Megan’s Law is essentially a law that requires certain sex offenders to register either yearly or quarterly with their local police department as sex offenders. When someone is listed as a sex offender, their personal information, including their name, address, and the offense they committed will potentially be released to the public, such as on the internet or in newspapers. Rather obviously, this can be devastating to an individual and more or less ruin their reputations and lives. If you have been convicted of a sex offense and were placed on the sex offender registry and are looking to have your name removed from it, or you have recently been charged with a sex crime and are looking to avoid having your name placed on the registry, you must continue reading and reach out to our experienced New Jersey Megan’s Law attorney to learn more. Here are some of the questions you may have:
What are the tiers of Megan’s Law?
There are three tiers of Megan’s Law, ranging from first to third. These tiers are broken down as follows:
- Tier 1: Low-risk sex offenders
- Tier 2: Moderate-risk sex offenders
- Tier 3: High-risk sex offenders
Tiers 2 and 3 sex offenders will be subject to having their personal information posted on the internet. Additionally, if a Tier 3 sex offender moves into a neighborhood, police will most likely make “door to door” visits to people living within a certain radius of the sex offender. During these visits, police will notify residents of the sex offender moving in, as well as the offense the person was convicted of. Rather obviously, this can destroy a person’s reputation before they even have a chance to introduce themselves.
Can I ever have my name removed from the sex offender registry?
Fortunately for some sex offenders, it is possible for them to eventually have their names removed from the sex offender registry after a certain period of time. In some cases, Tier 2 or 3 sex offenders can file a motion to have their offense reduced to Tier 1, thereby removing their offense from the public record. In other cases, if a sex offender can meet the following criteria, he/she may also be removed from the sex offender registry:
- It has been 15 years since he/she committed the offense or was released from incarceration
- He/she is not a threat to the public
- He/she wasn’t convicted of any disqualifying charges
- He/she did not commit any other crime within the 15 years
For further questions, speak with our New Jersey sex crimes attorney today.
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