WHAT IS AN EXPUNGEMENT
Having a criminal record can have a negative impact on your life, ability to find work, or get a good school. Thankfully, New Jersey allows for the expungement of your record, if you meet certain qualifications. An expungement is a legal process for erasing your mistakes and having a Court clean your record as if the prior offenses never happened. The law allows the following records to be expunged: “complaints, warrants, arrests, commitments, processing records, fingerprints, photographs, index cards, ‘rap sheets’ and judicial docket records.”
THE EFFECTS OF AN EXPUNGEMENT
With a few exceptions, when an expungement is granted, “the arrest, conviction, the arrest, conviction and any proceedings related thereto shall be deemed not to have occurred, and the petitioner may answer any questions relating to their occurrence accordingly.” 2C:52-27. Expungement will allow for the return of certain rights that may have been taken away such as the right to vote and the right to purchase and own a firearm.
EXPUNGEING YOUR RECORD
The best way to expunge your records is to hire an experienced Expungement Lawyer to draft and a Verified Petition for Expungement and other required legal documents and ask a Superior Court Judge to Order the records be removed. In most cases this can be done without a court appearance. However, “Early Pathways” expungements and expungements of CDS offenses involving distribution/manufacturing/dispensing require a court appearance.
Steven W. Hernandez, Esq., is an experienced criminal defense lawyer and has successfully helped many clients clear their criminal record. Contact Steven W. Hernandez for a FREE CONSULTATION at 732-286-2700.
