Good news for anyone who wants to clear their criminal record! New Jersey’s new expungement law – that goes into effect TODAY, October 1, 2018 – helps more people, get more cases off of their criminal record. And sooner.
Do you want to change jobs or apply for a promotion but are nervous that a criminal background check will hurt your chances? Did a new company recently buy your company and are requiring updated criminal history checks? Are you finishing your degree and will soon be applying for a professional license?
We recommend clearing as much of your criminal record as possible, ASAP.
You never know when a great opportunity will present itself. You don’t want an old drug charge or shoplifting case to show up. You don’t want your new boss to know that you were arrested for marijuana and that the case was dismissed. You want to say, “I have never been arrested,” and you want a record check to show up blank, with the words, “No Record Found.”
Many people who have been told they are ineligible for an expungement, may now be eligible under the new law.
Beginning October 1, 2018, a person may expunge:
1. Up to 4 disorderly persons offenses (it used to be 3)
2. A criminal conviction even with an additional 3 disorderly persons offenses on your record (it used to be 2)
3. A criminal conviction even with a prior Pre-Trial Intervention completion (PTI used to be a bar).
4. Multiple crimes or a combination of crimes and offenses if the charges were interdependent or closely related and are part of a sequence of events that took place within a short time (it used to be only 1 crime).
Beginning October 1, 2018, the waiting period for the expungement of a crime is REDUCED to 6 years from the date the sentence is completed. It used to be 10 years of waiting. Now, it’s only 6 and if an expungement is in the public interest, you may apply after 5 years.
Please call us today if you would like a free consultation so we can determine how the new expungement law will help you.
