New Jersey Criminal Expungement Lawyers
In New Jersey, any time that a person is arrested and any time that a person pleads guilty to a criminal charge, found guilty at trial, or succeeded in getting criminal charges dropped, records are created. These records of arrest and dispositions are kept with various offices. And depending on the type of background check, the records may be easily accessed and shared with anyone. If a person wishes for these records to be expunged from their record, they need to file a petition for expungement, in accordance with N.J.S.A. 2C:52-1, et seq.
Even if charges are ultimately dropped, the person still must make an application for an expungement of the arrest itself. If someone is admitted to a diversionary program – like Pretrial Intervention (PTI) or a conditional discharge – and the charges get dropped after completing the program, the person must also make an application for an expungement. Felony convictions, disorderly persons charges, and even ordinance violations may be expunged from a criminal record, depending on certain circumstances.
If you would like to know how you have to wait to expunge certain convictions, please see this article. If the charges were dismissed, you can file for an expungement right away.
How to Expunge a Criminal Conviction/Arrest
A person interested in petitioning for an expungement in New Jersey must first find out if they are eligible. This is outlined in N.J.S.A. 2C:52-2 through 6. A lawyer could review your criminal history and advise you if you are eligible. The next step is to file a Petition seeking the expungement, which explains to the court why you are entitled to an expungement. There is a lot of paperwork that goes into this because all of the relevant papers must be sent to a number of different government offices. Those offices may file objections to the petition for expungement. If there are objections, the judge will have to review the issues and argument from your lawyer and decide whether the criminal records should be expunged. This is particularly relevant in cases where a person is seeking an early expungement – a full hearing before the judge will occur. If the judge grants the petition, then an order directing that the criminal record is expunged will be issued. That order then needs to be served on a variety of government offices. How long does it take to expunge a criminal record? At a minimum, the entire process takes at least a couple of months. More complicated petitions will take longer.
Flat-Rate Expungement – Free Consultation
If you were arrested and/or convicted of an offense, please call us for a 100% FREE CONSULTATION, on the phone or in our office. We will review the court documents with you and advise you on what we can do to help you expunge your records of arrests and convictions. Our expungement services are offered on an affordable flat-rate basis. Remember, criminal records can have a serious effect on people’s lives.
Please contact us today!
Raff & Raff, LLP
Attorneys at Law
30 Church Street
Paterson, NJ 07505
Tel: (973) 742-1917
Fax: (973) 742-2454
Based in Paterson, New Jersey, Raff & Raff, LLP services clients in the communities of Bloomingdale, Clifton, Haledon, Hawthorne, Little Falls, Passaic, Paterson, Pompton Lakes, Prospect Park, Ringwood, Totowa, Wanaque, Wayne, West Milford, Woodland Park, Allendale, Alpine, Bergenfield, Bogota, Carlstadt, Cliffside Park, Closter, Cresskill, Demarest, Dumont, East Rutherford, Edgewater, Elmwood Park, Emerson, Englewood, Fair Lawn, Fort Lee, Franklin Lakes, Garfield, Glenn Rock, Hackensack, Hasbrouck Heights, Haworth, Hillsdale, Ho-Ho-Kus, Leonia, Little Ferry, Lodi, Lyndhurst, Mahwah, Maywood, Midland Park, Montvale, Moonachie, New Milford, North Arlington, Northvale, Norwood, Oakland, Old Tappan, Oradell, Palisades Park, Paramus, Park Ridge, Ramsey, Ridgefield, Ridgewood, River Edge, River Vale, Rochelle Park, Rockleigh, Rutherford, Saddle Brook, Saddle River, Teaneck, Tenafly, Teterboro, Waldwick, Wallington, Westwood, Wood-Ridge, Woodcliff Lake, Wyckoff, Belleville, Bloomfield, Caldwell, Cedar Grove, Orange, Essex Fells, Fairfield, Glen Ridge, Irvington, Livingston, Maplewood, Millburn, Montclair, Newark, North Caldwell, Nutley, Roseland, Verona, Bayonne, Jersey City, Hoboken, Union City, West New York, Guttenberg, Secaucus, Kearney, Harrison, North Bergen, Weehawken, Elizabeth, Linden, Plainsfield, Rahway, Union, Scotch Plains, Clark, Cranford, Hillside, Westfield, Roselle, and surrounding areas.