Fail to Register as Sex Offender MGL c 6 § 178C, Client receives a CWOF and avoids a felony conviction and jail sentence.

• Steven Topazio wrote this July 29, 2016 at 5:32 pm

The client, a 50 year old individual, was arrested for the crime of failing to register as a sex offender, hired Massachusetts Criminal Attorney Steven J. Topazio to defend him.  The client had previously been convicted of the crime of indecent assault and battery on a child and was required to register as a sex offender annually with the police.  After a routine check, the Wareham Police report revealed that the client no longer resided at the registered address he provided to the Wareham police the year earlier.  The Commonwealth argued that the client not only knowingly failed to register, but also knowingly failed to provide notice of a change of address as required by law and wanted the client to be found guilty to this felony charge.  Failing to register as a sex offender is punishable by a state prison sentence of not more than 5 years which makes this offense a felony, or a house of correction sentence of not less than 6 months, and not more than 2 ½ years.  Despite the district attorney’s recommendation, Attorney Topazio was able to persuade the court to give his client a continuance without a finding which avoided the felony conviction as well as avoiding a committed jail sentence.