Georgia criminal defense lawyers successful in striking down part of sex offender registration statute
Earlier today, the Georgia Supreme Court struck down a portion of the Georgia sex offender registration statute. The Court found that the statute is unconstitutionally vague because it does not sufficiently inform homeless persons how to register if they have no residential address.
The Atlanta Journal Constitution has the story. A copy of the full opinion can be found on the Georgia Supreme Court website.
This decision is especially important to William James Santos, the man who brought the legal challenge. He had been sentenced to life in prison because it was his second conviction for failing to register. An unfortunate and ridiculous result of the mandatory penalties of this statute.
We'll soon see how the Georgia legislature attempts to deal with this rejection of one of its most poorly drafted and confused laws.
