Trenton Criminal Record Expungement Attorney
A criminal conviction on your record can have a huge impact on your life. It can affect you in many ways from a missed opportunity for a job you wanted and were otherwise qualified for, disqualification from receiving financial aid to further your education, disqualification from voting or prohibition from owning a firearm. With the advent of the internet, criminal background checks have become more common as they have become more affordable and easier to conduct. If you have been convicted of a crime, you might be wondering if there is anything you can do to get it remove from your criminal record.
In New Jersey, depending on what you were convicted of, you may have the opportunity to have your criminal record cleared through criminal record expungement. Strict guidelines govern who can and cannot criminal record expunged. The criminal record expungement process can be somewhat complicated and time-consuming, with specific documents that must be filed and deadlines that must be met.
Criminal Record Expungement in New Jersey
Your criminal record will never be destroyed. However, it can be “extracted and isolated” by agencies that have control of it. It can be removed from public view the court orders the agencies to do so. Some of these agencies include the sheriff’s department and probation department in the county you were arrested and convicted in, the county prosecutor’s office, New Jersey State Police, the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office, and the police department and court in the county or city you were arrested or charged in.
How are these agencies forced to remove and isolate your criminal records?
When you hire a criminal record expungement attorney, the attorney will ask a Superior Court Judge by filing a criminal record expungement petition along with supporting legal documents. A filing fee will be paid and the appropriate state agencies must be served with the petition and supporting documents.
Once the criminal record expungement process is successfully completed, your applicable criminal records will be removed from public view. You will be able to answer, “no” to questions related the expungement records and underlying incident.
Am I eligible to have my criminal record expunged?
Only New Jersey criminal records and New Jersey juvenile records can be expunged in New Jersey. The judge does not have jurisdiction to order criminal records from other states to be expunged. Motor vehicle records and civil orders also cannot be expunged. Finally, whether or not your criminal record is eligible for expungement depends on each criminal conviction, how much time has elapsed since you successfully completed the sentence that was imposed, and other convictions that may be on your record.
For more specific information on whether or not you are eligible for criminal record expungement, contact the criminal record expungement attorneys at Kardos, Rickles & Hand.
How long does the process take?
The proper court in New Jersey must grant a hearing between 25-60 days after your petition is filed with the court. As long as the state does not object, a criminal record expungement is typically signed at the hearing. Once the court order is received, we will serve it on the applicable state agencies. It may take several weeks for the agencies to expunge their records.
Our Trenton Criminal Record Expungement Attorneys
The knowledgeable and experienced Trenton criminal record expungement attorneys at Kardos, Rickles & Hand are available to answer your questions and discuss the possibility of having your criminal record expunged. With office locations in Newtown, Pennsylvania, Kardos, Rickles & Hand is easily accessible to clients throughout Bucks County, Montgomery County and Mercer County. For more information, contact our firm today at 215-968-6602.
