Tired of your criminal record following you every day of your life? You’ve learned your lesson and have been on the straight and narrow for quite some time, but you can’t shake your past and it comes back to haunt you just about every time you fill out a form, try to get a job or move into a new place – because they always want to know if you have a criminal record and there’s no way around the question. The good news is that it is possible to have your New Jersey criminal record expunged. How to expunge your criminal record is a little bit more complicated – but possible!In order to expunge your New Jersey criminal record, there are a few criteria you must meet, which include completion of your probation, the appropriate waiting period and ‘keeping clean’ with no new offenses.The waiting periods involved with expunging your criminal record are different for different convictions and the countdown does not always correspond to the date of conviction, but rather sometimes the completion of your probation or when the last fines were paid or your release from incarceration. It’s best to speak with a criminal law attorney to determine which waiting periods fit your circumstances, and for that matter, for full representation in the matter. A criminal law attorney can expedite the process and ensure all of the T’s are crossed and the I’s dotted.
- Indictable Convictions (matters of Superior Court): 10 years (sometimes 5 years)
- Disorderly Persons Convictions: 5 years
- Municipal Ordinance Convictions: 2 years
- Pre-Trial Intervention/Conditional Discharge: 6 months from dismissal/completion
- Dismissals: No waiting period
The expungement process usually takes a few months to complete, although the Court must hear your case within one to two months from when it is filed. This largely depends on the Court’s caseload. However, you can expect to have the process completed within a six month period and oftentimes sooner, especially with the assistance of a criminal law attorney. Once you’ve expunged your criminal record, you can truthfully state that you ‘have not’ been arrested or convicted of a crime – and when you write that down on the next form, it’s going to feel great. Contact a Essex County Expungement Lawyer to get started.
