Completing a Prison Sentence for a Sex Crime Conviction in New York is Just the Beginning of Your Punishment
The consequences of a conviction for a sex crime in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and elsewhere are staggering and makes sex crime charges (sexual assault, rape, etc.) some of the most difficult to defend due to the collateral penalties which can impact plea negotiations. Beyond potentially lengthy prison sentences and probation, sex crime convictions require defendants to be included on a public sex offender registry; inclusion on this registry will impact where one lives, works and travels potentially for the rest of one’s life. As any of the best New York criminal defense attorneys know, due to the extraordinary collateral consequences of sex crime convictions the best way to avoid them is to either win your case or reach a non-sex crime plea deal. For these reasons, it is imperative to hire the best criminal defense attorney you can possibly find when charged with a sex crime: the choice could alter the rest of your life.
Inclusion On The Public Sex Offender Registry May Be For Life
The sex offender registry includes anyone who was convicted of specified sex crimes, whether or not they receive a prison sentence. Nearly all sex-related offenses, from the highest felonies to the lowest misdemeanors, are included in this list. In addition, New Yorkers convicted in other jurisdictions are usually required to register as well. In New York, those convicted of a sex crime are classified into one of three levels in terms of potential risk to the public: low, moderate and high. Usually the judge will determine at a hearing the classification either at sentencing or upon the defendant’s release from prison. This is an important hearing to “win”: those classified as low risk repeat offenders will not be required to remain on the sex offender registry for life – although still for 20 years. In addition, the “low” risk offender, unlike the moderate and high risk offenders, are not listed on the searchable, public sex offender registry managed by the New York Division of Criminal Justice Services. Regardless, those on the sex offender registry must alert the NYDCJS within 10 days after moving, report for a current photograph every year (high risk offenders) or every three years (low to moderate offenders), notify the NYDCJS of any college they are either attending or employed at, provide names of internet service providers, screen names and email accounts, and sometimes have to report employment information. Of course, where the sex offender lives or works – and even activities – may be subject to prior approval.
All of these collateral penalties make the difficulty of fitting back into one’s community even tougher. For these reasons, it is crucial to do all that you can to avoid a sex crimes conviction: otherwise your life will be forever changed for the worst. Jobs, living arrangements, even recreational activities will all be affected by a sex crimes conviction – beyond a potential lengthy jail sentence in a prison setting filled with inmates who do not traditionally look kindly upon sex offenders.
Want To Avoid the Collateral Penalties of a Sex Crime Conviction? Win Your Case
Sex crime cases can be won oftentimes more easily than traditional criminal defense cases due to the fact that victims are often known to the defendant and have lengthy and complicated histories with them. Oftentimes these cases come down to a “he said/she said” scenario – and with a history between the parties reasonable doubt can be more easily established than in cases in which parties have no prior connection. A prior blog post of mine outlines what we have done to repeatedly win such cases all over the country. In the end, a vigorous defense to sex crime charges often results in either an acquittal or a non-sex crime plea offer – in both instances, the defendant escapes the collateral consequences of a sex crime conviction with a future undamaged by disastrous criminal accusations. I don’t intend to make it sound simple to achieve such a result; these cases require a tremendous amount of pretrial work in order to succeed. Call the sex crimes defense lawyers at the Law Offices of Jeffrey Lichtman with a nationally-known, proven track record to discuss your case today. We regularly win these cases and will do all that we can to protect your rights – and your future.