DWhen a person is convicted of committing certain sex crimes, they may be required to register their address with the state of Michigan. That registry is a database and is searchable by others, who can find out if convicted sex offenders are living within their neighborhoods and communities. Depending on the crime, if the individual is convicted, their name and address may remain on the registry for a period of 15 years, 25 years or the rest of their life.
Individuals who must register with the sex offender registry must abide by strict reporting rules. They maintain a current address with the state, and they must periodically check in with law enforcement officials to ensure their compliance with the many regulations that apply to them due to their sex offender status.
There are a number of ways that a person required to register with the sex offender registry can fall out of compliance with the process. They may simply fail to register in the first place, or they may fail to update important information, such as name changes, addresses, places of employment or vehicle identification information. They may also incur a violation for living, working or simply being too close to a school.
The impositions of staying in compliance with the registry are steep and so too are the social stigmas that can attach to a person whose conviction required them to register. Inclusion on the sex offender registry may prevent a person from getting a job or a new place to live and can have other serious long-term consequences on a person’s life.
Avoiding a conviction on a sex crime can be the best way to prevent the necessity of registering with the sex offender database. Though it is not possible to predict the outcome of criminal cases, some individuals, who have faced sex crime charges, have found help through representation by criminal defense attorneys.
