California has strict sex offender registration requirements. If you are supposed to register as a sex offender and you fail to do so, you can face criminal charge under California Penal Code 290 (PC 290). Depending on the specific circumstances of the case, failure to register may be charged as either a misdemeanor or a felony.
At Strongest Defense, our Ventura County sex crimes defense lawyer has extensive knowledge of the California sex offender registration requirements. If you have any questions about your obligations or if you were charged with violating state law, we can help. Call our Ventura, CA law office today for a free, confidential consultation.
California Penal Code 290 is the state’s primary sex offender registration enforcement provision. Here are five of the most important things to know about you responsibilities under PC 290:
- California Penal Code 290 is often referred to simply as the state’s Sex Offender Registration Act.
- There are three different tiers of sex offenders in California (1,2, and 3). Requirements vary based on your specific tier.
- As a general rule, sex offenders are required to register every time they move to a new location.
- Failure to comply with sex offender registration requirements is a criminal offense. It can be charged as a felony if the underlying crime was a felony.
- Criminal penalties for violating PC 290 can be significant. Among other things, an offender with a felony record could face up to three years in prison.
Law enforcement and prosecutors take sex offender registration requirements very seriously. An offender who violates their duties to register could face severe penalties—including being arrested and sent to prison. If you believe that you breached a registration requirement, you must take immediate action. As an experienced failure to register defense attorney, David Lehr will protect your rights.
While California has strict sex offender registration rules, there are a number of different legal defense available to charges under PC 290. If you are facing a failure to register charge, it is crucial that you consider every potential defense. You may be able to defend this criminal charge on the grounds of:
- Mistake by Authorities: In some cases, law enforcement authorities make errors. If the mistake is on the other side, you can defend a failure to register as a sex offender charge.
- Non Willful Violation (Lack of Understanding): To be a crime under California PC 290, failure to register must be willful. If you were genuinely unaware of your obligations, you may be able to avoid criminal liability for failure to register.
- Good Faith Mistake: Mistakes happen. If you make a good faith mistake in failing to keep up with sex offender registration requirement and worked to rectify the problem, prosecutors can drop PC 290 charges.
If you or a loved one is facing criminal charges for failing to properly register as a sex offender, our legal team is here to listen to your story and explain your options. Call our law firm now to get immediate guidance and support.
If you have been charged with
failing to register as a sex offender in California, call 805-477-0070 now.
We can provide you with a free, strictly private initial consultation.
At Strongest Defense, our California sex crimes defense lawyer is committed to providing solutions-oriented legal representation to individuals facing the full range of legal charges, including failure to register as a sex offender. Our law office is located in Ventura and we serve clients throughout the region, including in Camarillo, Oxnard, Simi Valley, and Thousand Oaks. No law firm can guarantee specific results in a criminal case. No attorney/client relationship has been created.
