Casinos in Atlantic City will most likely ask you to undergo a background check during your job application process. Your ability to obtain gainful employment could be jeopardized if you have ever been convicted of a crime in New Jersey. In some cases, a casino will still hire you if your conviction is related to minor offenses, but you could be out of luck if you're seeking out bigger roles within the casino industry that require a license.
Certain casino employment opportunities require licenses issued by the New Jersey Casino Control Commission. Key Casino Employee Licenses are required when an employee will assume a supervisory role in casino operations or if they are authorized to make discretionary decisions in the course of their position with the casino.
Some of the types of jobs that require a Key Casino Employee License include:
- Credit executives
- Pit bosses
- Cashier supervisors
- Simulcasting facility managers
- Marketing directors
In some cases, those overseeing casino hotel operations, such as hotel managers and entertainment directors will also need to obtain a Key Casino Employee License. To qualify for a Key Casino Employee License, the Commission requires that you disclose “any arrests, charges, or offenses committed” by you. Character, honesty, and integrity are strong considerations in receiving your Key Casino Employee License, and in fact a license will not be issued to those who have committed certain crimes. So, what happens when you have arrests or convictions on your record?
Why Expunging Your Record is Good for Casino Employment
Expunging your criminal record in New Jersey can be a time-consuming and tedious process wrought with limitations. It's important to understand that expungements and pardons aren't the same thing, and even when your record is expunged, it doesn't mean your crime has been forgiven. What expungement does mean, though, is that charges or convictions against you for certain crimes are “extracted” from the record. While private institutions and even news outlets or social media may still display evidence of the offense, the records won't show up within New Jersey's criminal justice system.
When you expunge your record, you are not legally required to inform casino employers of the expunged offenses. While this may seem like lying, the purpose of expungement is to provide those who are trying to turn over a new leaf in life the opportunity to actually do so. There are exceptions to this rule; however, they are outside of the scope of casino employment.
The Expungement Process in New Jersey
To expunge your record in New Jersey, you need to first obtain all of the records associated with the crime you are attempting to have expunged. This step requires knowing where to look for those records, as they may not all be housed in the same place. This is a crucial step in the process because any mistake can create additional delays in an already backlogged system.
Once you've obtained the relevant records, you'll need to prepare the Petition for Expungement. The petition itself is a multi-page document involving several forms that need to be filled out correctly and notarized appropriately. Again, mistakes can cause severe delays to your expungement process.
After your Petition for Expungement is filed with the correct courthouse, you then serve the filed petition with the applicable government agencies and wait for the judge who's been assigned to your case to make a decision. The judge may approve the petition or set a date for the expungement hearing. At this point, the judge may also request more information, and you could be required to prove that the records are indeed eligible for expungement under New Jersey Laws.
Finally, if all goes well, the judge will issue an Expungement Order which again needs to be submitted to all applicable agencies so that they can begin the process of extracting your records from their databases. This can take quite a bit of time, so be prepared to be patient. From start to finish, the process can take several months, so don't hesitate to contact an experienced attorney to get the ball rolling.
The steps required in obtaining an Expungement Order in New Jersey may seem overwhelming. There are many points in the process where a clerical mistake could add months to your timeline. Hiring an experienced New Jersey expungement attorney will ensure that you aren't second-guessing your way through such an important process.
New Jersey Expungement Eligibility
Although expungement is designed to help people who've made mistakes in the past move forward with productive lives, there are limits to expungement in New Jersey.
Expungement eligibility in New Jersey varies depending on the nature of the crime. For example, you can petition the court to expunge up to 5 disorderly persons convictions, or up to 3 disorderly persons convictions if you also wish to expunge 1 indictable offense conviction (most serious). Generally, at least 5 crime-free years need to have elapsed between your most recent conviction and your petition for expungement. There are no limitations on the number of municipal ordinance violations (least serious) that can be expunged so long as you don't also have more serious convictions on your record. In addition to these eligibility standards, there is also the “Clean Slate” expungement by petition statute that allows an individual who has been crime-free for at least ten years to expunge their record in most circumstances.
It's important to understand that not every crime can be expunged under New Jersey law. Certain violent crimes such as murder and rape, or crimes involving dishonesty, such as perjury, may not be expunged. Even within these exceptions, there are exceptions, and if you have questions you should contact an experienced expungement attorney in New Jersey.
Legal Representation is Important
Legal representation is important even long after the arrest or conviction on your record has occurred. Successfully expunging your criminal record in New Jersey can mean the difference between starting a new life or being stuck in a cyclical battle of disappointments. Joseph D. Lento knows how valuable a clean slate is to casino employment and advancement within your career. Call the Lento Law Firm today at 888-535-3686 to learn how attorney Joseph D. Lento can help you expunge your criminal record in New Jersey.
