The process for the expungement of a voluntary or involuntary commitment can be found in N.J.S.A. 30:4-80.8 to -80.11. The statutory scheme does not prohibit additional applications if a first petition is unsuccessful. The relevant language in the statute requires a petitioner seeking expungement to present his or her personal history since the hospitalization, as well as his or her present circumstances, and reputation in the community. N.J.S.A. 30:4-80.8; N.J.S.A. 30:4-80.9. Therefore, the court concludes the dismissal of a petition entered after an evidentiary hearing should be designated as "without prejudice."
