Registry removal is free (for now)
Federal data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that 78% of the total population in the United States have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. That indicates that perhaps over fifty million American adults are unvaccinated.
But what about the number of registrants who are eligible to be removed from the North Carolina sex offender registry? Initial data show that 41% of Tier 1 (lowest risk) registrants are eligible to petition for removal. Remarkably, initial data indicates a significant number of North Carolina registrants reaching eighteen years or longer of compliance without one attempt at deregistration.
What are the similarities between COVID vaccinations and petition removals? They are both free and could save lives allowing reintegration into society without the need to mask. Even if you miss a year, there is an opportunity to utilize either later down the road.
The current cost to file a petition with a county clerk for sex offense removal in North Carolina is zero. That is a bargain compared to South Carolina’s $250 and Virginia’s $86 removal fees (excluding the required fingerprint fees).
While there is high speculation that this will be the final round of free COVID vaccinations, the same could be said for a free registry petition. The new eCourts will go live soon all across North Carolina. It is an expensive endeavor that is free for now but eventually will require additional funding to maintain and sustain. Only time will tell.
The bottom line is that there are opportunities at no cost readily available to the public that often is dismissive by the people who need them the most. Every legislative body in the nation is politically quiet without rattling a cage to develop austerity schemes in the form of cuts or cost-associated services. Eventually, America must begin recouping the money it spent on COVID in addition to the billions of dollars on other programs created. The public registry is no stranger and eventually will become a rallying point that fees must be assessed to become sustainable. If a person qualifies to petition for registry removal, then it may behoove them to do so quickly before it becomes a costly endeavor.
Is it possible to reduce the minimum required time on the registry for a tier 1 offender?
My husband has been on the registry for 18 years. Prior to him being accused of ‘inappropriate touching’ by a family member, he was in his sixties and had never had so much as a traffic ticket. We didn’t have the funds to fight the allegations and the people making the accusation had plenty of money to ensure things went their way. The family member was 13 at the time. My husband has done everything required of him and this is the only thing on his record. He is 80 now and would love to be off this registry before he leaves this world.
Without knowing what county your husband resides in, it is difficult to recommend an attorney for you to schedule a consultation for registry removal. However, NCRSOL highly recommends contacting a criminal defense attorney in your county for assistance in filing a petition for removal from the sex offender registry.
I would like to speak with someone about getting removed from SR.
Once a person is off parole they should be removed from register if they are low risk
Does that person who is low risk still have to wait 10 years to petition for removal or can they now? If only the low risk people didn’t have to wait a whole 10 years to remove it, like make it 2-5 years or something. It’s just really annoying, and also give them a 2nd chance to expunge it as well!
Ten years is the statutory minimum time for registration in North Carolina.