People who are convicted of serious sexual offenses in many states, like Georgia, are often required to register as sex offenders. The sex offender registry is a list of convicted sex offenders that is made available to the public. Other registry requirements include restrictions on where the offender can live. This is a lifelong requirement that continues even after the convicted person has complete their sentence.
Although the requirement to register as a sex offender is lifelong, a person on the sex offender registry can petition to be removed from the registry. Eligibility requirements for sex offender registry removal in many states are governed by law and it is recommended that people who wish to be removed from the sex offender registry hire a Decatur criminal lawyer to handle to process for them. Sex offender registry removal in most states is a complicated legal proceeding that requires expertise in that area of the law.
People who have completed their criminal sentence can become eligible to be removed from the sex offender registry in two main ways. The first way to qualify for sex offender registry removal in some states to have more than ten years pass from the date the person completed their criminal sentence. The second way to become eligible for sex offender registry removal in some states is if the person is classified as a level one risk offender.
There are other restriction that can affects a person’s eligibility to be removed from the sex offender registry. For example, a person cannot be removed from the sex offender registry if the victim in the underlying case suffered any intentional physical harm or a weapon was used during the offense.
A person can also seek sex offender registry removal in many states if they were required to register for a crime that later became classified as a misdemeanor, if the crime that triggered registry was false imprisonment or kidnapping with no sexual allegations involved, or if the person becomes disabled.
Thanks to our friends and contributors from Andrew R. Lynch, P.C. for their insight into sex offender registry.