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Simple English definitions for legal terms
registration and community-notification law
Read a random definition: Rule 10b-5
A quick definition of registration and community-notification law:
Registration and Community-Notification Law: A law that requires sex offenders who are released from prison to register with a local board and provides a way to share information about them with the community they live in. This law is also known as Megan's Law, named after a seven-year-old girl who was raped and murdered by a twice-convicted sex offender who lived near her house. All states have this law, but only some require community notification, such as publishing offenders' pictures in local newspapers. In other states, people must call a state hotline or submit names of persons they suspect. The federal version of Megan's Law can be found at 42 USCA § 14071.
A more thorough explanation:
Registration and community-notification law, also known as Megan's Law, is a statute that requires sex offenders who are released from prison to register with a local board. This law also provides a way to share information about the registered sex offenders with the community where they live.
For example, if a person is convicted of a sex crime and is released from prison, they must register with the local board. The board will then share information about the offender with the community, such as their name, picture, and address. This is done to help keep the community safe and aware of potential dangers.
Megan's Law was named after a seven-year-old girl named Megan Kanka, who was raped and murdered by a twice-convicted sex offender who lived across the street from her house. This tragedy led to the creation of Megan's Law, which is now in effect in all states in the United States.