Pursuant to 5 T H C IR . R. 47.5 , the court has determined that this opinionshould not * be publishe d an d is not precedent except under the limited circu mstance s set forth in 5 T H C IR . R. 47.5 .4. 

### INTHE UNI TED S TATESCOU RT OFAPPEALS

FORTHE FIFTH CIRCU IT

N o. 09- 50438 Su m m ar yC al endar
UN I TE D S TA TE S OF AM ERI CA, P l ai n t i f f

- A pp el l ee
v. H E N R YC H A R L E S K N E Z E K , J R
. , D e fe nda nt
- Appe l l ant

A pp ealf

rom t h e U n i t ed S t ates D i st ri ctC ou rt f or t h e W est ern D i st ri ctof T exas U SD C N o. 3: 08- C R

- 3116- 1
B ef ore JO L L Y , W IE N E R , an d E L R O D , C i rcui tJu dg es. P E R C U R IA M: * D efen da n t
- A pp el l an tH en ry C h arl e s K n ezek, Jr. , app eal s hi s c on vi ct i on an d 48

- m on t h pri son sen t en ce f or fai l u re to regi st er as a sex of fen der as requi red b y th e Se x O ff

en d er R eg i stration a n d N oti fi ca ti on A ct (SO R N A), 1 8 U
. S .C . § 225 0( a)
. K n ezek contend s t h at hi s con vi ct i on sh ou l d be reversed becau se t h ere wa s i n s u f

f i c i e n te v i d e n c e t o e s t a b l i s h t h a th e k n o wi n g l yv i o l a t e dS OR NA
. H e al so as se r t s t hat( 1) hi s c onvi c t i on vi ol at es due pr oc es s bec ause no s t at e has i m pl em en t ed S O R N A , ( 2) C on gress l acked t h e au t h ori t y u n der th e C om m erce United States Court of App eals

Fifth Circuit 

### F I L E D April26, 2010 Lyle W . Cayce Clerk Case: 09-50438 Document: 00511091091 Page: 1 Date Filed: 04/26/2010N o. 09- 50438

2 C l au se t o ena ctSO R N A , an d ( 3) he w as den i ed d u e process becau se he di d n ot h ave actual n ot i ce of SO R N A ’ s r equ i rem en t s. To s us t ai n ac r i m i nalc o nvi c t i on f o rav i o l at i o n pu r s uant§ 2 25 0, t he govern m en tha d to prove that K n ezek ( 1) w as requir ed to regi ster u n der S O R N A , (2 ) tr a v e le din in te r s ta te o rfo r e i g n co m m e r c e , a n d(3 ) “k n o w in g ly fai l [ed] to reg i ster or u p d a te a re gistration as re q u i red by[ S O R N A]. ” S ee§ 2250. K n ezek i n si st s t h at t h e pl ai n l an gu age of the st atute m ak es c l ear t h at t h e t erm
“ kno w i ngly” a ppli e s no to nl y t o fail ur e e i t he rt o re gi s t e ro rupd at e ar e gi s t r at i o n, butal so t o t he spec i f i c requi r em ent s of

S O R N A
. H e a r gues t hatbe c ause he w as notnot i f

i ed o f t he s pec i f

i c pr ovi si ons of

SO R N A , t he go ver nm entc oul d notpr ove t h at he “ kn ow i n gl y” fai l ed to regi st er. I n Un i t ed S t ate s v. W h aley , 57 7 F. 3 d2 5 4 , 2 6 2 & n
. 6 ( 5 t h C i r . 2 0 0 9 ) , we rej ect ed a si m i l ar argu m en t , noti n g t h at i gn oran ce of th e la w is not a defen se andt hatt h e s t a t u t e c o n t a i n s “ ‘ n o l a n g u a g e r e q u i r i n gs p e c i f i c i n t e n to rwi l l f

ul fai l u re t o regi st er s u ch that [t h e defen da n t] m u stkn ow hi s fai l u re t o regi st er violatedfe d e r a ll a w . ’” W h aley , 5 7 7 F .3d a t 2 6 2 & n .6 (5 th C ir. 2 0 0 9 )( quo t i ng Un itedS ta tes v. G o u ld , 5 68 F. 3d 45 9, 46 8 ( 4t h Ci r . 20 09 ) )
. As t he g o ve r nm e nt w a s n o t r e q u i r e d t o p r o v e Kn e z e k k n e w t h a t h e v i o l a t e d S ORNA, a nd a s t he ev i d en ce p rese n tedat tri a lsu p p orted a fi n d i n g th a t K n ez ek k n ow i n gly fail ed to r e g is te r , h is ch a lle n g e to th e s u ffic ie n c yo f th e e v id e n c e is w ith o u t m e r it. W e al so r ej e ct K n ezek’ s c on t en t i on t h at, becau se SO R N Aha s not been im p le m e n te d b y a n y s ta te , h is c o n v ic tio n v io la te s d u e p r o c e s s . S ee Un i t ed S t ate s v . Heth , 5 96 F
. 3d 2 55, 2 58-60 & n . 3 ( 5th C i r. 2 010 )
. Final l y, as K n ezek conced es, h i s c on t en t i on t h at C on gress l acked au t h ori t y t o en actSO R N Aan d that l ack of
n o tic e o f S O R N Av io la te s d u e p r o c e s s a r e fo r e c l o s e d
. S ee W h aley , 577 F. 3d at 2 6 1
- 6 2 ( 5 t h C i r . 2 0 0 9 )
. T h e j u d g me n to f t h e d i s t r i c tc o u r ti s A F F I RMED. Case: 09-50438 Document: 00511091091 Page: 2 Date Filed: 04/26/2010