The impulsive decisions that teenagers make can have lasting consequences. Their choices regarding school, personal relationships and even employment can influence the course of their lives for years to come.
In some cases, the decisions that teenagers and young adults make have criminal consequences. The New Jersey juvenile justice system imposes different penalties than the criminal courts might hand down in similar cases. The priority, most of the time, is to help young adults learn from mistakes instead of simply punishing them.
With that said, a criminal record can be a lifetime punishment and a reminder of a youthful mistake. Is record expungement automatic after a certain amount of time?
Juvenile offenders must petition for expungement
The record of a teenager’s arrest and prosecution can turn up when they apply for college enrollment, financial aid, their first apartment or a new job. The record of their prior brush with the law could limit the opportunities they have.
In some states, juvenile offenders are eligible for the automatic sealing or expungement of their records after they reach a certain age. Although New Jersey lawmakers have previously proposed automatic expungement for juvenile offenders, they have yet to pass legislation providing a path for automatic expungement.
Young adults with prior juvenile offenses or arrests on their records must petition the courts, the same as any other criminal defendants hoping to seal their records. They must wait a specific amount of time and must avoid additional charges and convictions between their prior offense and their request for expungement.
Working with an attorney familiar with record expungement and other forms of post-conviction relief can help young adults move on from a prior mistake. Legal support makes it much easier to navigate the expungement process and remove blemishes from a criminal record.