3/14/12 – The State Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that a homeless sex offender should not have been convicted of failing to report an address. William Dinkins Senior served a 10-year prison term on a Dodge County conviction of first-degree child sex assault. But in 2008, authorities said Dinkins broke the law by not reporting a new address within 10 days before he left prison. Therefore, officials said he did not comply with the terms of entering the state’s registry for sex offenders. A state appeals court threw out the non-reporting charge. But the state Justice Department appealed, saying that Dinkins could have registered a park bench or some other street location. But today, the Supreme Court said Dinkins could not have complied because he did not have a permanent location. But the justices said it does not excuse all homeless people from having to register as sex offenders if they’re required to do so.
