Community Corner

Clear Your Criminal Record At Expungement Clinic In Bloomfield

A cannabis dispensary in Bloomfield will hold an expungement clinic for people who want to clear their records of low-level offenses.

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — An expungement clinic will take place in Bloomfield for people who want to clear their criminal records of low-level offenses.

Rise Dispensary Bloomfield will host Blaze Responsibly’s first in-store expungement clinic from 5 to 8:30 p.m. on Friday, March 21 at 26-48 Bloomfield Avenue.

Local cannabis patients and adult-use customers 21 and up are invited to attend the event, which will include expungements processed on-site via a mobile unit, organizers said.

Find out what's happening in Bloomfieldfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

According to state authorities, court-ordered expungements can remove the following information from a person’s record:

  • your arrest
  • all court proceedings related to your case
  • your criminal or juvenile conviction
  • the outcome of your case, including your sentence

“In most cases, you must wait five years after your sentence is served,” the New Jersey Courts advises. “All fines and fees must be paid. Sometimes, you can file for expungement after four years. You can expunge no more than one indictable conviction and up to three disorderly persons offenses or petty disorderly persons offenses.”

Find out what's happening in Bloomfieldfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Legal Services of New Jersey notes that some criminal convictions can’t be expunged in New Jersey. The list includes murder, sexual offenses, robbery, arson, terrorism and other serious crimes.

“Expungements do more than erase records, they unlock futures,” said Chirali Patel, founder of Blaze Responsibly.

“By removing barriers to jobs, housing, education and more, they give individuals the chance to rebuild their lives, strengthen family bonds and contribute to their communities,” Patel added.

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