Legal Guidance For Sex Offender Registration Matters
For most crimes, the punishments are fines and/or prison time. It is the same with sex crimes. However, on top of the typical punishments, a dose of public shaming is also added in the form of the sex offender registry. While this is ostensibly for the sake of protecting the public, it has made being convicted of a sex crime something that can completely destroy a person’s social life and relationship with their family. For example, a high school senior who is convicted of having consensual sex with his high school sophomore girlfriend shares the same sex offender registration as a violent serial rapist. This is why your defense for a sex crime needs to begin right away and you need to have a lawyer who will fight hard on your behalf. The sex offender registry is just a simple database, but the stigma attached to it can destroy lives.
What Crimes Require Registration On The Sex Offender Registry In Minnesota?
In Minnesota, there is a wide array of sex crimes that can require you to register as a sex offender on the database. However, even if the sex crime you are being accused of isn’t on the list below, you may still be required to register. The sex offender registry is there to protect people by providing them with information, so if the judge deems that you might be a repeat offender – even if you are convicted of a sex crime that doesn’t merit registration – it may be added on at their discretion. Sex crimes require a minimum of 10 years on the registration list.
Typically, Minnesota residents will need to register if they are convicted of:
- Felony-level indecent exposure
- Possession of child pornography
- Imprisonment of a minor
- Engaging in prostitution with a minor
- Criminal sexual conduct ranging from the first to the fourth degree
What Information Is Needed For Registration In Minnesota?
The actual registration process for the sex offender registry is a relatively painless one. If your sentence does not include prison time, then the court or your lawyer will direct you regarding where you can register in your area. If it does include prison time, the process will be done in booking. They will need the following information from you:
- Your primary place of residence in Minnesota as well as information on any other properties that you own or rent in the state regardless of how often you use them
- Address of employment
- The make, model, year, color and license plate of all the vehicles you own or otherwise regularly drive
- The signature of consent forms confirming that you are added to the registry, at which point they will also fingerprint you and take your photograph for their records
For those who move to Minnesota from another state where they are already on the sex registry, both your previous state and Minnesota will need to be notified of the move. Once you move to Minnesota, you will need to go through the above steps.
How Soon Can You Be Removed From The Sex Offender Registry?
Unfortunately, once you have registered, it is very difficult to be taken off the sex offender registry earlier than the minimum 10 years, which is why the best way to get around it is to have excellent legal defense throughout your sex crime case. You cannot be forced to register yourself as a sex offender based on the accusation alone, which is why a not guilty verdict can save you from the shame and grief of the sex offender registry that can follow you around for a lifetime.
Defend Your Rights And Reputation
If you are being charged with a sex crime in the St. Paul area, then you need a defense lawyer who performs at their best. That attorney is John Lesch. Contact us today by calling 651-393-9550 or filling out our online form to see what he can do for you with his over 20 years of criminal defense experience.