Georgia sex offender registration laws may be changed
The passage of tough sex offender laws three years ago has been criticized by civil rights groups as being too harsh and too broad. Georgia lawmakers are now contemplating changing the toughest provisions of the sex offender laws to quell the debate.
The Macon Georgia Telegraph has the story.
The tougher laws against sex offenders were passed in 2006 in hopes of preventing the state from becoming a haven for sex offenders. Indeed, the laws passed in 2006 are said to be among the toughest in the nation and have sparked many court cases and controversy. One provision prevents offenders from living or working within 1,000 feet of almost anywhere children congregate. Another provision prevents offenders from volunteering in churches.
The current law also treats those convicted with crimes such as statutory rape, which deals with consensual relations, the same as those who are convicted of more serious crimes such as child molestation. Proposed changes would allow offenders convicted of statutory rape to petition the court to be removed from the state’s sex offender registry.
Other changes would allow the homeless to use a street on which they stay when registering instead of having to provide a home address so as to comply with the law. Offenders would also not be required to hand over internet passwords to officials under the revised law.
The changes in the law are supported by sheriff’s groups, defense attorneys, civil rights groups, and many lawmakers. We'll see.
Pate & Brody is an accomplished Georgia law firm with offices in Atlanta, Macon and Madison. Our lawyers are dedicated to pursuing justice for people charged with serious crimes. We have successfully represented clients facing serious federal criminal charges and state criminal charges in courts across Georgia. Our lawyers have been recognized on the list of Georgia's "Super Lawyers", and included among Georgia's "Legal Elite" by Georgia Trend Magazine. Our firm is also listed in the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers by Martindale-Hubbell.
