Christie: Non-violent offenders should be eligible for record expungement

Governor Christie said he wants to work with New Jersey lawmakers to help former non-violent offenders erase their criminal records.

Christie said he’d like an expungement measure to be approved by the end of June.

“I am open to doing this and doing it in a right and smart way. Now we have to find the right standard by which to institute expungement.”

State Senator Sandra Cunningham has a proposal she wants to discuss with the governor.

“I’d like to see if a person has not created a problem, had any problem with the law, in 10 years or more, I think that their record should be expunged automatically.”

Cunningham said many get into trouble when they’re young, and 10 years makes a difference in being able to turn their lives around.

Christie would like legislation to be passed by the June 30 end of the current budget year.

That’s something Merchantville resident Gary Meyer wants to happen.

He said he hasn’t gotten into trouble since he was convicted of a drug offense in 1992, but not being able to expunge his criminal record is hurting his employment opportunities.

“I graduated in the top 5 percent of my class at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. I speak four languages, I do own a technology company, and I’m precluded from getting any kind of professional licensing at this point. I can’t even be a cashier at the CVS.”