Clearing Your New Jersey Criminal Records

Applications for employment, college or loans may require disclosure of past arrests or convictions. Criminal background checks are widely required these days, even for coaching sports or volunteer activities.

It may be possible to expunge your criminal past or seal those records from public view through a process called expungement. Call the Law Offices of Gregg A. Wisotsky in Parsippany, Wayne and Basking Ridge, New Jersey at 1-866-459-7513 to find out if you qualify, or locally at 973-898-0161 (you can also call me on my cell phone after hours or during weekends at 908-229-9714).

Expungement of Arrests and Other Records

Expungement removes virtually all traces that your arrest and proceedings ever occurred. If your expungement is successful, you can legally state on job applications and legal documents that you were not arrested or convicted of that crime. PLEASE NOTE: applications for positions in law enforcement or the judiciary have different rules which must be followed. Consult with an experienced attorney like the Law Offices of Gregg Wisotsky to learn all the details discussed above.

Any arrest records can be immediately erased if charges were dismissed or you were found not guilty at trial. Diversions from conviction such as conditional discharge or pre-trial intervention (PTI) can usually be expunged six months after your case is resolved (that is, after you complete probation and your matter is dismissed).

Eligible convictions can be expunged after sufficient time has passed*:

• Two years for municipal ordinance violations (petty crimes)
• Five years for disorderly person offenses (misdemeanors)
• Ten years for indictable offenses (felonies)

Some crimes can never be expunged, such as DWI, traffic offenses, sex crimes and serious violent crimes. But it may be possible to clear convictions for shoplifting or theft, drug possession, alcohol offenses, simple assault, vandalism and other instances of youthful mistakes or bad judgment as an adult.

Expungement is a very complex legal procedure, and there are limits to the number and types of matters that may be expunged.

Are You Eligible for Peace of Mind?

I have practiced in criminal law in northern New Jersey for 19 years. I can determine if your specific case qualifies for expungement and personally handle your case to a successful conclusion. Contact me today. I have offices in Parsippany, Wayne and Basking Ridge and represent clients in all North Jersey jurisdictions.

*There are additional elements to these general propositions which need to be discussed with the individual client. This is not intended to be a recitation of the law but rather a very general overview.