Under Megan’s Law, every person convicted of a sex crime (e.g., rape, pedophilia) must “register” as a sex offender. If you are required to register under Megan’s Law and feel as though your Megan’s Law registration requirements are unfair based on the judges original Megan’s Law order, contact a Philadelphia criminal lawyer at The Zeiger Firm today for a free consultation regarding Pennsylvania Megan’s Law issues. Today, with the enactment of SORNA (the newest Megan’s Law), many people who are lifetime registrants or ten year registrants can be charged with new crimes for violating Megan’s Law. Our lawyers understand the SORNA laws and can help life time registrants and 10 year registrants when they have been arrested for new Megan’s Law violations.
Even after serving jail time and paying other penalties, an individual convicted of a sex crime must forever account for his crimes, no matter how regretted, by openly presenting all the facts of his life to neighbors, family and friends. Megan’s Law is a federal law passed in 1996. In short, Megan’s Law requires all individuals convicted of a sex crime to register in their county of residence. Each state has a procedure to inform the public that a sex offender has been released or resides in their community.
The process begins when a convicted sex offender registers with local law enforcement. He must do so within the first one-to-two weeks of relocation or release, each time he moves to another home, county or state, for the rest of his life. With each registration, he must provide personal information (such as physical description, work and home address) and describe the nature, extent and location of his sexual offenses. Both citizens and law enforcement then will have open access to this information.
Following registration, depending on the terms of his parole or probation, the registrant will have to comply with stringent requirements. For example, he may not be allowed contact with minors and/or may not be allowed to visit places where minors congregate. Any violation of these restrictions and he may land back in jail.
At The Zeiger Firm, we aggressively represent individuals previously convicted of sexual crimes. First, we carefully guide clients through each step of the Megan’s Law registration process. Second, if a client is charged with violating any rule (e.g., late registration) or his parole or probation requirements, we zealously defend his case and, if necessary, work toward the lowest sentence possible. We combine aggressive lawyering and investigation, never forgetting that our most important goal is obtaining the best results for our clients, whether that means fighting procedural battles or representing our clients before a judge or jury. We work hard for our clients, explaining their options and keeping them updated about the status of their cases.
When you need a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania criminal defense attorney to protect and defend you after you have been convicted of a sex crime, contact The Zeiger Firm, whose goal is to represent every client zealously in order to obtain the best results possible in each case. To arrange a consultation, please give us a call at 215-546-0340 or send us an email.
