Bill
Bill > A1598
NJ A1598
NJ A1598Bars expungement of conviction, arrest, or charge if crime or offense involved domestic violence.
summary
Introduced
01/13/2026
01/13/2026
In Committee
01/13/2026
01/13/2026
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
2026-2027 Regular Session
Bill Summary
This bill would provide that no criminal conviction, arrest, or charge involving domestic violence could be expunged. Under current law, the court may order the records of a criminal conviction expunged under certain circumstances following an application by a person who has been convicted of a crime, disorderly persons offense, or petty disorderly persons offense. Certain serious crimes are barred by statute from expungement, including murder, kidnapping, human trafficking, sexual assault, and arson, among others. This bill would add all crimes and offenses involving domestic violence, as defined in section 3 of P.L.1991, c.261 (C.2C:25-19), to the list of crimes and offenses that are barred from expungement. Current law also provides that when a person is ultimately not convicted of a crime or offense following an arrest or charge, the court will automatically order the records of the arrest or charge expunged. This bill would make an exception if the underlying crime or offense involved domestic violence, thus barring such expungements.
AI Summary
This bill would prevent the expungement of any criminal conviction, arrest, or charge that involves domestic violence, as defined by New Jersey law. Currently, individuals can apply to have certain criminal records expunged, meaning they are removed from public record, under specific conditions. However, this bill adds any crime or offense involving domestic violence to the list of serious offenses that are permanently barred from expungement. Furthermore, even if an arrest or charge does not result in a conviction, records related to it are typically automatically expunged; this bill creates an exception, barring expungement for arrests or charges that involved domestic violence, regardless of the outcome of the legal proceedings.
Committee Categories
Justice
Sponsors (1)
Last Action
Introduced, Referred to Assembly Judiciary Committee (on 01/13/2026)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2026/A1598 |
| BillText | https://pub.njleg.gov/Bills/2026/A2000/1598_I1.HTM |
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