Failing to register as a sex offender can be due to many reasons, including but not limited to a lack of clarity about the jurisdictions where registration is needed, forgetfulness, a difficulty in finding time to complete your registration, or changes to the law you didn’t know about. Unfortunately, Arizona law does not offer many ways to make up for missing your registration period, which can lead to serious penalties.
If you’re in trouble for failing to register or re-register, Charity Clark Law can help. With experience during both the pre-trial and post-conviction processes for sex crimes, attorney Charity Clark has gained a comprehensive understanding of the legal procedures for offenses of this nature. Her 12+ years of legal expertise and dedicated team guarantee that your case will be handled expertly and with consideration for you as an individual. For more information, contact our offices for a consultation or continue browsing our website.
Following the conviction for certain sex crimes, the responsibility is on the convicted to maintain registration in all their places of work, residence, or study. To do this, you will need to go in person to the relevant county sheriff’s office sometime during your birth month. These offices will typically be open only on weekdays during business hours, potentially by appointment only, which requires some planning on your part to find the time to travel and complete the necessary documentation.
Along with initial registration, you will need to re-register every year sometime during your birth month and alert the county sheriff of any address or name changes. Typically, you will also have to give information about any vehicles you own, possess, or regularly drive (such as a vehicle for work) with your registration. Though the primary registry locations will be those in which you work, live, or study, Arizona law also has specific requirements for those who are transient, for out of state residents who work or study in Arizona for a period of time exceeding fourteen (14) consecutive or thirty (30) aggregate days as well as specific registration requirements for transient persons. Further, registration laws in Arizona have been known to change in very substantive ways without notice to those required to register.
Given the rules above, it’s easy to imagine how something could slip through the cracks. Though there are many difficulties in maintaining accurate and up to date registration and in being on the sex offender registry in general, Arizona law views a failure to register as a sex offender as a serious offense and it is a:
Receiving a felony conviction usually means the loss of certain civil rights, with their restoration only possible after years of waiting and completing complex application processes. Therefore, it is important to do as much as possible to reduce your charges when you get them, and be diligent about not failing to register in the future.
The baseline penalties for this felony charge is:
It is important to note that because a failure to register is likely a subsequent felony to the one that required registration, penalties are often higher due to being a higher class of felony:
As these are strict liability offenses, your outcome is heavily dependent on potential negotiations prior to a plea agreement, application of the law to your situation, and potentially the discretion of the judge. A strong defense can greatly benefit the impression you and your case make and can be especially helpful for a charge like failure to register, which isn’t always committed out of malice.
Make sure to inform your lawyer about any prior convictions you may have, even for failure to register, as these will push you into a more severe penalty class by default. Whether that means you receive a higher class of felony or an “aggravated” charge with longer prison and probationary periods, an experienced attorney may still be able to keep from serving the
Charity Clark is one of the smartest attorneys I’ve ever met. She is aggressive, intelligent, and not afraid to fight for you. Her trial skills are unmatched. She knows how to handle a jury and argues the law like a champ. She will champion her client until the end and achieves real results.
Charity was amazing and took care of everything. She answered all my questions quickly and was so polite. They took care of my case with ease and definitely took a load off my shoulders. Not only did they both do great work they got the response from the court we were hoping for. Charity is "THE BEST".
Charity Clark and her team at Charity Clark Law want to help you take a step in the right direction. If you are committed to doing what’s necessary to secure your freedom and rights, contacting an attorney with specific expertise in the area of sex crimes and failing to register as a sex offender is the first step to a more secure future. With over a decade of experience in the courtroom defending Arizonans against criminal charges, Charity Clark combines creativity and a deep knowledge of the law in each of her clients’ defense strategies.
To better serve prospective clients, we offer free 30 minute consultations with Charity Clark herself to evaluate your case, learn about acquiring legal representation, and discuss your next steps. Contact our office to schedule an appointment today!
