Permits, under certain circumstances, person adjudged juvenile delinquent to expunge record for act which would have constituted robbery if committed by adult.

A4223

ASSEMBLY, No. 4223

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 19, 2026

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman� CAROL A. MURPHY

District 7 (Burlington)

SYNOPSIS

���� Permits, under certain circumstances, person adjudged
juvenile delinquent to expunge record for act which would have constituted
robbery if committed by adult.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act

concerning expungements for persons adjudged
juvenile delinquents, and amending P.L.1980, c.163.

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� Section 1 of P.L.1980,
c.163 (C.2C:52-4.1) is amended to read as follows:

���� 1.��� a.�� Any person adjudged
a juvenile delinquent may have such adjudication expunged as follows:

���� (1)�� Pursuant to
N.J.S.2C:52-2, if the act committed by the juvenile would have constituted a
crime if committed by an adult;
provided, that the person may expunge an
adjudication for an act which if committed by an adult would have constituted
the crime of robbery, notwithstanding that a conviction for this crime is not
subject to expungement pursuant to subsection b. of N.J.S.2C:52-2, so long as
the act did not involve the infliction of bodily injury or use of force upon
another, or was not committed while using or armed with a deadly weapon as
defined in subsection c. of N.J.S.2C:11-1;
�

���� (2)�� Pursuant to
N.J.S.2C:52-3, if the act committed by the juvenile would have constituted a
disorderly or petty disorderly persons offense if committed by an adult; or

���� (3)�� Pursuant to
N.J.S.2C:52-4, if the act committed by the juvenile would have constituted an
ordinance violation if committed by an adult.

���� For purposes of expungement,
any act which resulted in a juvenile being adjudged a delinquent shall be
classified as if that act had been committed by an adult
, except as set
forth in paragraph (1) of this subsection
.

���� �b.�� Additionally, any person
who has been adjudged a juvenile delinquent may have his entire record of
delinquency adjudications expunged if:

���� (1)�� Three years have elapsed
since the final discharge of the person from legal custody or supervision or
three years have elapsed after the entry of any other court order not involving
custody or supervision, except that periods of post-incarceration supervision
pursuant to section 25 of P.L.1982, c.77 (C.2A:4A-44), shall not be considered
in calculating the three-year period for purposes of this paragraph;

���� (2)�� He has not been
convicted of a crime, or a disorderly or petty disorderly persons offense, or
adjudged a delinquent, or in need of supervision, during the three years prior
to the filing of the petition, and no proceeding or complaint is pending
seeking such a conviction or adjudication, except that periods of
post-incarceration supervision pursuant to section 25 of P.L.1982, c.77
(C.2A:4A-44), shall not be considered in calculating the three-year period for
purposes of this paragraph;

���� (3)��
[
He
]

Except as set forth in paragraph (1) of subsection a. of this section, he

was never adjudged a juvenile delinquent on the basis of an act which if
committed by an adult would constitute a crime not subject to expungement under
N.J.S.2C:52-2;

���� (4)�� He has never had an
adult conviction expunged; and

���� (5)�� He has never had adult
criminal charges dismissed following completion of a supervisory treatment or
other diversion program.

���� c.���� Any person who has been
charged with an act of delinquency and against whom proceedings were dismissed
may have the filing of those charges expunged pursuant to the provisions of
N.J.S.2C:52-6.

(cf: P.L.2017, c.245, s.1)

���� 2.��� This act shall take
effect immediately.

STATEMENT

���� This bill would permit a
person who was adjudged a juvenile delinquent to expunge a juvenile record for
an act which if committed by an adult would have constituted the crime of
robbery (either under N.J.S.2C:15-1 or the robbery statute pre-dating the 1978
adoption of the �New Jersey Code of Criminal Justice� (Title 2C)), so
long as the juvenile act did not involve the infliction of bodily injury or use
of force upon another, or was not committed while using or armed with a firearm
or other deadly weapon.� Generally, for purposes of expungement, an act is
classified as if it had been committed by an adult, and an act of robbery
committed by an adult is ineligible for expungement; thus, under current law a
juvenile act constituting robbery is ineligible for expungement.� The bill
would establish an exception with respect to the classification of a juvenile
act constituting robbery that did not involve the infliction of bodily injury
or use of force, or was not committed while using or armed with a firearm or
other deadly weapon, so that a juvenile adjudication for such an act could be
expunged.