Rape and Megan’s Law Essay

Submitted By 83sansan
Words: 564
Pages: 3

Client
Mrs. Jane Smith is seeking counsel on the framework of Megan’s Law in Texas. The Client’s young daughter has claimed to have fallen victim to a recent sexual assault by a neighbor, Mr.
John Doe. The alleged perpetrator is not registered in the Sex Offender Registry Program, though it is unclear if Mr. John Doe has any priors.
Background of Megan’s Law in Texas
The state of Texas requires any criminal convicted on, and/or after September 1st, 1970 of a sexual offense, to report to local authorities the following specific information within seven (7) days of moving to a new state, city, or town.1
■ Full name
■ All aliases
■ Date of birth
■ Race
■ Weight
■ Sex
■ Hair color
■ Eye color
■ Shoe size
■ Driver’s license number
■ Social security number
■ All contact numbers
■ Address
■ Employment status or education information if applicable
Within the registry includes details of the offender’s crime(s) such as the date of conviction, penalties incurred, type of assault, risk level of the offender, and the age of the victim. All this information is open to the public and can be found on the online database. The registry is updated every thirty (30) to ninety (90) days, depending on severity of the crime. Also, postcards may be sent out to the neighboring community about specific offenders to inform residents. Sex offenders will be charged with a felony if he or she fails to update his or her
1

Kogan Prober,, Megan’s Law in Texas, National Lawyer Search (Feb. 20, 2014 1:10 am UK) http://www.nationallawyersearch.com/criminal­law/megans­law­in­texas/ registry. Federal Components of Megan’s Law Id
● State­to­state tracking of sex offenders
● Alerts to the community if a registered sex offender moves into the neighborhood
● Life in prison with no chance of parole if a sex offender is convicted twice of sexual assault Federal law passed in 1996 requiring all sex offenders to register on a national database in ALL states.2 James W.H. McCord et al., Criminal Law and Procedure for the Paralegal: A Systems
Approach, 33 (4th ed. 2012) Local authorities, victims, and advocacy groups are