Penalties for Sexual Offenses in San Francisco
Almost all sex crime cases include sex offender registration as a penalty. Being on the sex offender registry can have a devastating effect on you and your family and will follow you around for life. Being a registered sex offender will exclude you from being able to hold certain jobs and live in certain areas, usually near playgrounds or schools. Additionally, you will be required by law to check in with local law enforcement wherever you live at intervals throughout your life. You will spend the rest of your life branded for a conviction that may have been avoided had you hired an aggressive attorney to fight your case. Don’t let this happen to you. Protect yourself and your family by hiring a top-rated sex crimes defense attorney from our firm today.
What is Megan’s Law
The state of California takes sex crimes very seriously. The laws surrounding the punishment of such an offense are very detailed and very strict. There are a number of ways that these crimes can be committed. Sexual assault and rape are often considered to be the most serious offense. There are also laws against indecent exposure, lewd conduct, and prostitution. Internet chat rooms are becoming a serious problem as well. When a sex crime involves a child or a minor, the ramifications can also be much farther reaching than a normal crime.
One of the most recent laws that have been enacted in California to deal with the aftermath of such an infraction is called Megan’s Law. Every state has passed some form of this law. San Francisco residents who have been accused or convicted of this type of crime must understand what this law is about and must be aware of its ramifications once their jail time and probation duties have been completed. For further explanation of Megan’s Law or to learn how you may be able to be removed, please get in touch with a San Francisco defense attorney at the firm.
Sex Offender Information Available Online
This law was passed in California in 1996. It came in response to the rape and murder of seven year old Megan Kanka on July 29, 1994. This crime was committed in Mercer County, New Jersey by a sex offender who had committed two previous sex crimes against young girls. Therapists who treated the man believed he would most likely commit another crime of a similar nature. Unfortunately, when the man moved across the street from the Kanka residence, the family was unaware of his checkered past. After luring the young girl into his home, the offender raped and murdered the girl. The Kanka family took action to keep similar crimes from happening again.
They set up the Megan Nicole Kanka Foundation, a non-profit organization that was intended to promote awareness in the community. Their desire was to have a law passed that would notify a neighborhood when a known sex offender moved into the area. Soon Megan’s Law was passed nationwide as a federal act. State legislators quickly followed and passed similar versions of the law in every state. Essentially this law requires information on sex offenders be available to the public on the Internet. The resulting website made public the name, address, physical description, and offenses of offenders. A picture is also provided on the site.
Removal with Assistance from Criminal Defense Attorneys
If your information has been listed on California’s Megan’s Law website, do not lose hope! You may be able to have your information removed from the site. About 25% of all convicted offenders are not required to have their information displayed publicly. These individuals fall into the undisclosed category of offenders. If you fall into this category, you must still register as an offender at your local law enforcement office. However, your information is not available to the public. If you are not “undisclosed,” you can apply for removal by applying for exclusion.
When you fill out this application, you must provide a number of documents to prove that you meet one or all of the conditions. Such documentation can come from the probation department, the courts, or your defense attorney. If you are looking to fill out this application, you may have a few additional questions. We would like to help answers your inquiries. At Okabe & Haushalter, we are very familiar with the state’s laws on sex crimes as well as how to find relief from them. We know how important a fresh start in life can be. Though you will always have to register as an offender, having your information taken off of Megan’s Law Website can an invaluable step to leaving the past behind and becoming a productive member of society.