Our Palm Beach Sex Crime Defense Lawyer May Help Minimize Impacts to Your Housing and Employment
Being charged with a sex crime in Palm Beach can have far-reaching consequences that extend beyond potential jail time, fines, and inclusion in the Florida Sexual Offender Predator System. At The Law Offices of Robert David Malove, we understand the profound impact a sex offender status can have on your life, including your housing and employment. Our skilled Palm Beach criminal defense lawyers are committed to protecting your rights and future.
How Sex Offender Status Affects Where You Can Live
Florida law imposes strict residency restrictions on some registered sex offenders that significantly limit where they can live. Florida statute 948.30(1)(b) prohibits some sex offenders from living within 1,000 feet of any school, daycare center, park, playground, or other place where children regularly congregate. This law most often applies if the alleged victim was under the age of 18. The 1,000-foot distance is measured in a straight line from the residence to the nearest boundary of the school, daycare, park, playground, or other place. However, the law provides an exception to this rule if you already live somewhere and a school, daycare, park, or other place where children congregate is built after you move in.
This restriction severely limits housing options, especially in urban areas, and can make finding suitable housing extremely challenging.
Places You Can't Work If You Are a Convicted Sex Offender
A sex offender's status can also severely limit employment opportunities. For example, your employment may be limited in any job that occurs where children regularly congregate. This may include schools, childcare facilities, libraries, zoos, and other places. This ban extends to public and private institutions and includes positions that might not involve direct contact with children.
In some cases, your employment in a health care profession, law enforcement or security job, or job that requires professional licensing may also be affected.
How to Avoid the Consequences of Being on the Sex Offender Registry With the Help of a Palm Beach Sex Crime Defense Lawyer
The most effective strategy to prevent the life-altering consequences of sex offender registration is to avoid a conviction altogether. Accordingly, it’s essential to defend yourself against sex crime charges by:
- Seeking legal help early. Early intervention allows your lawyer to start building a defense strategy immediately, potentially influencing the direction of the case before it progresses too far. Additionally, your lawyer can make sure the government is protecting your constitutional rights and that you don’t make any mistakes that could impact your future.
- Conducting a thorough investigation. A skilled sex crime defense attorney will conduct a comprehensive investigation into the charges, examining all evidence and identifying any weaknesses in the prosecution's case.
- Challenging evidence. Your lawyer can work to suppress any evidence that may have been obtained illegally or challenge the credibility of witnesses. These tactics can significantly weaken the prosecution's case and increase the chances of a favorable outcome.
- Negotiating with prosecutors. In some cases, an experienced attorney may be able to negotiate with prosecutors to reduce charges or agree to a plea deal that avoids sex offender registration. This can be a crucial strategy in minimizing long-term consequences.
- Preparing for trial. If your case goes to trial, having a well-prepared defense is essential. Your attorney should be ready to present a compelling case that creates reasonable doubt in the minds of jurors.
At The Law Offices of Robert David Malove, we understand the high stakes involved in sex crime cases. Our experienced Florida sex crime defense attorneys are prepared to provide the robust defense you need to protect your future.
We encourage you to review our case results and client reviews to learn more about us and how we’ve handled other high-stakes criminal defense cases in South Florida. While each case is unique and we can't guarantee specific results, our commitment to providing aggressive, effective defense is unwavering.