Running your own criminal history check

[Hugecanoli 0]

Hello everyone...first time poster, but long time lurker from Monmouth County.

 

16 years ago (I am now 37) I got caught with a very small amount of marijuana. I was brought in and fingerprinted, but never convicted and the case was never adjudicated.

 

My goal is to obtain a FPID & pistol permits, so in early December, I procured an attorney and we started the expungment process. My court date is not for another month and a half and we do not anticipate any issues.

 

Now to my question....since I am anal about things and want to make sure everything is done correctly, I was thinking of running a criminal history check on myself before AND after the expungment to be sure what is on there is gone before I start the application process.

 

That being said...does running multiple criminal history checks on yourself negatively effect you in any way? I may be over-thinking things, but I used to work in a field where we took credit checks on customers. The amount of inquiries in a period of time always sent up red flags. Does the criminal background check system work the same way?

 

With all the horror stories I have read and heard, I want to be make sure this is done right. I guess I could just ask my attorney this question, but I figured I would ask here first.

 

Thanks in advance for any and all responses. I look forward to posting more as this process moves along.

[Old Glock guy 1,127]

Sounds like a question that would be more suited for an attorney, perhaps even someone who is particularly knowledgeable about firearms laws, like Evan Nappen. I'm not an attorney, but if you were a juvenile and you were never convicted, why is it an issue?

[Hugecanoli 0]

Thank you for your reply. I was 21 at the time when this occurred. A few years ago, the record popped up during an employment background check so I know it is there.

 

I was just looking to have documented before & after proof for my own peace of mind. I wouldn't think rerunning a check on yourself could negatively effect you, but since we all live in NJ....you never know.

[Anselmo 87]

It is not like a credit report. You pay your ~$40 and the state runs the background check.

 

I did my own expungement and background check afterwards.

 

After the judge grants the expungement, (you should receive a letter of non-contestment from the county prosecutor about a month before your court date (at least I did)), the judge will order the State Police to seal your records. This took 3 months in my case to receive the letter from the State Police that they complied with the judge's orders and sealed the records. I waited another 3 weeks to schedule my fingerprinting. Two days after fingerprinting I received the letter in the mail from the state saying I had no criminal background.

 

Your attorney should have had you run a background check or maybe he did it himself to be sure that all past sins get expunged. When I spoke with the court clerk regarding my expungement, he said he'd run a background check on me to be sure I didn't miss past problems.

[Hugecanoli 0]

Thanks for the very informative response Anselmo.

 

During our initial consultation, my attorney did ask me if a background check was needed to make sure there wasn't anything else on there. Since this was the first and only time I have ever had any run-ins with LE, I said it was unnecessary.

 

But the more I have been reading and hearing about the horror stories applicants have been going through at local PD's I now want to have before and after proof.

 

It's good to hear that running multiple checks will not negatively effect you, but at the same time reading that you had to wait 3 months after the judge issued the order to get a response back from the State Police surprises me. My attorney told me the records should be sealed approx 2-3 weeks after the order.

 

I was hoping to do the "after" background check a few days to a week after receiving my compliance letter. Figured that would be ample time for the sealed record to disappear.

 

NJ shouldn't be called the Garden State....it should be called the Wait State.

 

Thanks again for the info.

[Anselmo 87]

I called the State Police a few times to see the progress of the letter. Finally, I was told it was in the mail. Took 3 weeks from that. Just have to be patient.

[autoxnyc 4]

If someone was arrested and the charges were dropped the arrest record still shows up on a background check? I was told the records goes away after a number of years or gets expunged automatically.

[Hugecanoli 0]

If someone was arrested and the charges were dropped the arrest record still shows up on a background check? I was told the records goes away after a number of years or gets expunged automatically.

 

Let me preface my statement by saying I am no lawyer and I could be 100% wrong, but I was told if you get fingerprinted, it will be on your record. That is exactly what happened to me.

[Anselmo 87]

 

But the more I have been reading and hearing about the horror stories applicants have been going through at local PD's I now want to have before and after proof.

 

 

What is this proof going to do for you? The local PD can still deny you as "not in the best interests of the community".

[Hugecanoli 0]

What is this proof going to do for you? The local PD can still deny you as "not in the best interests of the community".

 

I've dedicated a lot of time, energy and resources to make sure I go about this the right way. It sounds like the local PD can deny you if you have on a pair of mismatched socks when applying. Just trying to do everything within my power to make sure I get it right.

[Tactical Turtle 11]

I have a friend who had some issues when he was younger, a couple possession charges, and a simple assault, he has more guns then I do now, has never failed the backround check, and was dropped for an injury for a police academy not what happened as a minor. That being said, if he can complete a full police background check, you should be fine

[Hugecanoli 0]

I have a friend who had some issues when he was younger, a couple possession charges, and a simple assault, he has more guns then I do now, has never failed the backround check, and was dropped for an injury for a police academy not what happened as a minor. That being said, if he can complete a full police background check, you should be fine

 

Thanks for your response. The record is in the process of being expunged, so it will not be there at all. I wanted to run checks to make sure the charge was actually off my record after the expungement before I started the application process.

 

Your friend got denied entry into the police academy because of background check inquiries?