If you have been convicted of a sex crime in California, you are required to register yourself as a sex offender even after completing your sentence. Not only Californian laws around the sex offenses are harsh, but failing to register as a sex offender can cause severe problems in life and can lead to further legal punishments. Sex offenders are required to register with local police or county sheriff for a specific period of for lifetime depending on their conviction. As long as the offender is living in California in any incorporated or unincorporated area of the state, he or she must list himself and fail to meet this requirement can result in a criminal conviction under penal code clause 290 also known as Megan’s law.
According to the PC 290, anyone who is convicted of a sex crime in California and fails to register or renew registry every year with local police or sheriff’s office is guilty of a failure to register as sex offender and is punishable by law. The prosecutor can prove the charges of ‘failing to register as sex offender’ by establishing the following elements with evidence,
For example, you were convicted of molesting a minor five years back. You move to a new neighborhood within California where no one knows of your conviction. You want to put an end to this chapter of your life, and you did not register in your new area, you can be convicted under PC 290.
At David S. Chesley’s law office, we advise all our clients and potential clients for early intervention of defense counsel. If you have not contacted us at the sex crime trial, we advise you to seek our help at the earliest now. We understand that registering as sex offenders cause serious complications in your life and take a toll on your life. You can be viewed as a pedophile or a rapist by others in your community. It is also taxing to renew registration every year and to register every time you move. We are a team of defense lawyers with over 50 years of court experience; we can fight against the charges of failing to register as sex offender. By investigating reasons for nor registering and convincingly explaining your circumstances in the court, we can make a difference to your case outcomes.