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Court: Homeless sex offenders still face 72-hour reporting despite 2006 rule change

Posted at 6:56 AM, Sep 05, 2016
and last updated 2016-09-05 09:56:59-04

A court ruling says an Arizona law intended to make it practical for homeless people to register as sex offenders only goes so far.

The Court of Appeals says a 2006 change to the state's sex-offender registration law requires homeless people to report their transient status at least every 90 days.

A man convicted of failing to report a residence change within 72 hours contended he didn't break the law because he was homeless and only had to comply with the 90-day reporting requirement.

72 hours is the time most sex offenders have to report a residence change. The 90 day ruling was originally intended to give homeless people more time in order to report a move.

However, the Court of Appeals says the man still violated the law by failing to notify authorities within 72 hours after leaving a halfway house.

The court says the law is intended to protect communities by tracking sex offenders' whereabouts as closely as reasonable practicable.