Expungement is a way for New Jersey residents to hide past mistakes from potential landlords, employers, and others.
While the process is relatively straightforward in many cases, the more serious the mistakes you may have made, the harder it is to expunge your record.
First, many felony crimes are not subject to expungement. If you were convicted of murder, kidnapping, sexual assault, arson, robbery, or similarly serious crimes, New Jersey will never allow you to remove those records from public view.
This is considered to be in the interest of public safety, which may or may not be fair in any given case.
For crimes that can be expunged, the waiting period for felony convictions is 10 years, misdemeanors require a five year wait, and lesser offenses may be expunged in as little as six months.
Keep in mind that the waiting period begins when you complete all portions of your sentence, including probation, payment of fees, and restitution.
Expungement can be a confusing process. When you work with an experienced expungement attorney, you can count on good advice and a thorough understanding of where your expungement process is at every step.
Call attorney Matthew Reisig today at 732-625-9661 for a free consultation with a New Jersey expungement lawyer.