A new law to crack down on sex offenders in California and to track convicted criminals on parole was signed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on September 9, 2010. According to a news report in the San Francisco Examiner, Chelsea’s Law is named after Chelsea King, who was raped and murdered by a convicted sex offender in San Diego in February. Chelsea’s Law (AB 1822) mandates GPS tracking for those on parole who have been convicted of sexually assaulting minors under the age of 14. The new law also allows life sentences without parole for some California sex offenders and imposes stricter parole conditions for many sex offenders.
As Los Angeles sex crime defense lawyers, we know that there is a flip side to this issue. Unfortunately, the new law may also take away the rights of those who are falsely charged with sexual assault. Having a GPS track your every move is just one more consequence that comes from being convicted of a sex crime in California. Convicted sex offenders, in addition to facing incarceration, are also required to register as a sex offender for the rest of their lives under California law.
If you have been charged with a sex crime in California, it is crucial that you contact a skilled Los Angeles County sex crime defense lawyer immediately. Speaking with authorities without legal representation can be detrimental to your case and have devastating consequences. The criminal defense attorneys at Sitkoff & Hanrahan understand that the stakes are high for those charged with sex crimes. If you have been accused of committing a sex crime, please call us at 1-866-430-8383. Our skilled criminal defense team will review your case and aggressively fight the charges against you.