IN DECEMBER OF 2017 GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE SIGNED A TRIO OF BILLS THAT WILL MAKE IT EASIER FOR THOSE CONVICTED OF MINOR CRIMES TO EXPUNGE THEIR CRIMINAL RECORDS AND APPLY FOR JOBS. AS STATED IN AN EARLIER VIDEO ON “BAN THE BOX” MANY EMPLOYERS STILL ASK ABOUT CRIMINAL RECORDS IN THE JOB APPLICATION PROCESS EVEN THOUGH IT HAS BEEN OUTLAWED SINCE 2015.
THIS NEW LEGISLATION IS DESIGNED TO MAKE IT EASIER TO GET A JOB EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVE SOME CRIMINAL RECORD, BY EXPANDING THE “BAN THE BOX” LAW AND BY MAKING IT EASIER TO ERASE, OR EXPUNGE, THAT RECORD.
THE PRACTICAL EFFECT OF THIS IS THAT WHEN AN EMPLOYER IMPROPERLY ASKS IF YOU HAVE A CRIMINAL RECORD WHEN APPLYING FOR A JOB, YOU CAN CONFIDENTLY ANWER “NO”, IF YOU HAVE HAD THAT RECORD EXPUNGED.
THE WAITING PERIODS HAVE BEEN REDUCED AND MORE CRIMES, INCLUDING MARIJUANA OFFENSES, HAVE BEEN MADE ELIGIBLE FOR EXPUNGEMENT.
THE PROCESS HAS BEEN SIMPLIFIED BUT IT IS STILL NOT EASY. YOU MUST FOLLOW THE PROCEDURES PRECISELY: FROM OBTAINING YOUR RECORDS, TO PROPERLY LISTING THE DISPOSITION OF THE CHARGES, AMOUNT OF FINES PAID AND PENALTIES IMPOSED, IF ANY.
AFTER THE ORDER FOR EXPUNGEMENT HAS BEEN GRANTED, YOU MUST SEND IT TO ALL THE RELEVANT DEPARTMENTS TO ENSURE THAT YOUR RECORDS ARE EXPUNGED, AS IN DESTROYED.
ONCE YOU HAVE SUCCESSFULLY EXPUNGED YOUR CRIMINAL RECORD YOU DON’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT AN EMPLOYER ASKING YOU ABOUT YOUR CRIMINAL RECORD, BECAUSE YOU WON’T HAVE ONE! EVEN IF THE EMPLOYER DECIDES TO CHECK, THEY WON’T FIND ANYTHING.
SO IF YOU HAVE FOUND IT DIFFICULT TO FIND WORK DUE TO SOME MISTAKES YOU MADE IN THE PAST, OR EVEN RECENTLY, PLEASE CONTACT FRANK MONTERO, AND I LET YOU KNOW IF YOU ARE ELIGBLE TO EXPUNGE YOUR RECORD.
