Opinion ID: 897650
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Statutory Registration Requirement

Text: [¶ 7] The State argues the trial court erred in construing N.D.C.C. § 12.1-32-15(7), which provides in relevant part: If an individual required to register pursuant to this section has a change in name, school, or address, that individual shall inform in writing, within ten days, the law enforcement agency with whom that individual last registered of the individual's new name, school, residence address, or employment address. The State contends this statutory language requires a sexual offender to register whenever that person has a change of employment address. The State asserts the trial court erred, therefore, in concluding the statute does not require registration of a change of employment address unless the individual has a change of residence address. [¶ 8] This issue requires us to interpret the statute and determine its proper application. The interpretation of a statute is a question of law, which we fully review on appeal. State v. Rubey, 2000 ND 119, ¶ 6, 611 N.W.2d 888. Our primary objective in construing a statute is to ascertain legislative intent by looking at the language itself. State v. Higgins, 2004 ND 115, ¶ 13, 680 N.W.2d 645. Words used in a statute are to be understood in their ordinary sense, unless a contrary intention plainly appears. N.D.C.C. § 1-02-02. Words and phrases must be construed according to the context. N.D.C.C. § 1-02-03. [¶ 9] The intent of the registration provision under N.D.C.C. § 12.1-32-15(7), is to enable law enforcement to keep track of sex offenders and those who commit crimes against children. State v. Steiger, 2002 ND 79, ¶ 6, 644 N.W.2d 187. The registration information is necessary to aid in the investigation and apprehension of offenders and to protect the health, safety, and welfare of members of the local community and citizens of the state. Rubey, 2000 ND 119, ¶ 17, 611 N.W.2d 888. To achieve the statute's objective, the legislature consciously used the broad term `address' in specifying when a sex offender must register under the statute. Id. at ¶ 15. In Rubey, we held the legislature intended the term address include mailing address as well as residential address for purposes of triggering the registration requirement. Id. at ¶ 19. [¶ 10] The express language of the statute provides that if an individual has a change in name, school, or address that person must inform the law enforcement agency with whom he last registered of the new name, school, residence address, or employment address. This language unambiguously requires a registered sexual offender to inform law enforcement of a change in employment address. In construing statutes, it is presumed a reasonable result is intended. N.D.C.C. § 1-02-38(3). We interpret statutes to avoid unreasonable or absurd consequences. BASF Corp. v. Symington, 512 N.W.2d 692, 697 (N.D.1994). It strikes us as unreasonable to interpret N.D.C.C. § 12.1-32-15(7) so narrowly that it would require an offender to inform law enforcement of a change in employment address only when the offender has also had a change in residence address. We conclude that interpretation is too restrictive and does not adequately effectuate the statute's purpose of enabling law enforcement to keep track of sex offenders. [¶ 11] In listing what information the offender must provide to the agency, the statute expressly requires both residence address and employment address to be revealed. However, in listing the circumstances which trigger the ten-day notice requirement, the legislature used the broader term address, rather than the more limited terms residence address or employment address. The more reasonable interpretation of this language, which effectuates the purpose of the statute to keep law enforcement informed of the whereabouts of sex offenders, is that either a change in residence address or a change in employment address triggers the statutory requirement the offender must notify law enforcement of the change. Under that interpretation, a registered sexual offender who changes his employment address must inform law enforcement of that change in writing within ten days. By concluding the term address includes both residence address and employment address as a trigger for requiring notification, our interpretation effects the purpose of the statute. [¶ 12] When the current version of this statute was considered by the legislature (S.L.2003, ch. 113, § 1) testimony was provided by Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Byers to the House Judiciary Committee. He testified the federal Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act, Pub.L. No. 106-386, 114 Stat. 1537 (2000), requires states to maintain information about offenders enrolled or employed at institutions of higher education and to share that information with campus police or local law enforcement agencies. The language in the statute requiring an offender to notify law enforcement of a change in employment address was included in the legislation to satisfy the requirements of this federal act and to provide the necessary information to keep local law enforcement agencies and campus police informed of offenders enrolled or employed at institutions of higher education. Our interpretation of the statute effectuates this objective.