The amendments to N.J.S.A 2C:52-6 continue:
- (New section) “Clean slate” expungement by petition. a. A person, who is not otherwise eligible to present an expungement application pursuant to any other section of chapter 52 of Title 2C of the New Jersey Statutes or other section of law, may present an expungement application to the Superior Court pursuant to this section if the person has been convicted of one or more crimes, one or more disorderly persons or petty disorderly persons offenses, or a combination of one or more crimes and offenses under the laws of this State, unless the person has a conviction for a crime which is not subject to expungement pursuant to subsection b. or c. of N.J.S.2C:52-2. The person may present an application pursuant to this section regardless of whether the person would otherwise be ineligible pursuant to subsection e. of N.J.S.2C:52-14 for having had a previous criminal conviction expunged, or due to having been granted an expungement pursuant to this or any other provision of law.
b. The person, if eligible, may present the expungement application after the expiration of a period of ten years from the date of the person’s most recent conviction, payment of any court ordered financial assessment, satisfactory completion of probation or parole, or release from incarceration, whichever is later. The term “court-ordered financial assessment” as used herein and throughout this section means and includes any fine, fee, penalty, restitution, and other form of financial assessment imposed by the court as part of the sentence for the conviction or convictions that are the subject of the application, for which payment of restitution takes precedence in accordance with chapter 46 of Title 2C of the New Jersey Statutes. The person shall submit the expungement application to the Superior Court in the county in which the most recent conviction for a crime or offense was adjudged, which includes a duly verified petition as provided in N.J.S.2C:52-7 praying that all the person’s convictions, and all records and information pertaining thereto, be expunged. The petition appended to an application shall comply with the requirements set forth in N.J.S.2C:52-1 et seq.
This new sub-section allows for the expungement of an entire criminal record after the passage of ten years. The only bar would be a conviction for a serious offense that cannot be expunged. This type of “clean slate” expungement was previously only available to drug court graduates.
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