When convicted of certain sex crimes under the California Penal Code, the convict is required to register under the California sex offender registration law. Moreover, the convict must also make sure to renew the registration as needed (each 5-year term or change of address). However, what happens if the person fails to register in the system? Said failure will result in subsequent charges and penalties, which will be discussed in this article.
It does not matter what personal reasons the convicted individual may have for not wanting to register (wanting to move on or believing to be fully rehabilitated) – if they must still be registered according to their tier and offense, then they must do so. The penalty that applies for failing to register, or updating the address of the registration, will depend on the conviction that resulted in the need to register in the first place. If the sex crime was a misdemeanor, failing to register will be a misdemeanor offense as well. Furthermore, if the original crime was a felony, then the failure will be charged as a felony.
For those convicted with the misdemeanor offense, they face up to one year in county jail. Those with a felony offense will require up to three years in a California state prison. These additional convictions will be added on to the person’s criminal history, making a failure to register a serious offense. However, if the person who must register is falsely accused of this offense, it is very important that they seek the counsel of an experienced lawyer – like those at Law Advocate Group, LLP. – to ensure a legal defense that best argues for their rights.
