By Tom Chaves on July 12, 2012

Under current New Jersey law, a person cannot get a conditional discharge for any disorderly persons' offenses in Municipal Court. A conditional discharge generally allows someone to have the case dismissed if they stay out of trouble for a period of time which is usually six months or a year. As it is now, in Superior Court for first time offenders charged with less serious indictable offenses, a pre-trial intervention program exists which functions essentially like a conditional discharge.

Due to the inherent contradiction that you can get a more serious charge dismissed and cannot get a less serious charge dismissed, the New Jersey legislature passed the bill to give conditional discharges in Municipal Court and the bill just awaits Governor Christie's signature.