Minnesota Sex Offender Registration Lawyer
For most crimes, the punishment means fines 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 on 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 sexually-related crime needs to begin early and you need to have a lawyer that will fight hard. The sex offender registry is just a simple database, but the stigma attached to it can destroy lives.
What Crimes Require Registration of 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 your accused sex crime isn’t on the list below, you may still be required to register. The sex offender registry is there to protect people by providing 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 ten years on the registration.
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 of being put on the sex offender registry is a relatively painless process. The court or your lawyer will direct you on where you can register in your area if your sentence does not include prison time, otherwise the process will be done in booking. From you they will need the following information:
- Your primary place of residence in Minnesota. They will also need information on any other properties that you own or rent in Minnesota regardless of how much 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 you are added to the registry. At this 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 old state and Minnesota will need to be notified of the move. Once you move to Minnesota, you will need to go fill out the above steps.
Unfortunately, once you have registered, it is very difficult to be taken off the sex offender registry earlier than the minimum ten years, which is why the best way to get around it is to have an excellent legal defense for 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.
If you are being charged with a sex crime in the St. Paul area, then you need a defense lawyer that is at their best and that attorney is John Lesch. Contact us today to see what Lesch Law Firm can do for you with their over 20 years of criminal defense experience.