Once a person is branded a sex offender in Alabama, it is often a life-long battle for them to be able to live in peace. Between all of the local, state, and federal rules for where that sex offender can live and work, it takes a legal scholar and a land surveyor to plot on a map the areas that person may go.
Recently, I had a case where a client had been convicted of a sex crime as a juvenile, he served his time in a juvenile facility, and then as an adult several years later was arrested for failure to register as a sex offender. He was dumbfounded because he thought that juvenile records were supposed to be confidential. This client had no idea that he was required to register as an adult sex offender. He was very fortunate not to lose his job and home because of this error of omission.
Another client of mine was a combat veteran who plead guilty to a sex offense before he retained my services. He served a prison sentence and was released only to be re-arrested the same day. The reason for his new arrest: he was homeless. He was informed that he had to register an address that was in an acceptable location (a certain distance from schools and daycares, etc) and that if he was unable to do so, he would not be released.
These are just a couple of examples of the difficulty that a sex offender faces once he or she is released from prison. These problems are compounded by the fact that it is difficult or impossible to find a job as a convicted felon, much less a convicted sex offender. Too often, it is a life sentence for someone in Alabama to be convicted of a sex related offense.
If you or a family member have been accused of a sex related crime, it is crucial that you obtain competent legal counsel as early in the process as possible. It is far better to fight these types of cases from the beginning than to accept some guilty plea that will end up being a life sentence because of the damage done to your ability to live and work in Alabama. Call me today to set up a free case evaluation.
Here is a recent article from the Tuscaloosa News regarding similar situations and how the law may be looked at soon.
