A conviction for a sex offense carries a harsh punishment. In addition to imprisonment and fines, everyone convicted of these offenses carries the label of “sex offender” for the rest of their lives. Even those who were wrongly convicted or successfully treated face the stigma and loss of reputation associated with these offenses.
Texas’s sex offender registry program is designed to make this stigma as burdensome and public as possible. Worse yet, any failure to register as a sex offender in Fort Worth, TX, can result in punishment regardless of the reason. A Fort Worth criminal defense lawyer from Cofer Luster Criminal Defense Lawyers defends registrants from these charges.call (682) 777-3336 or contact us today to schedule a consultation.
How Cofer Luster Criminal Defense Lawyers Can Help With Criminal Charges In Fort Worth, TX
Cofer Luster Criminal Defense Lawyers was founded in 2018 to defend the rights of people in Fort Worth, Texas. The firm’s criminal defense attorneys have over 60 years of combined legal experience standing up to the government on behalf of people accused of criminal offenses.
We provide the following services when the state investigates or charges you with a crime:
- Listen to your side of the story and develop a defense strategy
- Investigate your case and review the prosecution’s evidence
- Gather exculpatory and mitigating evidence
- Defend you vigorously in plea negotiations and at trial
Charges of violating Texas’s sex offender registration laws can prevent you from moving past your history and living your life. Contact Cofer Luster Criminal Defense Lawyers for a confidential consultation with a Fort Worth criminal defense attorney to discuss your charges and the defenses we can raise.
Registration Requirements Under Texas Law
Texas’s sex offender registry was intended to help the police track people convicted of certain offenses. It also allowed members of the public to identify registrants. Although the state argues that this system serves public safety, the registry’s provisions can feel punitive.
The state publishes registrants’ personal information, including their charges, online. It requires them to check in regularly long after their parole or probation ends. It can even mail postcards to their neighbors to notify them of the registrant’s status.
Understandably, some registrants consciously or subconsciously fail to follow the system’s requirements. However, prosecutors can charge people with crimes when they fail to do so.
People convicted of the following offenses in Texas or another jurisdiction must register:
- Sexual abuse of a child or disabled individual
- Bestiality
- Indecency with a child
- Sexual assault
- Statutory rape
- Possession or promotion of child pornography
- Some cases of kidnapping and burglary
- Indecent exposure
- Human trafficking
- Online enticement of a minor
Registrants must provide the following information to their local police agency or centralized registration authority:
- Name, birthdate, physical description, and Social Security and driver’s license numbers
- Physical address
- Aliases
- Recent photograph and fingerprints
- Offense, date of conviction, punishment received, and victim’s age
- Professional and business licenses
- Employers and school names and addresses
- Online identifiers, including email addresses and social media account names
- Vehicle registration numbers and descriptions
Registrants must register within seven days of sentencing or their release from custody. They must also notify the registering agency of any change in the required information within seven days, including changing jobs or residences.
These requirements may last ten years or for the registrant’s lifetime, depending on the threat level assigned by the state. Registrants in the lower threat level must appear in person annually to verify their information. Those in the higher threat level must verify in person every 90 days.
Possible Punishments For Failing To Register
A failure to comply with the registration requirements happens when a registrant does any of the following:
- Misses the deadline to register or verify
- Provides incorrect information to the registry
- Fails to update information on the registry
Texas’s statute does not require intent. Thus, prosecutors need not prove that you deliberately avoided registering or updating the registry. The failure is, by itself, enough for a conviction.
Upon conviction, you can face a minimum of 180 days in jail or a mandatory minimum of five years in prison, depending on your assigned threat level and registration requirements.
Defenses To Charges Of Failure To Register
The registry statute is written to give you very few defenses to this charge. Your attorney can argue that you complied with the requirements and that any discrepancy was an administrative error by the registering agency. An officer typing your address might have transposed numbers or misspelled your street name.
Your lawyer can argue that the state or registering agency provided incorrect information. For example, the state might send you a letter stating that you must register annually when it should have sent a letter requiring verifications every 90 days.
Finally, your lawyer can present evidence that you were physically unable to meet the law’s requirements. You might have been hospitalized and unable to leave during your window for registration or verification.
Contact Our Fort Worth, TX, Sex Crimes Lawyers For A Confidential Consultation
Texas’s sex offender registration laws impose heavy-handed punishments for violations. Contact Cofer Luster Criminal Defense Lawyers for a confidential consultation to learn how we can help you resolve charges of failure to register.
