An Assembly panel on Monday (May 14) advanced two separate Democratic measures that would allow the automatic expungement of criminal records of nonviolent offenders in certain situations.
           

The first bill (A-355), sponsored by Assembly members Reed Gusciora, Jerry Green and Albert Coutinho, would automatically expunge a person’s criminal record under certain circumstances.
           

The second bill (A-2829), sponsored by Assembly members Jerry Green and Bonnie Watson Coleman, would automatically expunge the criminal record of nonviolent drug offenders who have completed New Jersey’s drug court program.
           

The bills would not affect crimes with an absolute bar to expungement.
           

The first bill (A-355) would eliminate the requirement that a petition must be filed by the person seeking the expungement. Instead, an expungement would be automatically provided to the person once the requisite amount of time has lapsed since the conviction, provided the conviction appears in a criminal history record maintained by the state police. In addition to authorizing automatic expungement, the bill reduces the statutory waiting periods for the expungement of records for various crimes.

Before this year, not too many people knew were familiar with Richard John Santorum. However, he led an impressive campaign to seek a nomination that may lead to the highest office in the country. That campaign ended prematurely on April 10.

“We made a decision to get into this race at our kitchen table, against all the odds, and we made a decision over the weekend that while this presidential race is over for me, and we will suspend our campaign effective today, we are not done fighting,” said Santorum at a press conference.

Santorum ended his campaign for the Republican Presidential nomination due to the health of his daughter Isabella, who has Edwards syndrome, also know an Trisomy 18. The decision all but clinches the nomination for opponent Mitt Romney.

 April 2, 2012 - State Senator Nia Gill has announced that she will fight to create jobs, to expand healthcare and education and to protect seniors and women’s rights as a member of the House of Representatives.

“At a time when Democratic core principles are under attack in Washington, New Jersey needs a representative who will be a strong voice for the people,” Gill said. “The issues most pressing in the nation are the issues I’ve spent a life-time fighting for. Too often the jobs that are available in these tough times are going to the best politically connected rather than the best qualified. I am the best qualified candidate.

March 14, 2012 will be remembered by millions, as they said farewell to their beloved Congressman Donald M. Payne. President William Jefferson Clinton has a special place in his heart for Payne. The funeral service was organized at Metropolitan Baptist Church in Newark under lot of police presence.

The attendees were President Bill Clinton, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, U.S. Attorney General Eric H. Holder, U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg, many congresspersons from Congressional Black Caucus, Newark Mayor Cory Booker, Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo, Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver, East Orange Mayor and President of the National Conference of Black Mayors Robert L. Bowser, Rev. Al Sharpton, Rev. Jesse Jackson, many present and past politicians including former Newark Mayor Sharpe James, and family members of Payne.

Clinton said, “Donald is a friend of Hillary and mine.” He further said that in 1998, Donald and he went to Africa at the time of genocide. American soldiers took training to stop the violence.

Al Sharpton said, “In the world, at any crisis Payne was there…he was not only global, but grounded. Some of the officials get big but useless to people. He has integrity and he was not concerned that he would sell out…When you know who you are, you could be just you…One of your own never stopped being one of your own…Donald Payne never suffered amnesia.”