State Supreme Court rules on homeless sex offender case

MILWAUKEE (AP) -- The Wisconsin Supreme Court has ruled that a homeless sex offender should not have been convicted of failing to report his address.

William Dinkins Sr. was sentenced in 1999 to 10 years in prison for first-degree sexual assault of a child in Dodge County.

He was supposed to provide his address for the sex offender registry before his release in 2008, but he couldn't find a home. He was convicted of failing to provide required information to the registry.

The Court of Appeals reversed the conviction. The Department of Justice went to the state Supreme Court, arguing Dinkins could have listed a park bench or other on-the-street location.

In the ruling Tuesday, the Supreme Court said homeless registrants aren't exempt from registration, but Dinkins was incapable of complying by listing such a location.