What you should know about Megan’s Law in New Jersey

On behalf of Maynard & Sumner, LLC posted in Megan’s Law on Friday, August 22, 2014.

If you have been arrested for violating Megan’s Law, or want to know how to lessen the impact of this law on your day-to-day life, don’t despair. Many New Jersey attorneys have successfully argued to have a portion of the law overturned on behalf of their clients. The point is, don’t give up on working to return your life to normal after a sex offender conviction. Your first step: learn aboutMegan’s Law and find out how it works in New Jersey.

If you don’t know, and many do not, Megan’s Law is the widely-accepted term used to signify state laws requiring convicted sex offender registration and public notification. Each state has its own set of laws regarding the registration and notification of sex offenders, including New Jersey. What the law is designed for is to alert community members about sex offenders who live and work near their location.

In New Jersey, Megan’s Law requires that convicted sex offenders register with their local police department. This must be done within a specific amount of time once they have been released from prison. The other part of Megan’s Law pertains to notifying the public that you are currently in the area. For this portion of Megan’s Law, sex offenders are placed within a tier system based on their risk to offend again that dictates the type of notification required.

— Tier One: This tier represents the least risk to residents and only requires that sex offenders notify victims and law enforcement personnel.

— Tier Two: Perceived as a moderate risk, this tier requires offenders to notify additional entities such as educational institutions, summer camps, day care centers and organizations.

— Tier Three: Regarded as the greatest risk for re-offending, the law for people in this tier requires broad public notification. This could mean passing out pamphlets to the public, putting up posters or making announcements by way of the Internet.

Understandably, the third tier presents the most disruptions for those who have served their time and now seek to become a contributing member of society. The former sex offenders placed in this category typically need the most legal assistance to lessen the law’s impact on trying to live day-to-day in their communities.

Source: National Institute of Justice, “About Megan’s Law” Aug. 21, 2014

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  1. […] a person has been convicted of a Megan’s Law sex offense, the sentencing court will place the individual on Megan’s Law (and usually Parole […]

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