Newark, NJ – June 15, 2020 – Volunteer Lawyers for Justice (VLJ), a nonprofit law firm helping underserved individuals and families across New Jersey, is excited to announce changes to New Jersey State Law that will positively impact the reentry community, particularly indigent and vulnerable people with New Jersey criminal records. Expungement legislation P. 2019 c. 269 was signed by Governor Philip Murphy last December and takes effect this month. VLJ serves the criminal reentry community through its ReLeSe program, and with this law, significantly more people qualify for expungement relief and will be entitled to the fresh start they so desperately need and deserve.
Changes to the expungement law include: a reduced waiting period from six years down to five years for an indictable crime conviction, permitting up to five instead of four disorderly persons convictions to be expunged, easing restrictions on marijuana-related offenses and the automatic expungement of dismissals. Expungements no longer have a filing fee and an electronic system to be developed within the year will handle the filing and service requirements of the petition making expungement much more accessible. Most notably, records that would have been previously denied for having too many convictions may qualify for a “Clean Slate” expungement after a waiting period of 10 years from the most recent conviction.
Clean Slate is especially good news for ReLeSe clients like “Jeremy” who will have one of the first expungement petitions filed by VLJ pro bono attorneys under the new law. Jeremy has two separate indictable crime (felony) convictions that occurred when he was just 18 years old. Now 43 years old, Jeremy says expungement means, “Freedom. It means freedom. So much freedom. Without an expungement, it’s difficult to move on. You are confined to a box; every time they do a background check, the record comes up, so what kind of work can you get? It means you’re more susceptible to reoffend. Expungement changes everything.”
Karen Robinson, VLJ Senior Staff Attorney, agrees. She shares, “Without exaggeration, expungement provides life-changing relief. As a result of expungement, our clients see increased employment opportunities, greater financial independence, more housing options, family reunification and less recidivism which leads to safer communities. With COVID-19 and the resulting financial crisis, people need the chance to move forward now more than ever, and expungement helps them do so.”
For more information about ReLeSe and to learn how to support VLJ, please visit www.vljnj.org.
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About Volunteer Lawyers for Justice
VLJ is a non-profit law firm that provides civil legal services to low-income and vulnerable clients throughout New Jersey. The Newark-based organization ensures fair access to the legal system through partnerships with corporations and hundreds of volunteer attorneys. Each year, VLJ serves more than 4,000 people—including veterans, children, tenants, families, and victims of human trafficking—through 11 pro bono programs. To learn more, please visit www.vljnj.org.
CONTACT
Jaclyn Kramer -Development Director
Volunteer Lawyers for Justice
(973) 755-4120 Email: jkramer@vljnj.org
Karen Robinson, Esq.
Senior Staff Attorney
Volunteer Lawyers for Justice
(973) 645-1951, ext.111 Email: krobinson@vljnj.org