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Trying a Failure to Register as a Sex Offender

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January 15, 2006, 17:54
LP
Trying a Failure to Register as a Sex Offender
Anyone tried one? They almost always plea, but I have a defendant that is refusing to plea, so I am going to try him. Anything I need to watch out for?
January 15, 2006, 18:54
Gordon LeMaire
Make sure the address is correct. And that he is reporting (or not reporting) to the proper authority.
January 17, 2006, 10:16
MW
I tried my first one a few months ago. The only thing that concerned me was voir dire. Most people were ready to convict once they heard the charge. My defendant's violation was about as technical as they come, too. A good way to keep the jury from getting carried away is to tell them that there are countless ways in which a person can become a registered sex offender in Texas -- even for seemingly non-sex-related crimes, i.e. kidnapping. Once the jury hears "sex offender" they expect the guy to have gone to prison for molesting a kid. You just have to convince them that's not necessarily the case.