Sixteen years after the passing of Megan’s Law, which required convicted sex offenders to register their whereabouts with the police, the first batch of offenders who are eligible to have their name off the registry are being freed from monitoring.
Megan’s Law is a set of bills that went into effect in 1994. The law not only requires convicted sex offenders to register with the police, but also places them under lifetime parole supervision. However, some offenders may be eligible to get their names struck off the registry. This can include persons who have been living in the community for at least 15 years without reoffending and persons who can prove that they are no longer a threat to the community. It can include offenders who were below 14 years of age when they committed the offense and may be eligible to get out of the registry requirements when they turn 18.
However, there are limitations on the kind of people who may be eligible for freedom from Megan’s Law monitoring. Persons who have been convicted of some of the most serious sexual offenses, including aggravated sexual assault and sexual assault, will not be eligible for freedom from monitoring. A person also cannot have committed multiple sexual offenses. It's important for the person to be able to provide strong evidence to a Superior Court charge that he's no longer a threat to others. Broadly, the person must be able to prove that he has turned his life around, and is therefore eligible for elimination from these requirements.
If you have been convicted of a sex crime, and have been placed under Megan’s Law monitoring, the New Jersey criminal defense lawyers at Helmer Paul Conley Kasselman can advise you about your eligibility to have these requirements overturned.
