The Office of the Municipal Prosecutor also prosecutes Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) violations before the ABC Board of Commissioners. The Jersey City Police Department’s ABC Unit is responsible for investigating and issuing violations prior to our involvement.
The mission of the ABC Unit is to increase compliance with alcoholic beverage control laws and eliminate the disorder and public nuisance associated with problematic alcoholic beverage establishments. ABC violations – such as serving alcohol to minors, serving drunk patrons, or violating the health and safety standards – have damaging effects on the quality of life for Jersey City residents. Accordingly, the Office of the Municipal Prosecutor takes ABC enforcement and prosecution very seriously and considers it an integral part of our commitment to increasing quality of life.
The ABC Unit is responsible for investigating criminal and administrative violations of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act. Then, our assistant prosecutors appear before the Jersey City Alcohol Beverage Control Board on a monthly basis to prosecute ABC violation in Jersey City. The ABC Board of Commissioners is comprised of three members appointed by the mayor for 3-year terms. Those commissioners act as independent fact finders and adjudicate ABC violations. The type of violation charged and penalty imposed depends upon the seriousness of the violation and the prior history of the violator. Penalties can range from monetary penalties for minor infractions to license suspension, or even revocation, for more serious infractions.