Protecting Your Future And Reputation From Serious Consequences
New Jersey was the first state to pass Megan’s Law, requiring registration of known sex offenders. The law is named after Megan Kanka, a New Jersey child who was abducted, raped and killed by Jesse Timmendequas, a known sex offender who lived in her neighborhood. The federal law is known as the Sexual Offender (Jacob Wetterling) Act of 1994.
In New Jersey you must register as a sex offender if you are convicted of sex crimes, including aggravated sexual assault, criminal sexual contact or endangering the welfare of a minor. Megan’s Law also provides for community notification, depending on the seriousness of the sex offense.
In order to protect your good name, your freedom and your privacy, call experienced criminal defense attorney Anthony N. Palumbo at 908-272-9700 to schedule a free initial consultation in our Cranford, South Orange or Elizabeth, New Jersey, offices. Contact us today.
Consequences Of A Sex Crime Conviction
You may be required to register as a sex offender, including an online registry which lists your picture, name, and address, and offense. Depending on the seriousness of your sex crime, the police may go door to door notifying neighbors that you are moving in.
Your new neighbors won’t have anything to do with you, and every child in the neighborhood is terrified of you. Getting a job or professional licensing is more difficult, and some professions such as health care or child care are essentially off limits.
Megan’s Law is retroactive. If you were convicted of a sex crime before the law was passed, you would still need to register as a sex offender, and the registration may be active for life. If you have not committed another offense within 15 years following the conviction, you may apply to the State Supreme Court to terminate the registration.
For many clients the embarrassment of sex offender registration is worse than going to jail. As an experienced criminal defense lawyer, I can represent you in registration hearings and fight to get you into a lower tier.
Contact Us Now
Sex offender registration affects you, and your family. To protect your Megan’s Law rights and your reputation, call the law firm of Anthony N. Palumbo for a free initial consultation at 908-272-9700 . Contact us today.