New Salem County Courthouse Opens to Public

The Judiciary today celebrated the opening of the new Salem County Courthouse, a 50,000-square-foot facility that provides greater safety for visitors, accessibility for people with disabilities, and privacy for victims and witnesses.

The new courthouse, which officially opened on Jan. 2, adds critical facilities to a building constructed in 1968, before the existence of court programs that confront societal problems such as domestic violence and drug and alcohol addiction.

“The old courthouse was not designed to serve the needs of today’s court users,” Cumberland/Gloucester/Salem Assignment Judge Benjamin C. Telsey said. “For example, it was unconscionable what a person with disabilities had to go through to get access to their day in court. This new facility gives us the space to administer justice safely and effectively to all court users. The opening of this courthouse marks a proud day for Salem County.”

The new facility houses:

•    four new courtrooms equipped with modern technology.
•    victim/witness rooms to ensure the separation of victims and criminal defendants prior to court hearings.
•    proper ADA accessibility.
•    courtrooms accessible from holding cells to limit the movement of inmates through the courthouse and in courtrooms.
•    waiting rooms for child victims of abuse and neglect to prevent contact with the alleged abuser.
•    restroom facilities for the safe and sanitary drug testing of recovery court participants.
•    attorney-client meeting rooms.

Chief Justice Stuart Rabner and representatives from the New Jersey Judiciary joined officials from Salem County at the ribbon-cutting ceremony held outside the new courthouse in Salem.

“This remarkable project makes a powerful statement about the importance of a system of justice to this community.  The expanded space we celebrate today is not only a place where people will come to seek justice when they need to resolve disputes in their personal and professional lives, it is also a symbol of the enduring, vibrant quality of the justice system in our democracy,” Chief Justice Rabner said.  

Acting Administrative Director Glenn A. Grant thanked the county for its support of the new courthouse.

“Citizens who serve on jury panels, victims who turn to the courts to seek justice, and residents who expect to have their disputes resolved in a neutral and unbiased forum will all benefit greatly from this beautiful new courthouse,” Director Grant said.

The old facility is currently closed for renovations, which are expected to be completed in 2025. It will include three courtrooms when it reopens.