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Lambert v. California
The Registration Ordinance
The facts
The Defendant had previously been convicted of forgery in Los Angeles — a California felony. She continued living in Los Angeles after her conviction. A Los Angeles Municipal Code ordinance (§ 52.39) required any person convicted of a crime punishable as a California felony to register with the Chief of Police within five days of arriving in or remaining in the city. Failure to register was a criminal offence punishable by a fine of up to $500 and up to six months in jail for every day of non-compliance after the five-day period. The Defendant had lived in Los Angeles for over seven years since her forgery conviction without registering. She was arrested on suspicion of committing another offence. At that time, Police discovered she had never registered. She was charged with violating the registration ordinance. At trial, the Defendant offered to prove she had no actual knowledge of the registration requirement. The trial Court refused to admit this evidence. The jury convicted her; she was fined $250 and placed on three years' probation.
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