THE NEW JERSEY COURT SYSTEM INCLUDES A SUPREME COURT, A SUPERIOR OR APPELLATE COURT WITH LAW AND CHANCERY DIVISIONS, COUNTY COURTS (COUNTY DISTRICT COURTS AND JUVENILE AND DOMESTIC RELATIONS COURTS), MUNICIPAL COURTS, AND SURROGATES. STATISTICAL DATA ON TRAFFIC AND CRIMINAL CASES HANDLED AS OF AUGUST 31, 1978 SHOW THAT THERE WERE 528 MUNICIPAL COURTS, INCLUDING 17 JOINT MUNICIPAL COURTS SERVING 49 MUNICIPALITIES. DURING THE PERIOD OF ANALYSIS, 4,102,428 COMPLAINTS WERE FILED, AN INCREASE OF 7.1 PERCENT OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR. COMPLAINTS INCLUDED 2,602,915 PARKING MATTERS, 1,150,347 NONPARKING MATTERS, AND 349,166 NONTRAFFIC CRIMINAL MATTERS. THE 349,166 NONTRAFFIC COMPLAINTS REPRESENTED AN INCREASE OF 5 PERCENT OVER THE PRIOR YEAR. OF A TOTAL OF 3,298,143 DISPOSITIONS, EXCLUDING CASES REFERRED TO COUNTY PROSECUTORS AND OTHER COURTS AND TRAFFIC CASES CLOSED FOR FAILURE TO APPEAR, VIOLATION BUREAUS DISPOSED OF 94.3 PERCENT OF ALL PARKING COMPLAINTS, 66.8 PERCENT OF NONPARKING TRAFFIC COMPLAINTS, AND 9.7 PERCENT OF NONTRAFFIC COMPLAINTS. THERE WERE 65,103 COMPLAINTS REFERRED BY MUNICIPAL COURTS TO COUNTY PROSECUTORS FOR ACTION BY GRAND JURIES. AN ADDITIONAL 4,316 COMPLAINTS WERE REFERRED TO JUVENILE AND DOMESTIC RELATIONS COURTS OR OTHER MUNICIPAL COURTS. THE NUMBER OF DEFENDANTS SENTENCED TO JAIL DECREASED FROM 12,043 IN 1976-1977 TO 10,610 IN 1977-1978. THE NUMBER OF PERSONS PLACED ON PROBATION DECREASED FROM 8,438 TO 7,905. OF 344,399 NONPARKING TRAFFIC CASES HEARD IN COURT, 17.8 PERCENT RESULTED IN DISMISSALS OR FINDINGS OF NOT GUILTY. THERE WERE 42,773 NONPARKING TRAFFIC, 40,912 PARKING, AND 3,755 NONTRAFFIC COMPLAINTS FILED IN FIVE COUNTY DISTRICT COURTS. MUNICIPAL COURTS AND COUNTY DISTRICT COURTS EXERCISING CONCURRENT JURISDICTION IMPOSED FINES, COSTS, AND BAIL FORFEITURES TOTALING $53,360,627. EXPENDITURES BY MUNICIPAL COURTS DURING 1977-1978 TOTALED $3,580,466 FOR JUDGE SALARIES, $10,835,835 FOR OTHER SALARIES, AND $2,250,808 FOR OTHER EXPENSES. (DEP)