Opinion ID: 178587
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Washington's Failure to Implement SORNA

Text: On July 27, 2006, the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 became law. Public Law 109-248, Secs. 1-155, 120 Stat. 587, 590-611 (2006). Section 141 of the Act includes SORNA. [1] On February 28, 2007, the Attorney General issued an interim rule, clarifying that SORNA applies to all sex offenders regardless of when they were convicted. 72 Fed. Reg. 8894, 8896 (Feb. 28, 2007). SORNA's direct federal law registration requirements for sex offenders are not subject to any deferral of effectiveness. They took effect when SORNA was enacted on July 27, 2006, and currently apply to all offenders in the categories for which SORNA requires registration. Id. at 8895. If a sex offender fails to register as required under § 16913, he or she can be prosecuted under 18 U.S.C. § 2250. Section 2250 states: (a) In general.Whoever (1) is required to register under [SORNA]; (2)(A) is a sex offender as defined for the purposes of [SORNA] by reason of a conviction under Federal law (including the Uniform Code of Military Justice), the law of the District of Columbia, Indian tribal law, or the law of any territory or possession of the United States; or (B) travels in interstate or foreign commerce, or enters or leaves, or resides in, Indian country; and (3) knowingly fails to register or update a registration as required by [SORNA]; shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 10 years, or both. George argues that he may not be indicted for a failure to register under SORNA because SORNA's registration requirements become effective only after they have been implemented by an applicable state. Whether an applicable state's failure to implement SORNA precludes a federal prosecution for failure to register as a sex offender in that state is a matter of first impression within our circuit. George is correct that SORNA includes a provision requiring implementation by each state. 42 U.S.C. § 16924(a). George, however, misconstrues the scope and effect of SORNA's implementation provision. That the states have until July 2009 to implement the administrative portions of SORNA, does not preclude federal prosecution for George's failure to register under SORNA. 72 Fed. Reg. at 8895 (In contrast to SORNA's provision of a three-year grace period for jurisdictions to implement its requirements, SORNA's direct federal law registration requirements for sex offenders are not subject to any deferral of effectiveness.). SORNA requires states to implement sex offender registries which comply with SORNA requirements by July 2009 or lose part of their federal funding. 42 U.S.C. §§ 16924(a); 16925(a); 72 Fed. Reg. 30210, 30211. With regard to the requirements that individuals register, SORNA establishes a criminal offense for the failure to register or to update a registration. 18 U.S.C. § 2250; 72 Fed. Reg. 8894, 8895. There is no clear direction from Congress instructing that an individual's obligation to register is dependent on a state's implementation of SORNA. See Gozlon-Peretz v. United States, 498 U.S. 395, 404, 111 S.Ct. 840, 112 L.Ed.2d 919 (1991). Indeed, it is not so dependent, as explained by the Eighth Circuit in United States v. May, 535 F.3d 912, 916-19 (8th Cir.2008), cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 129 S.Ct. 2431, 174 L.Ed.2d 229 (2009), adopted by the Tenth Circuit in United States v. Hinckley, 550 F.3d 926, 930 (10th Cir.2008). Other circuits have reached the same result. See United States v. Guzman, 591 F.3d 83, 93 (2nd Cir.2010) (SORNA creates a federal duty to register with the relevant existing state registries regardless of state implementation of the specific additional requirements of SORNA.); United States v. Brown, 586 F.3d 1342, 1347-49 (11th Cir.2009); United States v. Gould, 568 F.3d 459, 463-66 (4th Cir.2009). Without regard to whether SORNA is implemented by Washington or any other state, registration under it is required. We hold that George violated SORNA by failing to register as a sex offender. George argues that an interpretation determining 18 U.S.C. § 2250 to be applicable pre-implementation by an applicable state renders the statute impermissibly vague. In support of this argument, he contends that such an interpretation leaves it unclear what it means to register as a sex offender as required by SORNA when a state's registration system is not SORNA-compliant. This argument is without merit because George was required to register as a sex offender even before the enactment of SORNA. As stated in the plea agreement he entered in this case, he had signed a notice of conditions of registration in connection with his 2003 sexual abuse conviction in the United States District Court for the District of Idaho which included a requirement to provide notice of any change of address, and if [he] should move to another state, to register in the state and notify Idaho of the move. Moreover, § 2250 plainly requires a sex offender to register and update any registration according to SORNA's requirements. 18 U.S.C. § 2250(a). Under 42 U.S.C. § 16913, which sets out Registry requirements for sex offenders, a sex offender must register, registration must be kept current, and for initial registrations, a sex offender must register in the jurisdiction of conviction if different from the jurisdiction of residence. These requirements are clear and easy to understand. The government is correct in that [i]t is a reasonable construction of 18 U.S.C. § 2250 that the registration requirements mentioned should be found in 42 U.S.C. § 16913, the section from SORNA entitled `Registry requirements for sex offenders.'