A Former Judge. A Father-Son Trial Firm. Fifty Years of New Jersey Practice.

Avery & Avery, Esqs. handles Criminal Defense cases for Wayne residents and arrestees across the Passaic County jurisdiction. The firm has appeared in Wayne-area Criminal Defense matters as part of its ongoing six-county trial practice.

For a free first consultation on a Wayne Criminal Defense matter, call (201) 943-2445.

Inside Wayne Municipal Court — Criminal Defense Path

Disorderly persons and petty disorderly persons offenses charged in Wayne stay in Wayne Twp Municipal Court. Indictable charges (third degree and above) route to Passaic County Superior Court — Criminal Division at Passaic County Court House, 77 Hamilton Street, Paterson, NJ 07505. Pretrial Intervention (PTI) applications go through the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office. Conditional Discharge for first-offense drug possession remains available in municipal court.

Wayne Twp Municipal Court

Address: 475 Valley Road
Phone: (973) 694-1800
Court days: TUESDAYS WEDNESDAYS THURSDAYS FRIDAYS
Office hours: 8:30AM 4:30PM TUES 7PM

Passaic County Superior Court (Paterson)

Address: Passaic County Court House, 77 Hamilton Street, Paterson, NJ 07505
Phone: (973) 247-8000
Vicinage: Passaic Vicinage (Vicinage 11)

The Legal Framework

Criminal Defense matters in Wayne are controlled by:

N.J.S.A. 2C:1-1 et seq. — primary criminal defense statute
N.J.S.A. 2C:43-12 — companion / procedural authority
State v. Hagans, 233 N.J. 30 (2018) — leading NJ case-law

DP and PDP Wayne matters stay in the local Municipal Court; indictable matters (third-degree and above) escalate to Passaic County Superior Court. Pretrial Intervention (PTI) under N.J.S.A. 2C:43-12 runs through the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office.

About Wayne, NJ

Wayne sits in Passaic County, NJ. Key facts:

Density: 2,310 per sq mi
2020 Census population: 54,819
Land area: 23.7 sq mi
ZIP codes: 07470, 07474
Mayor: Christopher P. Vergano
Incorporated: April 12, 1847
Named for: Anthony Wayne
Elevation: 400 ft

Wayne Local Context

Current mayor: Christopher P. Vergano.
Wayne Twp Municipal Court sits at 475 Valley Road, phone (973) 694-1800; court days TUESDAYS WEDNESDAYS THURSDAYS FRIDAYS.
Passaic County Sheriff’s Office is led by Chief (name not published) at 435 HAMBURG TURNPIKE Wayne NJ 07470.

The Avery Advantage for Wayne Criminal Defense

Bench to defense bar. Robert W. Avery spent fifteen years as a Municipal Court Judge (1986-2000) before returning to full-time trial practice. That vantage point — knowing how judges think, what makes a case credible, and where prosecutors have flexibility — shapes every Wayne Criminal Defense engagement.

John S. Avery, second-generation. John joined the firm in 2012. Across both attorneys, Wayne clients have same-day callback access and direct attorney contact — no paralegals, no hand-offs.

Statewide reach. Bergen, Hudson, Essex, Passaic, Morris, and Sussex — the firm covers all six counties from its Ridgefield base.

Sister Passaic Cities We Cover

We routinely appear in Wayne’s neighboring Passaic County municipalities. See:

And the Passaic County Criminal Defense landing covers the full county.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where do Wayne Criminal Defense cases go?

Wayne Twp Municipal Court for first-tier matters; Passaic County Superior Court (Paterson) for indictable / over-threshold matters.

How fast can you respond to a Wayne arrest / hearing?

Same-day callback during business hours; same-evening for arrests on weeknights. Call (201) 943-2445.

Do you handle other Passaic County practice areas?

Yes — see our Passaic County Lawyer page for the full practice list, and the practice tops at /practice-areas/criminal-defense/.

No-Cost Initial Consultation — Wayne Criminal Defense

Call (201) 943-2445 or submit through the form.