Welcome back and thanks for joining us for the wrap up of this discussion about how teens are affected by sex crime laws here in Michigan. As we’ve pointed out in the previous two articles, teens can end up being prosecuted for child pornography simply for sharing nude pictures of each other during ‘sexting’, and also face revenge porn charges for sharing nudes of ex girlfriends and boyfriends online. But what does that mean for a teenager here in Michigan? In what ways does facing sex crime charges affect a youth in Michigan? Let’s take a look…
Michigan charges minors like adults for certain felonies.
Being young won’t save you from decades, if not a life, behind bars. In some cases, Michigan teens can be prosecuted as adults, which means some very serious prison time (and in the case of sex crimes, that’s often the case!) So one of the first things to keep in mind when considering how sex crime charges could affect a teenager here in the Great Lakes State is to remember that being young doesn’t always count in your favor. If the prosecutor decides your crime was serious enough, and if the offense is one that can lawfully be charged as adult, or you’re not remorseful enough, they can charge you like an adult! These are called waiver cases. Scary stuff!
Being a registered sex offender can ruin everything.
Whether you’re on the Michigan Sex Offender Registry for 15 years, 25 years, or life, that’s a looooong time to have all those restrictions on your life. And in case you’re not familiar with what it means to have your name put on this particular registry, it means this:
- You can’t live, work, or ‘loiter’ within 1,000 feet of a school. (Think about that – it would be very challenging, especially if you’re still in school yourself!)
- This would be revealed every time you applied for a job, which means you’re a lot less likely to get a good job (because most employers don’t want a convicted sex offender on their payroll, and many simply can’t hire one because of work policies.)
- You would have to report to the police every time you got a new job, bought a new car, or moved to a new home. (MSP wants to know where and how to find you at all times, and failing to report could get you tossed back in the slammer!)
- Your online life would be an open book to the cops. Sex offender registry rules say you have to report any and all email addresses, social media profiles and online handles to the cops. So that means zero internet privacy for you.
And those are only a small section of the restrictions you’d have to live with. Teens convicted of sex crimes lose many of their freedoms, and their chances for a good future. Which is where the importance of a top notch criminal lawyer comes in.
Choosing your lawyer is like choosing your future.
If a teen is charged with a sex crime, the kind of lawyer they have defending them is going to make all the difference to their future. A tenacious and aggressive defense attorney with decades of experience and a successful track record can work to provide you with the best outcome in your case. A lazy, inexperienced, or overly-cautious attorney ensures that you’ll be poorly represented and your outcome will be a bad one. Call The Kronzek Firm when you’re ready to hire Michigan’s top criminal defense lawyers at 866 766 5245 (866 7No Jail) and make sure your future is properly protected!