Mercer County, New Jersey Court Records

Documentation maintained in different formats or forms relating to a judicial proceeding or case constitutes the Mercer County court records. Under Rule 1:38-2 of the New Jersey Court Rules, some of the information contained in these records includes:

Motions
Briefs
Opinions
Evidentiary exhibits
Calendars
Indices
Dockets
Transcripts
Judgments

Mercer County court records are maintained by the clerk of the court office where the case was heard. The clerk is also responsible for disseminating these records when permitted by law.

Court records fall within the broad scope of public records and may include information relating to civil and criminal proceedings. They are separate from other public records, such as arrest records, which are maintained by other government agencies in Mercer County.

Are Mercer County Court Records Public?

Yes. Mercer County court records within the custody of the judiciary are considered open under Rule 1:38-1 of the New Jersey Court Rules, except as otherwise provided. According to Rules 1:38-3 and 1:38-7 of the New Jersey Court Rules, court records that are inaccessible to the public include

Records sealed by another statute or rule
Medical, psychological, psychiatric, and similar records
Draft opinions
Records relating to grand jury proceedings
Records relating to child victims according to N.J.S.A. 2A:82-46

What Information is Available in Mercer County Court Records?

A Mercer County court record is a collection of case details, such as the case number, filing date, case status, the parties involved (plaintiff, defendant, attorneys, and judge), motions, dispositions, and final judgment.

A comprehensive court record also features more details, depending on the type of case. For instance, a criminal court record may include arrest warrants, criminal summonses, and written plea agreements. A civil court record, on the other hand, may contain pleadings, motions, settlement agreements, and briefs.

Mercer County Court Records Search

Public Mercer County court records are available online; inquirers can stop by the clerk's office or send a mail inquiry to the clerk.

Individuals seeking a local case can visit the New Jersey case search portal. Accessing civil and criminal cases through this portal follows different procedures.

Civil records: Inquirers have to register with the New Jersey Courts if they do not already have an account.
Criminal records: Inquirers do not need to have or register an account. Instead, they need to pass a CAPTCHA test to proceed with a search.

This online channel for retrieving records is readily available to users and can be accessed at any time, provided the user has an internet connection. However, sealed or confidential records are not available to the public.

Through the online search tool, users can access not just criminal and civil cases but also municipal, supreme, and tax court cases, among others.

Inquirers also have another option to retrieve Mercer County court records instead of using the online database,

Step 1: Download the request form provided by the judiciary, complete it, and save it.
Step 2: Include the correct processing location.
Step 3: Submit the completed form online or via mail.

Copies are transmitted via email to the requester. Fees incurred for the request can be paid using a credit card. This channel allows members of the public to access open cases and authorized persons to access closed cases.

Fees for Court Records in Mercer County

N.J.S.A. 22A:2-19 and 22A:2-20 state the basis upon which a requester may be charged a fee for a plain or certified copy of a court record. These costs include

Plain copies

5 cents for letter-size pages and 7 cents for legal-size pages

Certified copies and certificates

$15 for a certified copy
$25 for a certified copy of the final judgment of divorce
$10 for a certificate of statewide judgment lien
$10 for a certificate of divorce

Exemplification

$50 for an exemplified copy and plain copies
$60 for a triple-exemplified copy

Inquirers can pay any incurred fee by check or money order, made payable to the Treasurer, State of New Jersey. Cash payments are only accepted for in-person orders.

Mercer County Courthouse Locations

The Superior Court in Mercer is the court of highest jurisdiction at the local level. It has a Civil and a Criminal Division, each handling specific cases, such as medical malpractice cases, landlord-tenant disputes, civil cases where the amount in damages exceeds $20,000, and criminal cases, mostly involving adult offenders and, in rare cases, juveniles. The Superior Court also has a Family Division, where all domestic-related matters are heard.

Mercer is not only home to the Superior Court; it also hosts several Surrogate's Courts: one main office and several satellite locations, which handle matters involving wills, estate administration, and other probate-related matters. It also hosts several Municipal Courts, which handle lower-level cases.

Superior Courts

Mercer County Superior Court

Mercer County Civil Courthouse

175 South Broad Street

Trenton, NJ 08650

Phone: (609) 571-4200

Mercer County Superior Court

Mercer County Criminal Courthouse

400 South Warren Street

Trenton, NJ 08608

Phone: (609) 571-4200

Surrogate's Courts