Law Firm Announces Plans to Help Those Incorrectly Listed on Sex Offender Registry

6-29-2013 Oklahoma:

OKLAHOMA CITY, — Following a landmark decision by the Oklahoma Supreme Court, M.K. Bailey Law Offices announces it plans to help Oklahoma residents incorrectly placed on the state’s sex offender registry. This ruling resulted from the case of Starkey v. Oklahoma Department of Corrections, filed by plaintiff James Starkey, who found his registration period extended retroactively.

The law firm mailed letters to offenders placed on the list before November 1, 2007, or those affected by a November 2009 amendment increasing level assessments. That amendment placed offenders back onto the registry for life or retroactively, and without a hearing.

Oklahoma’s Supreme Court ruled that forcing prior offenders back onto the registry or extending the time frame is unconstitutional. As a result, M.K. Bailey is reaching out to those forced onto the list between November 2007 and November 2009, reminding them that they must petition the court in order to have their status changed.

“We find this monumental ruling by the Oklahoma Supreme Court very satisfying,” said attorney Mark K. Bailey. “These citizens have paid for their crimes, and when they were convicted, they understood that state-mandated registration would be a part of life. But to retroactively force people back onto the registry, or to require registration for people who never believed registration was part of their conviction, it’s not just unfair–it’s unconstitutional.”

The Starkey case ruling also echoes rules of law championed by M.K. Bailey attorneys in recent years. “The Supreme Court of Oklahoma has re-affirmed the position that I have always held- that no matter what, everyone should be treated the same under our laws and not be singled out as these individuals have been in the last twenty years,” said Bailey. ..Source.. by M.K. Bailey Law Offices is a full service law firm offering legal representation for criminal defense, civil cases, juvenile crimes, personal injury, and workers compensation. For over 20 years, M.K. Bailey attorneys have created strong defenses by custom-tailoring legal strategies to their clients’ individual needs.