The Massachusetts Sex Offender Registry
After The Trial
For many people convicted of sex offenses, the most devastating consequence is the requirement that they register as a sex offender; in most cases, this is a requirement that will linger long after a criminal sentence has been served. Depending on the level of classification that you receive from the Sex Offender Registry Board (i.e., Level 3/ high risk, Level 2/moderate risk or Level 1/low risk), your name and sex offender status could be posted on the Internet and accessible to your family and neighbors, as well as potential employers and colleagues. In other words, the classification level that you receive from the Sex Offender Registry Board may determine the extent to which you are able to move forward, live and work, and have your life back.
With so much at stake, it is critical that throughout the Sex Offender Registry classification process you have the benefit of guidance and consultation from a Massachusetts sex crimes defense attorney who has highly detailed knowledge of the laws, regulations and Supreme Judicial Court decisions that will guide the Sex Offender Registry Board’s decision regarding your registration status, as well as inside knowledge of the Sex Offender Registry’s internal process and the players involved.
The Classification Process
Whether you have been convicted of a state or federal sex offense, at some point you will face a classification process conducted by the Massachusetts Sex Offender Registry Board. Most practitioners before the Sex Offender Registry Board focus on the single event that comes at the end of what is typically a six-month process: the hearing. But months before that hearing takes place, a Board Member undertakes a preliminary classification of you that will follow you through the process. What many don’t understand is that they have an opportunity to submit information in writing before this preliminary assessment and months before the hearing, hence potentially obtaining a lower classification level before the hearing has been scheduled. Making the most of this preliminary classification can provide you with a tremendous tactical advantage as you go through the Sex Offender Registry classification process.
Boston-based attorney Kate Frame will assess whether you even have an obligation to register as a sex offender in Massachusetts, and if so she will provide the consultation necessary to maximize your chances of obtaining the lowest classification level possible.
The Reclassification Process
You may have an opportunity, three years after your hearing or final classification before the Sex Offender Registry Board, to ask that you be reclassified at a lower level. This reclassification process is set by the Board’s regulations, but is not widely used. Reclassification decisions are made only by the Sex Offender Registry Board Members. Kate Frame, having been involved as a Board Member on hundreds of reclassification decisions, is in a unique position to guide you through this process, assess whether you meet the criteria for a reduction in level, and make the most of what may be your last chance at a lower classification level.
Appointed by the Governor to serve a six-year term on the Sex Offender Registry Board and having acted as the Director of the Hearings Unit, attorney Kate Frame has an insider’s knowledge of the laws, practices and procedures involved and an unmatched ability to obtain a desirable result before the Agency. She has classified hundreds of sex offenders. Attorney Frame knows how the process works, and she is familiar with the Supreme Judicial Court decisions interpreting the Agency’s statute and regulations, as well as the research on sex offender recidivism. She will provide invaluable and skilled consultation as you go through the classification process.
Attorney Frame also provides consultation to other attorneys practicing before the Massachusetts Sex Offender Registry Board.
Contact A Boston Sex Offender Defense Attorney
Because so much can happen even during the trial that can affect the outcome of the Sex Offender Registry Board classification process, it is important to know that you need a lawyer long before the final hearing.
Contact The Law Offices of Kate A. Frame to speak with an attorney about your defense.