Maine Criminal Defense Lawyer
A person who is convicted a sex related crime, will in most instances have to register with the Maine Sex Offender Registry for the a minimum of 10 years or in some cases for life. Failure to do so may result in serious consequences.
What information is required for registration?
When you sign up for the registry, you need to include the following:
- Name (and aliases)
- Birthdate
- Identifying factors including sex, race, height, weight, and eye color
- Photograph and fingerprints
- Address (both mailing and physical location)
- Employment address (or school if you are taking classes)
- Any treatment that you may be going through (or went through) especially for mental or personality disorders
- Offense history. This includes your charge, conviction, dates, sentence, and other relevant information about your offense.
It is also your duty to update this information should any of your circumstances change.
What happens next?
Once you complete or update the form, the State Bureau of Identification will post the information on the internet making it available to the public.
What is your responsibility to register as a sex offender?
Here are some things that you need to know before you register.
- If you have been convicted and sentenced for a sex related crime, it is your duty to register. The court will advise you whether you are required to register and for how long. The duration of your duty to register will depend on the seriousness of the crime for which you have been convicted.
- It is also important to know that you may be advised of your duty to register any time after your conviction if the court later determines that you must do so.
- Once you are told to register, you have five days to comply. If you are imprisoned, you don’t have to register until you are released.
- You will need a form of identification in order to register.
- You will also need to notify the local law enforcement agencies where you live, work or go to school. You need to do this within twenty-four hours of moving or starting new employment. If you are attending school, you must advise the campus police of your status.
- If you relocate to a different state, you may be required to get fingerprinted in your new state of residence.
What is the duty of the court system when it comes to your registry?
The court system, law enforcement, and jail personnel have the responsibility to ensure that you register. this responsibility includes:
- Advising you of your duty to register and when;
- Assisting you in determining in what jurisdiction you should register and whom to contact;
- Advising you of your responsibility to update your registration information when necessary;
- Advising you of your duty to alert the proper authorities (police and other law enforcement agencies)within 24 hours of moving or changing employment.;
- Advising you of your registration responsibilities if you move out of state.
How long do you have to register?
Depending on the seriousness of your conviction, you may have to register for ten years or for life.
What is a ten-year registrant?
The term for a 10 year registrant runs as follows:
- If you were convicted prior to September 18, 1999, the 10 year term begins on the date of sentencing. If you are sentenced to a term of imprisonment, your ten-year term started when you are released.
- If you were sentenced after September 18, 1999, your ten-year term starts from the date on which you registered.
What is a life registrant?
Anyone sentenced to a lifetime registration will need to register on the sex offender’s list for the rest of their life.
When can you stop registering as a sex offender?
There are times when you can stop registering as a sex offender. These include:
- If you are a ten-year registrant your duty to register terminates after 10 years.
- If you leave Maine, your duty to register is controlled by the law in your new state of residency which may not require registration for your conviction.
- You don’t have to register while imprisoned. .
- If you become seriously ill, hospitalized, mentally unstable, or incapacitated you may not have to continue to register.
Registration as a sex offender may have serious consequences. Thus is important to retain an experienced attorney such as the Law Office of Richard S. Berne to represent you if you are charged with a sex related crime. We will make every effort to resolve your case in a manner to avoid the duty to register as a sex offender.
Contact us for all of your legal needs.