This bill proposes comprehensive reforms to New Jersey's expungement laws, aiming to simplify the process and expand eligibility for individuals seeking to clear their criminal records. Key changes include the removal of previous restrictions that barred individuals with juvenile delinquency adjudications or adult convictions from applying for expungement. Instead, individuals can now apply for expungement three years after fulfilling any court-ordered financial assessments, with provisions allowing for applications even if this timeframe has not fully elapsed. The bill also introduces an automated clean slate process to make certain convictions and juvenile adjudications inaccessible to the public after a specified period, alongside the establishment of a task force to oversee the implementation of this system.

Additionally, the bill allows individuals who successfully complete the Recovery Court program to expunge their entire record, including previously non-expungeable offenses, and streamlines the application process by permitting the inclusion of municipal ordinance violations and juvenile delinquency adjudications in a single petition. It enhances the electronic filing and review process for expungements, ensuring that petitioners receive copies of any documents related to inaccuracies in their applications. The waiting period for Clean Slate expungements is reduced from ten to seven years, and the bill calls for the re-establishment of a task force to provide updated recommendations on the automatic expungement system, reflecting the new changes in expungement laws and procedures. Overall, these amendments aim to improve access to justice and facilitate the reintegration of individuals with criminal records into society.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 2C:52-4.1, 2C:52-5.3, 2C:52-5.4, 2C:52-10.1