By Suzy Morton

Chapter 62 of the Code of Criminal Procedure-the sex offender registration laws in Texas-is a 14,000-word nightmare for someone reading it for the first time. Fort Bend County Assistant District Attorney Suzy Morton has turned Chapter 62 into an understandable, important tool for prosecutors. This handbook is complete with sample pleadings and handy charts its question-and-answer format simplifies the procedures required for sex offender registration and guides DAs through the process for prosecuting registration offenders.

Charts include:

• breakdown of offenses requiring registration (for adult and juvenile offenders)
• listing of all offenses requiring lifetime or 10-year registration
• summary of all sex offender registration requirements
• potential violations for failure to comply with registration requirements
• potential sources of evidence in failure-to-register cases
• levels of offenses for all offenders (including sexually violent offenses)