This "how to" session has been offered off and on for years throughout the state. Violent crime convictions can never be cleared, but Superior Court Chief Administrative Judge Glenn Grant says, below that threshold, there’s a reason to give people what amounts to a second chance in life.
"Having a criminal conviction, even a minor one, can influence your opportunities to get employment, housing and those sorts of things," Grant said.
Thursday's meeting, at the Gloucester County Library in Woodbury on Delaware Street, starts at 6 p.m. No cases will be addressed at this session. And this will not cover the effort in the state legislature to clear minor marijuana convictions.
"Everyone should recognize that we’re not just going to throw people away by simply saying you've been convicted, you've been in jail, and you are no longer a part of our society," Grant added. "This idea of giving an expungement provides an opportunity for rehabilitation."
The process of getting a court order and then informing state and local police of any expungement can be intricate. But there are people in the county court system, known as ombudsmen, whose job it is to help people through it.
Those unable to attend the session can find resources online to start the process themselves.