If you have a felony on your record, we don’t have to tell you how inconvenient it can be. Anyone who does a background check on you can find out about your felony, and it can really interfere with different aspects of your life. This is why we’re not surprised when people ask us if their felony can be expunged in New Jersey. A Bergen County criminal defense lawyer from our firm can tell you if you’re a good candidate for expungement.
Can Any Kind of Felony Be Expunged in NJ?
Some types of felony convictions cannot be expunged in New Jersey. In most cases, sex crimes, homicides, drug manufacturing, and other particularly heinous crimes are not going to be eligible for expungement. If your crime is not one of these that cannot be expunged, you may be eligible for a “clean slate” expungement. This is a relatively new addition to state law that allows you to expunge a number of offenses from your record.
Usually, you must wait until 10 years have passed since you have completed your sentence. This is important. It’s not 10 years since your conviction. You have to have completed your prison sentence, completed probation, or have paid all fines before the timer starts running. If you have not gotten into additional trouble, your convictions may be expunged. Some people can qualify for a fast-track expungement that would remove a felony charge from the record after five years.
Can a Felony Charge Be Expunged If I Wasn’t Convicted?
The good news is that you do not wait that long if you were not convicted. If you were charged with a felony and had the charge dropped or received a “not guilty” verdict, you can ask to have your record expunged right away.
Can a Lawyer Help Me Get My Record Expunged?
Yes, a lawyer can help you figure out if you are eligible for expungement and they can help you with the paperwork. You really should contact one of our lawyers before you are trying to get a crime expunged though. What we mean is that you should contact us as soon as you are charged. If we can help you beat the state’s case against you or get charges dropped, that will make it much easier to secure an expungement later.
Will I Have to Go to Court?
You may have to go to court after asking to have a crime expunged from your record. In some cases, the judge is just going to want additional information about this crime and your record. A lawyer can help you prepare if you are worried about a court appearance.
Contact a Criminal Defense Attorney
If you are facing felony charges or you want to expunge a past crime, contact the Law Office of Boyd & Squitieri. We can schedule a consultation and tell you more about how our lawyers can help.
