Recovering Your Reputation

Being a registered sex offender can have far-reaching effects on your life. For example, it may make it difficult for you rent an apartment or get certain jobs. However, the law recognizes that there are people who don't deserve to be in these registers forever. Here are four situations that mean you have a good chance of getting your name removed from the sex offender registry:

The Law Has Changed

Some jurisdictions may remove your name from the registry if the act that caused your name to be entered into the registry is no longer illegal.  Laws change all the time, and it is not uncommon for an act that was frowned upon a few years ago to be considered perfectly normal today. For example, it may be that you were convicted of a same-sex sexual act that was illegal during your conviction but is now allowed by law.

You Were Convicted For a Nonviolent and Victimless Crime

In some places, you may also have some luck with the removal of your name from the registry if your crime was nonviolent and did not harm anybody. This may be the case if your illegal act involved consensual adults, such as an indecent act in public. It is not a guarantee that your petition will succeed, but your chances of having your name removed are better than those of a person convicted of a violent sexual crime such as rape.

You Have Served the Minimum Time

In some cases, being on the sex offender registry is not an eternal thing. It all depends on the state's laws and the severity of the crime. Some sexual crimes have a minimum time within which the offender's name must be in the registry. In such cases, it's a waste of time to petition for a name removal if you haven't "served" the minimum time. However, your chances of success go up if you submit your petition after this minimum time.

You Haven't Committed a New Violent Offense

Lastly, you have a good chance of having your name removed from the registry if you haven't committed new crimes from the time of your registration. This is particularly true of violent or sexual crimes. Note that you don't have the right to have your name removed from the registry; it's the court's prerogative. As such, it's difficult for the court to grant your request if it believes you are still a danger to society.

Getting removed from the sex offender registry is a complicated process; it's not something you would want to do alone. Consult a criminal lawyer, like Anggelis and Gordon Attorneys At Law, to help you navigate the process.