Risk Assessment in Registry Removal Cases
Once it has been established that a person meets the statutory criteria for release from the registry, the most important aspect of getting removed from the registry is establishing that the person is not a risk to commit any future offenses. The judge considering the case can only grant the petition for release if he or she finds by a preponderance of the evidence that the petitioner is not a substantial risk to perpetrate any future dangerous sexual offenses. Ben is a Georgia Sex Offender Registry Removal Lawyer that knows how to accomplish this.
While the Sex Offender Registration Review Board of Georgia (SORRB) classifies sex offenders by risk level, it is also important when petitioning for release to get an independent risk assessment done by an experienced and qualified forensic psychologist. SORRB has a very formulaic method of determining risk that fails to take into account numerous other factors empirically proven to be associated with risk, or the lack thereof. These include:
- criminal history
- age at time of conviction
- age at time of release
- relationship to victim
- social history
- family history
- sexual history
- mental health history
- work history
- substance use history
- medical history
Not every registry removal case requires that an independent risk assessment be conducted. For example, if a petitioner was 19 when he was convicted of statutory rape for having sexual intercourse with a 15-year-old, and the petitioner is now 35 without any subsequent criminal record, a professional risk assessment might not be as necessary. As a Sex Offender Registry Release Lawyer in Georgia, Ben has developed a formula of success for each and every type of situation.
Most people petitioning for release, however, will want to come to court with everything they can in order to support their argument that they no longer belong on the registry. And most judges expect for a risk assessment to be introduced into evidence in these cases. Ben has been in the middle of hearings before where judges have come right out and asked him whether his client has been assessed. Ben is always prepared for this.
If you think you may be eligible for sex offender registry removal in Georgia, contact Ben to discuss how he may be able to help.