The New Jersey State Bar Association's Board of Trustees substantially adopted a report of the Subcommittee on Judicial Independence in the Municipal Courts as a starting point for potential ways to address issues in municipal courts. The trustees took the action at a meeting held on Sept. 8 at the New Jersey Law Center in New Brunswick.

The report is the result of two years of study, which included four public hearings, and offers ways to further a fair and independent municipal court system. The findings of the report will be shared with the New Jersey Judiciary and several association sections that may have additional experience or insights on the issues raised about the arm of the court system where millions of people form their first and only impression of the state's justice system.

The recommendations include establishing a uniform appointment and reappointment process for municipal court judges; setting formal tenure procedures; creating statewide standards for towns to use in the selection process; and establishing firm separation between court staff and local police.