Benefits far outweigh loss of control
“How can you tell your taxpayers that you want to have an inferior product just because it’s yours?” Atlantic County Counsel Jim Ferguson asked rhetorically, speaking about the state paradigm of home rule.
“I think we can do better, and when you have an opportunity where you can do better using state money and save money for the taxpayers at the same time, this plan accomplishes both of those ends,” retired state Superior Court Judge Mark Sandson said, referring to the proposal for all 23 municipalities in Atlantic County to join a centralized court system.
The men have been touring Atlantic County touting the plan to the governing bodies.
They open their presentation with the cost savings, which is expected to be between 30 percent and 40 percent, depending on the municipality and how many ultimately join.
That’s because the Garden State, where taxes seem to grow better than the produce, has the most heavily taxed population in the nation.
But the proposal would form a partnership among the county government, municipal governments and the Superior Court system, leading to many more benefits, for the people involved in the cases to the municipalities and, ultimately, the community at large.
That’s because the plan would increase access to the courts for the offenders and victims, create a uniformity of justice and, most importantly, provide substance abuse, domestic violence and mental health services in a central location.
The plan includes offering about 80 court session per month, with evening and weekend hours to help accommodate the load but also to make life easier for the average person who has a hard time missing work to deal with criminal justice issues.
Another facet of the proposal is that most cases would be handled virtually, eliminating the travel time and freeing up police officers to patrol their beats. Ferguson said the Administrative Office of the Courts estimated 80 percent to 85 percent of cases during the COVID-19 pandemic were handled virtually and that would be expected to continue.
In addition, the court would provide kiosks in every municipality where people could appear virtually if they do not have the ability to do so at home.
The plan also would allow municipalities to keep the revenue generated from violations within their borders, adding to the financial gains.
Sandson, who practiced law for 30 years before becoming a judge, contends the anticipated monetary gains pale in comparison to the advantages from the justice standpoint.
“On the outside of the Supreme Court of the United States, over the façade when you walk in, it says ‘Equal justice under the law.’ We believe that a single, uniform municipal court in Atlantic County will provide for uniformity of justice,” Sandson said.
He said he has stood before every municipal court in the county and that sentencing can vary greatly.
“Uniformity of justice is important. Sometimes you get a better deal in one court than another,” he said.
But access to social services, according to Executive Dennis Levinson, is the greatest benefit of all.
“While we have them in a situation where they are looking to be sentenced or fined or whatever it may be, we can treat them because there is a large percentage of these individuals that are repeat offenders,” he said. “We believe once we get them in court, we can steer them toward social services that can help them.”
And that, aside from the health and safety benefits of the social services, takes us back to the beginning and the cost savings.
A court system that offers treatment and assistance rather than straight-up punishment is a system that gets people help rather than more trouble.
That could result in a healthier, safer community in which the cause of the misbehavior is identified and treated, ideally eliminating its reoccurrence and the harm it does to lives, livelihoods and property, as well as the costs associated with penalizing it.
Cape May County and its 16 municipalities would be wise to take a hard look at this proposal and consider whether it would be beneficial.