Failure to Update the Sex Offender Registry

Involvement with the criminal justice system often means feeling that you must watch your every move, even long after your case has passed. If you have a criminal conviction on your record, even if it is for a misdemeanor, then if you face criminal charges for another offense later on, the stakes will be higher than they were the first time. If you are on community supervision after serving a prison sentence, you are always at risk of going back to prison for a minor mistake that otherwise would not result in jail time, or perhaps would not even be illegal at all, such as buying a bottle of vodka from a liquor store with proof of age in the form of a valid Texas driver’s license.

No one feels this more acutely than people who must remain on the sex offender registry for years after completing a prison or probation sentence for a sexual offense, even if it did not involve physical contact. It becomes a vicious cycle, as the information on your background check and on the sex offender registry makes it harder to find stable housing and employment, and Texas law requires registered sex offenders to update the registry with all changes to their address or workplace.

If you are in legal trouble because of alleged errors with the sex offender registry, contact a Texas sex crime attorney.

Can the Police Issue a Warrant for Your Arrest When You Did Nothing?

A man from Abilene served ten years in prison for a sex offense. Upon his release from prison in 2019, a law enforcement officer explained to him the requirements for registering as a sex offender and for updating his registry. The press release on the Department of Justice website did not indicate how long the defendant was required to remain on the sex offender registry, but sex offenses that result in long prison sentences, such as the one he served, often carry decades-long requirements to remain registered after release.

According to the Department of Justice website, the man was arrested in Abilene in 2022 for failing to notify the registry of his new job when he changed employment. In November 2023, a long time had gone by since he had updated the registry, and authorities issued a warrant for his arrest. He was later arrested during a traffic stop in Oklahoma.

In this incident, as in any case where someone is accused of doing something that carries criminal penalties, the defendant has the right to representation by a criminal defense lawyer. If you are required to register as a sex offender in Texas because of a previous conviction, whether the conviction occurred in Texas or another state, you should consult a criminal defense lawyer if you think that law enforcement is suspecting you or breaking the registration rules.

Contact the Law Office of Patrick J. McLain, PLLC, About Criminal Defense Cases

A Dallas criminal defense lawyer can help you fight charges involving failure to comply with sex offender registration rules. Contact the Law Office of Patrick J. McLain, PLLC in Dallas, Texas to discuss your case.