A felony sex offense charge requires immediate intervention from a criminal defense attorney who knows how to protect your rights and negotiate the best possible result according to the facts and applicable law. Do not delay. If you have been charged with a felony sex offense, contact our firm today to schedule a consultation with a criminal defense attorney.
Learn More About Sex Offenses
My name is Howard Bass, of the Bass Law Firm, PLLC, in Burnsville, Minnesota. I have over 25 years of experience representing clients charged with felony, gross misdemeanor and misdemeanor sex crimes throughout the Twin Cities. For more details about how I handle these cases, please visit my sex crimes page.
I have provided some general information below to educate you about how the law applies in sex offense cases. For answers regarding your specific situation, contact me to arrange a free confidential initial consultation.
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At the Bass Law Firm, PLLC, I aggressively defend people charged with sex offenses. When you retain me as your lawyer, you can trust I will carefully review your case, explain your options, build a defense strategy for your specific situation and fight for your rights.
Are you under investigation for a sex crime? Have you been charged with such a crime? If so, you need an experienced criminal defense attorney to fight for you. Contact me online or call my office locally at 952-466-6718 or toll free at 888-340-9617.
I offer free initial consultations, accept credit cards and am conveniently located on County Road 42 in Burnsville, just three miles west of highways 35W and 35E. Evening and weekend appointments are available upon request.
Sex Offender Registry
All states require sex offender registration of some kind. Individuals convicted as sex offenders must register their addresses with law enforcement. Sex offenders must also send updates whenever they change addresses and must keep their registration information current. Some states require sex offenders to verify information on a yearly basis via mail or more frequently if deemed violent predators. States have different requirements regarding what offenses require registration and for what periods of time. Additionally, some offenses that are more serious may require registration for life. Serious crimes vary by state, but most commonly include repeat offenders, violent sexual offenders and those who commit sexual crimes against children. If you are concerned about your status under these rules, contact Bass Law Firm, PLLC in Burnsville, Minnesota for help and advice.
Community Notification
In addition to sex offender registration laws, all fifty states also have community notification laws. States enacted sex offender registration laws and community notification laws in response to state and federal acts, mainly Megan's Law, the Jacob Wetterling Act and the Pam Lyncher Sexual Offender Tracking and Identification Act. Megan's Law was passed by the New Jersey legislature when Megan Kanka, a seven-year-old girl, was kidnapped and murdered by her neighbor, who had been previously convicted of sex offenses against children. Congress passed the Jacob Wetterling Crimes Against Children and Sexually Violent Offender Registration Act ("Jacob Wetterling Act") in 1994, to give law enforcement agencies, the FBI and the public access to state sex offender registries. To avoid losing federal funding, states passed laws in compliance with the Jacob Wetterling Act. Public notification of sex offender information was furthered in 1996 by the federal Megan's Law. This enabled law enforcement to release sex offender registry information to the public in order to protect the community. Also in 1996, Congress enacted the Pam Lyncher Sexual Offender Tracking and Identification Act, which created a federal sex offender registration database.
State implementation of these federal laws may vary. Generally, when sex offenders register with local law enforcement, that information is given to the public in the offenders' areas. This may include school boards or principals, neighbors and child care facilities near where the registered sex offender lives and works. The public may also view the sex-offender registry for some states on the Internet or at local police departments. Additionally, some states have mandatory sex-offender notification processes. Neighbors, business and schools in the offender's geographic area may be notified of his or her name, address and vocation. The notification process and length of time an offender must register varies from state to state. However, generally, if you must register as a sex offender, your community will have access to your identity, address and sex-offender classification. If you have been charged with a sexual offense, you should contact a criminal defense attorney as soon as possible. Our law firm understands the personal impact of being labeled a sex offender and will use its experience to provide you with a vigorous defense to help you try to avoid having to register as a sex offender.
Conclusion
Sex offender registries and notification are important for community protection from violent predators. However, in the drive for safety, some lesser offenses may be included and this can be devastating to a sex offender. If you are facing sexual-assault charges in Burnsville, Minnesota, you need the experienced and aggressive defense that an attorney at Bass Law Firm, PLLC will provide.
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