Monmouth County NJ Failure to Register as a Sex Offender Lawyers

In New Jersey, a conviction for a sex crime can follow you for years, decades, and in some cases, for the rest of your life. For certain sex crimes, including aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault, and aggravated criminal sexual contact, those convicted are required to register as sex offenders under New Jersey’s Megan’s Law. The specific requirements vary based on the specific charge against you; however, Megan’s Law registration generally requires you to inform the police and the local community of your current address, your physical description, and crime(s) for which you were previously convicted. Megan’s Law also requires you to notify local law enforcement of any changes in your circumstances, including change of residence, employment, schooling, and other relevant information. This information is then made public through an Internet database. Failing to provide appropriate information per the time provisions of Megan’s Law can result in charges for failure to register or failure to report. These are serious criminal offenses, which carry penalties including a term of imprisonment ranging from 3 to 5 years.

The highly experienced sex crimes defense lawyers at Chamlin, Uliano & Walsh have been defending clients charged with Megan’s Law offenses in Monmouth County and throughout New Jersey for the last 50 years. The head of our criminal defense department, Partner Charles J. Uliano is a former Monmouth County Prosecutor and a New Jersey Supreme Court Certified Criminal Trial Attorney since 1986. Having earned recognition from independent organizations such as Super Lawyers and Martindale-Hubbell, our renowned lawyers are experienced, driven, and highly effective when negotiating with the prosecution and battling at trial. To discuss the circumstances of your case and learn more about how we can help to protect your freedom, contact our Monmouth County offices at 732-440-3950 for a consultation.

Megan’s Law Sex Offender Registration in New Jersey

The provisions contained in New Jersey’s Megan’s Law are outlined in sections N.J.S.A. 2C:7-1 through 2C:7-11 of the New Jersey Criminal Code. The specific requirements for sex offender registration under Megan’s Law include the following:

• A person who is required to register and who is under supervision in the community on probation, parole, furlough, work release, or a similar program, must register at the time the person is placed under supervision;
• A person confined in a correctional or juvenile facility or involuntarily committed who is required to register must register prior to release and re-register within 48 hours of being released;
• A person moving to or returning to this State from another jurisdiction must register with the chief law enforcement officer of the municipality in which the person will reside or if the municipality does not have a local police force, the Superintendent of State Police within 10 days of first residing in or returning to the state;
• A person who works or attends an educational institution in another State, who remains a New Jersey resident, must register in the State where he or she is attending school or working within 10 days of commencing attendance, as well as with the law enforcement unit of the educational institution (if applicable). He or she must also comply with New Jersey registration requirements.
• A person who is registered as a sex offender in another state who enrolls in a public or private educational institution in New Jersey, or who is employed in New Jersey for more than 14 consecutive days or for an aggregate period exceeding 30 days, must register in the municipality where the employer or educational institution is located within 10 days after commencing enrollment

To view the New Jersey Sex Offender Registration Chart, click here.

New Jersey Megan’s Law Notification of Change in Circumstances Guidelines

Megan’s Law also includes several important provisions regarding verification and notification when circumstances change. These include:

• Upon a change of address, a person must notify the law enforcement agency with which the person is registered and must re-register with the appropriate law enforcement agency no less than 10 days before he intends to first reside at his new address;
• Upon change of employment or school enrollment status, a person must notify the police department with which they are registered within 5 days of such change;
• Offenders convicted of the most severe sex crimes (i.e. aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault, or aggravated criminal sexual contact) must verify their information with the appropriate law enforcement agency every 90 days;
• Offenders convicted of other applicable sex crimes must verify their information with the appropriate law enforcement agency every year.

New Jersey law requires sex offenders to sign a form acknowledging their duty to register, re-register, and verify their addresses. To access this form, click here.