Expungement Information for Essex County, New Jersey
Essex County is the second most densely populated county in New Jersey, encompassing the cities of both Newark and East Orange. The process for expunging a record in Essex County will be different depending on how your criminal proceedings are reflected on your record. Expunging an Essex County criminal record will result in your being able to pursue your future and dreams without being held back by a past mistake.

A petition for expungement must be filed in the Superior Court in the county where the arrest or prosecution took place. The first step will always be to collect paper copies of your criminal record history from the police and courts. For our detailed information regarding the addresses and contact information, visit our Essex County Expungement Courts page here.

The process for expunging a record in Essex County, New Jersey takes from five to six months. Some cases will take more time or less time, depending on the specific facts of your case and how the interaction with the prosecutor’s office will go. Often times this will depend on the position that the prosecutor takes, including whether the prosecutor will agree with your petition to expunge your record or object. Essex County prosecuting attorneys will often look at the time that has passed since you case was handled, the severity of the offense, and your compliance with the terms and conditions of your sentence.

Essex County expungements will include the following cities, municipalities, boroughs, and townships: Belleville, Bloomfield, Caldwell, Cedar Grove, Orange, East Orange, Essex Fells, Fairfield, Glen Ridge, Irvington, Livingston, Maplewood, Millburn, Montclair, Newark, North Caldwell, Nutley, Roseland, South Orange Village, Verona, West Caldwell, and West Orange.

Should I hire an Attorney to Expunge my Essex County Criminal Record?
The option to attempt to expunge your record on your own is available, but is not recommended by the New Jersey State Courts. Hiring an attorney to represent your interests in expunging an Essex County, New Jersey criminal record is a great way to ensure the process is done right the first time. Receiving a rejection can result in extra delay, adding additional time before you can effectively move on with your life, career, and family. The amount of delay resulting in a rejection from the Essex County court deciding your case can be measured in months. For further details on what the Essex County Court staff may help you do and what they may not, read our Essex County Expungement Attorney page here.

Essex County, New Jersey courts operate on a first-come, first-serve basis. The sooner you begin your petition to expunge your criminal record in Essex County, the sooner you can move on with your life.

Having a criminal record in New Jersey can make obtaining a job difficult. With more than 80% of employers performing background checks, getting a job is tougher than ever. Fortunately, New Jersey offers a wide range of solutions to expunge your arrest or conviction. Upon expungement, your job opportunities are broadened and so is your potenetial to make more money.

By having a record expunged, a person previously convicted of a crime greatly limits the number of people with access to that information. Getting an order of expunction avoids a situation where an employer might unjustly exclude a person convicted of a crime. Employers who are concerned about potential tort liability based on the hiring of an employee can often make an argument that the exclusion of a person based on his or her arrest or conviction record is in-line with a business necessity. Disputing an employer’s justification is a time-consuming process that necessitates an attorney specializing in employment and labor disputes. Simply expunging one’s record removes many practical and legal hurdles standing between a job applicant and a new career, avoiding further legal headaches down the line.

An employer in New Jersey may not use an expunged record and should not be able to even locate it. A person who has had his or her record expunged does not have to disclose the fact that the arrest or conviction occurred. Under New Jersey law, records that have been expunged are deemed not to have occurred.

New Jersey Criminal Records can be Obtained by the Public, Unless Expunged
People that are having a criminal record hold them back are often concerned with the costs and benefits of an expungement. Common questions often focus on why clearing a New Jersey Criminal record is the right financial move. Sometimes people with criminal records don’t realize how often those records are accessed by the public or even that the information is easily accessible for anyone with a mind to look. It is therefore important to know exactly what is available under New Jersey law and what is kept from the public.

Unfortunately for people with criminal records who are attempting to move on, New Jersey has not enacted any statutes controlling whether employers may obtain criminal history information for employees or job applicants. Under New Jersey law, a person or non-governmental entity of any state who is evaluating whether or not to employ an applicant is authorized to obtain from the NJ State Bureau of Identification all New Jersey criminal history record information. All records of pending arrests and charges for violations of New Jersey laws will be released, unless expunged.

Having Your New Jersey Criminal Record Expunged is an Investment in You
If you’ve been denied job after job for having a record, it’s time to expunge your New Jersey record. Think of expungement as an investment in you. If you have been denied high paying jobs for having a criminal record, you’re losing money. If an expungement costs $700, and that means you get a $40,000 job over a $25,000/yr job, you stand to make $15,000 more. That’s $14,300 return on a mere $700 investment. That’s an investment any stock broker would jump at.