Juvenile Records Don’t Have to Be Permanent

We hear it all too often in the news. Another teen gets into legal trouble for assault. Or a teen was arrested for robbery. Or a juvenile was accused of bringing a gun into school. It’s heartbreaking for the parents. We want our children to grow up and be productive citizens. But how will they be able to do that with a criminal record before the age of 18?

Let’s say your 16-year-old was arrested for shoplifting and was charged as a juvenile. He/she is found guilty and is sentenced to community service and to pay a fine. But since this was a criminal matter, your teen now has a criminal record, even though he/she didn’t receive jail time. Does this mean no college, no job, no future?

Relax, there are ways to clean up your teen’s record. In New Jersey, you can have your juvenile record expunged. Currently, legislation is going through Congress that will expunge juvenile records once the juvenile turns 18. However, until that legislation is passed, the have your record expunged, you need to wait at least 10 years with no charges pending or no other convictions. Although this won’t help your juvenile in the next couple of years, there will be a future.

However, it’s not an easy process. You will need an experienced criminal defense attorney by your side to help you get through the system. For the past 26 years, the Law Offices of Anthony Carbone has been helping juveniles get their records clean. Contact us today for a free consultation.