After a difficult court hearing (a type of law negotiation where a change in court penalty is to be discussed and agreed upon) was made in January 2011, he had stayed registered in New York State as a "level three" (high risk of repeat offense) sex offender for the rest of his life. At that court hearing, the Manhattan District Attorney tried to argue that Epstein should be reduced to a low-risk "level one", but he was refused by the judge. Epstein told the judge that his "main" home was in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The judge told him that he had to check in with the New York Police Department every 90days. Even though Epstein had been a level-three registered sex offender in New York since 2010, the New York Police Department never enforced the 90-day regulation, despite the fact that not following these rules is considered against the law.