On behalf of Rosenblum Schwartz & Fry posted in Sex Crimes on Tuesday, October 16, 2018.
Sex offender-linked numbers and statistics in Missouri can seem a bit muddied and impersonal, with human stories sometimes being muted (victims’ tales, of course, but sometimes those of convicted offenders as well) in lieu of an emphasis on reams of numerical data.
Missouri has always been a state where criminal law powers have come down hard on offenders, even in some instances where crimes were not even remotely linked with sexual conduct.
We alluded to that in a recent Rosenblum Schwartz & Fry blog post. Our August 27 entry noted that state law concerning offender registry has for years featured an “everyone lumped together” philosophy that can play life-long havoc with individuals “who are unlikely to ever become second offenders.”
Brendan Glaser is one of those people.
Glaser’s story was featured recently in a St. Louis Post-Dispatch article underscoring the need for fairness and consistency in Missouri’s sex offender registration program.
Glaser is a convicted felon who served his sentence. As part of that, he was required to register as a sex offender, an outcome that he says appreciably harmed him for years in job searches and other opportunities.
Glaser’s wrongdoing had absolutely nothing to do with sexual behavior. Rather, he was part of a group that robbed a suspected drug dealer.
That individual was 17 years old, which made Glaser’s crime felonious restraint involving a minor. That charge mandated Glaser’s inclusion on the sex registry.
Reportedly, that heavy onus was recently lifted, but only after a lengthy legal battle through several Missouri courts. The bottom line, notes the Post-Dispatch piece, is that “common sense at last prevailed.”
We note in the above-cited blog post that material changes surrounding registration have recently been made via a new statutory enactment. Notwithstanding that, though, many individuals continue to step forward with arguments that their inclusion on the offender registry is both illogical and unwarranted.
Questions or concerns regarding Missouri sex offender registration can be directed to seasoned attorneys at a proven St. Louis criminal defense law firm.