis surrounding the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak in New Jersey.

In accordance with Governor Murphy’s Executive Orders to slow the spread of the virus, all N.J. workers’ compensation courts shall continue to be closed to the public and to nonessential court personnel until May 11, 2020.

All Administrative Supervisory Judges and Supervising Judges shall continue to be designated by the N.J. Department of Labor and Workforce Development and the N.J. Division of Workers’ Compensation as essential personnel and shall hear as many Workers’ Compensation matters as possible in their home vicinage by telephonic conferencing, and if possible by video conferencing, including all emergent matters and the following non-emergent matters, pre-trial conferences, general motions for medical and temporary benefits, and settlements by affidavit.

There will be no in-person Workers’ Compensation Court proceedings (except for extremely limited emergent matters and certain ongoing motions for medical and temporary benefits and trials, in which case social distancing will be enforced).

Court offices will remain closed for in-person submissions. Filings will continue to be accepted electronically through COURTS On-line.

Please contact each individual workers’ compensation court if you have questions about a scheduled hearing, motion, conference, or other matter by email, fax, or telephone.

Hon. Russell Wojtenko, Jr.
Director and Chief Judge of Compensation
N.J. Department of Labor & Workforce Development
Division of Workers’ Compensation

WC Courts Closed until 5-11.pdf

The March 31, 2020 Notice to the Bar advised that Matrimonial Early Settlement Panel (MESP) events would resume using video or telephone technology, rather than in-person sessions, beginning the week of April 27, 2020. That notice included a number of steps to be taken to ensure the scheduling and conducting of these remote MESP sessions. Those steps have since been revised. Accordingly, the following steps replace the steps set forth in the March 31 notice: Read More

Please follow the link to learn more about the Executive Order issued by the President of the United States, Donald J. Trump in regards to the further suspension of entry of immigrants into the United States during the COVID-19 public health emergency.

Proclamation Suspending Entry of Immigrants Who Present Risk to the U.S. Labor Market During the Economic Recovery Following the COVID-19 Outbreak _ The White House.pdf

Follow the link below and read more about the status for the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) of the The United State Department of Justice during the public health pandemic. This information also include the status of court operation status and alternate filing information for immigrant court across the United States of America.

https://www.justice.gov/eoir/eoir-operational-status-during-coronavirus-pandemic 

Please follow the link below and read the attached notice below from the Supreme Court of New Jersey in regards to guidelines on remote proceedings in the Trial Courts, obtaining audio and video records, and the extent of the court’s authority to suspend the commencement of certain custodial terms.

4-20-2020 New Jersey Supreme Court Notice.pdf