If your convictions occurred at the same time, you might be wondering whether they will be treated as one offense for expungement purposes. In certain situations, courts will count convictions of offenses that occurred at the same time as if they are one indictable (felony) conviction or one disorderly persons conviction. In order to determine whether your convictions will qualify as one for purposes of expungement law, the court will look to the offense date.
By way of example, if you criminal history consists of several convictions with the same offense date, the court should treat your multiple convictions as if they were only one for purposes of expungement. The theory is that, since the crimes occurred at the same time, they are really one “offense.” So for example, if you were pulled over and charged with the disorderly persons offenses of possession of a controlled dangerous substance and possession of drug paraphernalia on one occasion, and you subsequently plead guilty to both of those charges, the court should treat them as if they were one disorderly persons offense for purposes of expungement, since the crimes occurred at the same time.
If, on the other hand, the offenses were committed on separate dates, they will be counted as separate, multiple convictions. As another example, if one day one you were pulled over and charged with the disorderly persons offense of possession of CDS and then the very next day you were pulled over again and charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, and you later plead guilty to both of those charges, the court would treat them as two disorderly persons offenses for purposes of expungement, since the crimes occurred on separate occasions.
But what if I plead guilty and/or was sentenced on the same date for offenses that occurred on separate occasions?
Sometimes, when an individual has multiple criminal charges pending from separate occasions, the court will consolidate those cases for purposes of entering a plea and sentencing. Thus, individuals who were charged with multiple offenses on separate dates may plead guilty to those offenses or the same date and/or be sentenced on the same date. As explained above, however, for purposes of expungement law and determining whether your multiple convictions will be considered one offense, the court will look at the offense date for each of your convictions. Thus, regardless of the fact that you plead guilty and/or were sentenced on the same occasion for your convictions, if the offenses were committed on separate dates, they will constitute separate, multiple convictions for purposes of expungement.
What about the “crime spree” doctrine I read about?
In the past, there was case law in New Jersey which held that individuals who were convicted of offenses that occurred within a relatively short period of time to each other (usually a matter of a few days) could be treated as if multiple convictions subsequent were only one for purposes of expungement. This was widely known as the “crime spree” doctrine.
The New Jersey Supreme Court, however, recently addressed this issue and held that such convictions could no longer be considered one for purposes of expungement. The decision involved two companion cases, In the Matter of the Expungement Petition of J.S. (A-84-13), and In the Matter of the Expungement of the Criminal Records of G.P.B. (A-2-14). Ultimately, the Supreme Court shot down any possibility that criminal offenses committed on separate occasions could constitute one offense for purposes of expungement.
💼 Why Clients Choose National Security Law Firm
We don’t just stop at getting your record expunged—we go far beyond what most firms offer.
✅ Our All-Inclusive Expungement Services Include:
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Filing the full expungement petition
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Serving all required agencies
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Obtaining non-certified dispositions for your files
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Verifying compliance from government agencies (courts, police, probation, NJSP, etc.)
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Removing your record from private online background check companies (Checkr, TruthFinder, etc.)
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Providing free lifetime record removal if your expunged record ever reappears
The Pain: When Your Record Keeps Holding You Back
Every time you apply for a job, housing, or a professional license, that old record shows up. Even dismissed charges or mistakes from years ago still appear in background checks.
And here’s the kicker: even if you already paid another lawyer for an expungement, your record may still be visible. Our audits show 25–30% of NJ agencies fail to update their databases, and private background check companies are never notified unless your attorney does it.
That’s why so many people come to us saying:
“I thought my record was gone, but it’s still showing up.”
The Proof: How NSLF Gets It Done Right
At National Security Law Firm, led by Karen Howell, Esq., we’ve built a complete process that doesn’t stop at the courthouse.
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✅ Government Verification — We confirm NJSP, FBI, courts, police, probation, and more actually delete your record.
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✅ Private Background Check Notifications — Our proprietary system makes companies like TruthFinder, Checkr, and Sterling remove your information.
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✅ Lifetime Record Cleanup — If your record resurfaces years later, we step in and remove it for free.
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✅ Refund Guarantee — If denied for reasons outside your control, you get your legal fee back.
👉 Read how we fix the problems other lawyers ignore.
The Promise: A Faster, Safer Path to a Clean Slate
🚀 Expedited Expungements
Normally, NJ expungements take close to a year. But since April 2025, you can request expedited NJSP processing if filed correctly. We know how to get it done.
👉 Learn about expedited expungements.
💰 Flat, Transparent Pricing
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$1,500 for your primary offense
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+$200 for each additional offense
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+$1,800 (in addition to the standard fee) for early expungements or drug distribution cases
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+$2,500 (in addition to the standard fee) for expedited expungements
💳 Flexible Payment Options
With Affirm financing, you can:
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Pay over 3, 6, 12, or 24 months
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Check eligibility without affecting your credit score
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Example: $1,500 expungement ≈ $65/month
🛡️ Our Guarantee
If your expungement is denied for reasons outside your control, we refund your fee in full. ⚠️ Does not apply if you fail to disclose your complete criminal history.
Why Choose NSLF?
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More expungements handled in NJ than any other firm
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Proprietary government + private database cleanup
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Lifetime record removal support
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Flat pricing + easy financing
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Refund guarantee = risk-free choice
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Every case personally handled by Karen Howell, Esq.
👉 Visit our Expungement Resource Hub for FAQs, eligibility charts, and offense-specific guides.
We’re Trusted With More Expungements in New Jersey Than Any Other Law Firm.
Take the First Step Today
Every day you wait is another opportunity lost. Don’t let your record cost you one more job, one more apartment, or one more chance.
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⚡ At NSLF, we don’t just file expungements. We erase your record everywhere it matters — for life.
