Section 15-20A-23
Adult sex offender - Relief from residency restriction.
(a) A sex offender required to register under this chapter may petition the court for relief from the residency restriction pursuant to subsection (a) of Section 15-20A-11 during the time a sex offender is terminally ill or permanently immobile, or the sex offender has a debilitating medical condition requiring substantial care or supervision or requires placement in a residential health care facility.
(b) A petition for relief pursuant to this section shall be filed in the civil division of the circuit court of the county in which the sex offender seeks relief from the residency restriction.
(c) The sex offender shall serve a copy of the petition by certified mail on all of the following:
(1) The prosecuting attorney in the county of adjudication or conviction, if the sex offender was adjudicated or convicted in this state.
(2) The prosecuting attorney of the county where the sex offender seeks relief from the residency restriction.
(3) Local law enforcement where the sex offender was adjudicated or convicted if the sex offender was adjudicated or convicted in this state.
(4) Local law enforcement where the adult sex offender seeks relief from the residency restriction.
(d) The petition and documentation to support the request for relief shall include all of the following:
(1) A certified copy of the adjudication or conviction requiring registration, including a detailed description of the sex offense.
(2) A list of each county, municipality, and jurisdiction where the sex offender is required to register or has ever been required to register.
(3) The sex offender's criminal record and an affidavit stating that the sex offender has no pending criminal charges.
(4) Notarized documentation of the sex offender's condition by his or her medical provider.
(5) A release allowing the prosecuting attorney or the court to obtain any other medical records or documentation relevant to the petition.
(6) Any other information requested by the court relevant to the petition.
(e) Upon notification of the petition, the prosecuting attorney shall make reasonable efforts to notify the victim of the crime for which the sex offender is required to register of the petition and the dates and times of any hearings or other proceedings in connection with the petition.
(f) The court shall hold a hearing within 30 days of the filing of the petition. Upon request of the prosecuting attorney, and for good cause shown, the hearing may be continued to allow the prosecuting attorney to obtain any relevant records pertinent to the hearing. At the hearing the prosecuting attorney and the victim shall have the opportunity to be heard.
(g) The court shall issue an order releasing the sex offender from the residency restrictions pursuant to subsection (a) of Section 15-20A-11 if the court finds by clear and convincing evidence that the sex offender (1) is terminally ill, permanently immobile, has a debilitating medical condition requiring substantial care or supervision, or requires placement in a residential health care facility and (2) does not pose a substantial risk of perpetrating any future sexual offense. The court may relieve a sex offender from any residency restrictions indefinitely or for a specific period of time.
(h) The court shall send a copy of any order releasing a sex offender from residency restrictions pursuant to subsection (a) of Section 15-20A-11 to the prosecuting attorney and the Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency.
(i) If the court finds that the sex offender still poses a risk, has provided false or misleading information in support of the petition, or failed to serve the petition and supporting documentation upon the parties as provided for in subsection (c), then the petition shall be denied.
(j) If the petition for release is denied, the sex offender may not file a subsequent petition for at least 12 months from the date of the final order on the previous petition unless good cause is shown and the sex offender's mental or physical condition has severely changed.
(k) If at any time the sex offender is no longer terminally ill, permanently immobile, or no longer suffers from a debilitating medical condition requiring substantial care or supervision or no longer requires placement in a residential health care facility, the sex offender shall immediately register in person with local law enforcement in each county of residence, update all required registration information, and comply with the residency restriction pursuant to subsection (a) of Section 15-20A-11.
(l) No sex offender petitioning the court under this section for an order terminating the sex offender's obligation to comply with the residency restrictions is entitled to publicly funded experts or publicly funded witnesses.
(m) Upon request of the state, the court may reinstate the restrictions pursuant to subsection (a) of Section 15-20A-11 for good cause shown, including, but not limited to, whenever the grounds for a relief order issued pursuant to subsection (g) are revealed to be false or no longer true. No filing fee may be assessed for a petition filed under this subsection.
(n) Notwithstanding any state or local rule assigning costs and fees for filing and processing civil and criminal cases, a sex offender's petition under this section shall be assessed a filing fee in the amount of two hundred dollars ($200) to be distributed as provided in Section 15-20A-46. The filing fee may be waived initially and taxed as costs at the conclusion of the case if the court finds that payment of the fee will constitute a substantial hardship. A verified statement of substantial hardship, signed by the sex offender and approved by the court, shall be filed with the clerk of court.
(o) If a sex offender seeks relief from the court pursuant to this section, the enforcement of this chapter shall not be stayed pending a ruling of the court.
(p) A person who knowingly provides false or misleading information pursuant to this section shall be guilty of a Class C felony.
(Act 2011-640, p. 1569, §23; Act 2015-463, p. 1506, §1; Act 2017-414, §5.)