Texas proposes domestic violence registry to track offenders

Posted By Law Offices of Jeffrey C. Grass || 21-May-2013

Individuals convicted of domestic violence may face more restrictions and requirements if a proposed bill in Texas is passed. Texas lawmakers recently proposed a bill that would create a domestic violence registry for the state to track people with a history of domestic violence offenses.

The bill would require people convicted of three or more domestic violence offenses to register as a repeat offender on the state's online registry. The domestic violence registry would include offenders' names, their date of birth, and recent pictures of offenders. The online database would be free and available for the public to access.

The bill was proposed to address the high rate of domestic violence and to create an online registry available to the public to warn of potentially dangerous people in the community. The domestic violence registry would be very similar to the sex offender registry in Texas, except domestic violence registry does not include as much information about the offenders as the sex offender registration currently does.

Domestic violence is defined in Texas as an act by a family or household member against another family member that threatens or causes physical harm, assault, sexual assault or bodily injury. The state law also includes acts of abuse toward a child by a family member as well as dating violence.

Reports by the Texas Department of Public Safety show that in 2011, there were 177,983 domestic violence incidents in the state. If the bill is passed, many people would be required to register on the domestic violence registry in Texas.

Individuals who have been arrested or charged with domestic violence crimes should contact a criminal defense attorney to understand the charges they are facing.

Source: CBS DFW, "Texas House Passes Domestic Violence Registry Legislation," May 10, 2013