New Jersey Legal Overview: Bergen-Passaic The Bergen-Passaic metropolitan area in New Jersey is defined by the Census Bureau as covering Bergen and Passaic counties. Both counties are also a part of the larger New York metropolitan area and the New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island combined statistical area, which is the biggest CSA in the country. The superior courts serving one or more counties in New Jersey are the main trial courts with general jurisdiction. All the major cities have municipal courts with limited jurisdiction. The main cities in the Bergen-Passaic metro area are listed below.
Top New Jersey cities for Legal Issues: Passaic
1. The Bergen Vicinage, located in the county seat of Hackensack, is the main trial court with general jurisdiction over all cases filed in the county. The criminal division handles the felony prosecutions, while the main civil division handles cases involving more than $15,000. The Special Civil Part has jurisdiction over cases in-between $3,000 and $15,000. The Small Claims division gets cases below $3,000. There is a separate chancery-general equity division for civil complaints that do not involve financial compensation.
Trending Legal Topics: The Passaic Vicinage is located in the county seat of Paterson, with a structure similar to the Bergen Vicinage. Both superior courts have an appellate division that acts as an intermediate appellate court. The New Jersey Supreme Court, as the highest court in the state, can further review the intermediate appellate court’s ruling. A federal case in both counties must be filed with the Newark Division of the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. Federal appeals may be filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
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