Howard County Sex Offender Registry

If they are convicted of a sex crime or the judge otherwise orders it, an individual will be required to register as a sex offender. The Sex Offender Registry is a fairly new concept being created in the past 25-30 years. It was designed to keep a public database of anyone charged and convicted of a sex offense. It was broken down and re-modified into a three-tiered system in 2009. Consequences for presence on a registry can be serious.

If you are facing charges, a skilled defense attorney can help you understand potential penalties, including being added to the Howard County sex offender registry.

Registration Requirements

Tier 1 is the lowest level of a sex offense, a fourth-degree, that carries a 15-year registration requirement.

Tier 2 is a higher degree sex offense, for example, distribution of child pornography, and carries a 25-year registration requirement.

Tier 3 would be for charges of First Degree Rape or First Degree Sex Offense, which carries a lifetime registration requirement.

Geography

There is the Maryland Sex Offender Registry is local to Maryland, but when a convicted sex offender moves out of state, they are required to follow the registration requirements of the state in which they move into. As for removal from the registry, an individual is required by law to remain listed until the mandatory registration time has expired.

Long-Term Effects of Registration

Being a registered sex offender in Howard County carries other repercussions. In some communities, a registered sex offender must turn his lights off on Halloween and cannot give out candy. In certain more aggressive communities during Halloween, sex offenders have to report to a community center during the trick-or-treating hours and cannot be on school properties. They need permission by the school for any visit, even if they want to see their own child in a play.

The registry is very much a public document. Anybody can look someone up in it at any time by name or by location. In addition, there is a well-lit and clear photograph which accompanies the data entered in the document. The result is that anyone at any time can find the information of someone listed in the registry.

There is no requirement that an employer be notified that someone is listed in the Howard County sex offender registry, except in specific scenarios. For example, if the potential employer is a daycare provider or somehow involves children, then the registry itself and the rules may require the individual to have certain restrictions. Ultimately, it is not a matter of an employer having a restriction, it is the registry and the state having restrictions.

Importance of a Sex Crimes Lawyer

Only an experienced sex crimes lawyer will know how to properly defend an individual charged with such an incendiary crime, often consisting of heinous acts and allegations.

An attorney who is sensitive to the nature of the crime, has a relationship with judges, juries and prosecutors and knows what to do and how to properly defend an individual is critical as these types of crimes can carry significant penalties.