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Jacob V. Hudnut
Municipal Prosecutor |
Have you ever wondered what the Municipal Prosecutor’s Office does? If there’s a fight down the hall between family members or you have a package stolen from your porch – the office’s attorneys will get involved in any criminal offenses that follow. The office also litigates the person who blew through a stop sign, a business that “forgot” to pass inspection before preparing your food, or your landlord who never repaired that broken window in the middle of winter. The bar across the street with a rowdy crowd night after night or the Cannabis shop that opened without a license are also dealt with by the office’s attorneys.
The Jersey City Municipal Prosecutor’s Office is one of the most unique local prosecutor’s offices in the state. In addition to its responsibilities in court, it also leads the Resident Response Center, a “one-stop” resident resource for problem-solving, and the Office of Code Compliance, a 45-member team of property inspectors responsible for enforcing our local ordinances.
Additionally, the Jersey City municipal prosecutor’s team, under the supervision of the county prosecutor, supports dozens of local and state agencies with various investigations and enforcement.
Together, the Jersey City Municipal Prosecutor’s areas of responsibility form the Jersey City Division of Quality of Life (“QOL”).
Visit the units and offices below to learn more about QOL’s work.
Offices, Units and Programs
When a case is ready to go to trial, the Municipal Prosecutor’s dedicated team of lawyers and agents handles the litigation. They are responsible for the prosecution of Jersey City’s misdemeanors (called “disorderly person offenses” under New Jersey law), motor vehicle and traffic infractions, and violations of state and local codes. Jersey City’s courthouse is among the busiest in the state, and the mission of the municipal prosecutor’s trial team is to handle each case with care and integrity.
Everyone knows to call 911 when there’s a burning building. But who do you call when there’s a burning question? The RRC!
The Resident Response Center (RRC) is the "one-stop shop" where residents can get questions answered or connect with the city’s many services. The RRC staff works hard address community’s concerns and assure residents are heard, informed, and engaged.
Click
here to report an issue.
When living in a city, problems like the rundown building next door, illegal dumping at the end of the block, or the broken sidewalk on your walk to the PATH can be a major headache. Luckily, we have local codes and ordinances that address these issues, and our Office of Code Compliance (OCC) is responsible for their enforcement. Our team of inspectors and staff ensure residential, commercial, and open-space properties are safe, clean, and operating lawfully.
Quality-of-Life Taskforce
Many of residents' most complex community concerns about quality-of-life touch on the work of multiple city enforcement agencies. The Mayor's Quality-of-Life Taskforce was formed in 2019 to target these problems. Each week, under the direction of the Municipal Prosecutor, representatives from each of the city’s enforcement agencies convene to jointly inspect the most problematic properties, absentee landlords, and negligent businesses that residents bring to our attention.
JCPD Quality-of-Life Unit
The most effective police officers see themselves as problem-solvers in the community. The JCPD QOL Unit is a problem-oriented policing unit operating under this principle. The unit partners police with residents to work on long-term public safety issues that affect residents in their day-to-day life, such as a blighted property, problematic neighbors, or bad business practices.
ABC Prosecutions
Most of the time when you meet with friends at a bar, you have a drink, some laughs, a conversation and go home. Occasionally someone will take the festivities too far. An argument erupts violent behavior can occur. If the bar allows this to happen, the Municipal Prosecutor steps in and prosecutes any administrative violations filed against that establishment. ABC violations hurt establishments and their neighbors, and the Municipal Prosecutor’s office successfully solves these problems through litigation before the ABC Board of Commissioners.