New Jersey's municipal courts collected more than $400 million in fines and fees in 2017. And the municipalities — who hire the police, prosecutors and judges — got to keep more than half.

Now, in an effort to stop municipalities from using you as an ATM, one state lawmaker is proposing legislation to start the conversation about the "critical" reform effort.

The legislation released Monday by Sen. Declan O'Scanlon, R-Monmouth, comes on the heels of a state Supreme Court report that calls for reducing municipalities' reliance on fines and fees from local courts and eliminating political influences that can affect a judge's ability to be impartial.

In one bill, O'Scanlon would increase the term of municipal court judges from three to five years. The other would allow defendants to earn credits toward fines if they complete court-imposed drug or alcohol treatment programs. Those responsible for multiple offenses who are admitted into a program would only have to pay the highest fine, rather than all of them.

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"This is only the beginning," O'Scanlon told the Asbury Park Press. "These are the easiest and least complicating things. This isn't going to solve the problem."

An Asbury Park Press and USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey investigation into local court abuses was cited in the Supreme Court's scathing report in July on municipal fines and fees. The investigation, which has been ongoing since 2016, examined local courts' moneymaking practices and the political influences that can affect judicial independence.

O'Scanlon's proposed resolution, which would allow municipal judges to be evaluated by attorneys, also cited the Press as part of the impetus for reform.

The resolution would require certified municipal court trial lawyers to take part in anonymous surveys and questionnaires that would evaluate the effectiveness of municipal court judges. The participation of other municipal court attorneys would be optional.

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O'Scanlon said such evaluations were recommended in the Supreme Court's report and that they could be "very valuable" to the judiciary.

Increasing the term of municipal judges would allow judges to be "free and clear" of any political influence for a longer period of time, O'Scanlon said. Local judges are appointed by the governing bodies of municipalities every three years.

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A two-year study conducted by the New Jersey State Bar Association found that the appointment process can make judges feel beholden to the politicians who appoint them, which threatens the independence of judicial decision-making.

O'Scanlon said he plans to release more legislation within the next few months to move the reform process forward.

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"We want to remove the incentive for municipalities to essentially profit from law enforcement," O'Scanlon said. "That's the heart of the matter. We want to take away the incentive that perverts the system away from justice and toward revenue generation.

"It puts our judges and our police in an awful position," he said.

For the latest on municipal court reform efforts, keep checking app.com for coverage.

Kala Kachmar: @NewsQuip; 732-643-4061; kkachmar@gannettnj.com