On this Page, Expungement Lawyers in New Jersey™ provides a brute-force procedure to modify eCourts-generated expungement petitions, to get processing back on track.

Note: This procedure can also be used to modify other eCourts-Generated documents, such as the Final Order for Expungement of Records.



In the experience of Expungement Lawyers of New Jersey™, over eighty percent of expungement petitions generated by eCourts require modification. eCourts itself has no mechanism by which such modifications may be made. Expungement Lawyers in New Jersey™ has established a simple (NOT!) workaround. Here is its fifteen-step program:

  1. Open the eCourts-generated petition;

  2. Download the eCourts-generated petition to your computer. This download will be in .pdf format;

  3. Convert the downloaded .pdf file to a format that your word processor can handle. Both Word and Word Perfect can directly open the downloaded .pdf petition. If your word processor lacks this ability, you can copy the .pdf file, and paste it into text format, which your word processor can then read;

  4. The conversion process from .pdf to your word processor distorts petition formatting. Correct all petition formatting errors;

  5. Delete the filing information that eCourts inserted at the top of the document;

  6. Change the title of the document from "PETITION FOR EXPUNGEMENT" to "AMENDED PETITION FOR EXPUNGEMENT". (Adapt as necessary for Clean Slate and for Marijuana expungements.) This step will be needed in all instances. eCourts disregards any change you may have made to its generated petition prior to your original "submit";

  7. Make all desired wording changes to the petition;

  8. Conform the font on all changes to match the font of the eCourts-generated petition;

  9. Steps four through eight may have changed page breaks. Therefore, check and correct, if necessary, all page breaks and page numbers;

  10. Change the date on the amended petition to the current date;

  11. Using the "save as" function of your word processor, save the document in .pdf format. (We recommend also saving it in your word processing format in case further changes become needed);

  12. Prepare a letter notifying the court that you have uploaded an amended petition that responds to the prosecutor's objection(s). (This step is needed only if these changes are responding to an objection. You may have gone through this procedure prophylactically, before any objections were posted. In that situation, you can skip this step);

  13. Upload the saved .pdf Amended Petition and (if applicable) letter to the court, to eCourts;

  14. If you have gone through the above steps in response to a prosecutorial objection (as opposed to prophylactically), notify the expungement prosecutor by phone or email that you have uploaded an amended petition. As of the time this procedure is being written, eCourts does not notify the prosecutor of this uploading. Ask the prosecutor to withdraw his/her objection;

  15. If you have gone through the above steps in response to a prosecutorial objection (as opposed to prophylactically), determine which judge is handling your client's expungement petition and notify his/her law clerk by phone or email that you have uploaded an amended petition. As of the time this procedure is being written, eCourts does not notify the court of this uploading. And then...

LET THE WAITING CONTINUE!



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