Megan’s law has been around for almost 30 years in many states and on a federal level. These laws are in place to help protect citizens from sex offenders while also making it harder to recommit. It’s definitely a complicated subject and most people don’t know a whole lot about it other than the fact that it’s the law that established sex offender registries. California megans law is what California calls its sex offender registry, but is the law in California the same as the Federal Megan’s Law?
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The Origins of Megan’s Law.
Megans Law was passed in 1996 after a terrible tragedy struck the family of a young New Jersey girl. Megan Kanka was the name of the girl, and she was brutally raped and murdered by her neighbor in 1994. The neighbor had been charged with crimes of a sexual nature and was a known pedophile. Had Megan’s Law already been in effect this neighbor would have been on a sex offender registry and Megan’s family would have known that he posed a threat. Lawmakers realized this then promptly drafted and passed Megan’s Law in hopes that it would help prevent tragedies like Megan’s from being repeated.
So is California’s Megan’s Law the Same as the Federal Megan’s Law?
The short answer is kind of. Megan’s law is the name of the federal law that was passed in 1996. As the federal Megan’s Law was being passed many states followed suit and started passing their own version, in many cases borrowing heavily from the federal law. While California does borrow a lot from the federal law, it is still distinctly a California law. In fact, every state that has its own version of Megan’s Law only uses the name informally while borrowing from the federal government.
The state of California also has Jessica’s Law which is also to help protect citizens from potential sexual predators. Jessica’s Law was passed in 2006 and mandated that no sex offender can loiter or live within 2,000 feet of a school or public park. Jessica’s Law is another law that was birthed from tragedy, but it does a good job at further ensuring the safety of communities all over the state.
How to Find the California Megan’s Law Website?
Finding the sex offender registry is a very easy process no matter the state. Most people will simply search for California Megan’s Law in their preferred search engine. In the vast majority of cases, you can expect the California Department of Justice hosted website to appear as the first search result. The registry is comprised of information collected by the California Sex and Arson Registry and is updated any time new information is available. If you’re looking to see who in your community might pose a threat to you or your family the California Megan’s Law website is the best place to look to ensure that you’re as up to date on the information as possible.
California Sex Offender Safety.
Safety is the number one priority of millions of Americans. Precautions are taken on the personal, family, state, federal, and even corporate levels to ensure that people are as safe as possible whether they’re driving down the street or trying to be sure that they know who in their community is a potential sexual predator. The internet has made obtaining information about sex offenders easier than ever, and thanks to law enforcement officials you can be sure that you’re getting the most accurate information available. As time goes on it’s possible that even more laws will be passed with the goal of protecting people from sex offenders.
***Registered Offenders List is a free online resource that strives to offer helpful content and resources to its visitors regarding registered sex offenders that live near you.