"Achtung! Your papers please. You forgot your license? You're under arrest."

A man gets arrested for forgetting to carry his "papers" with him at all times. Is this 1930s Germany, or Alabama in 2014? It is hard to tell. First, the story:

http://www.waff.com/story/25957491/sex-offender-jailed-for-failing-to-carry-id

Sex offender jailed for failing to carry ID
Posted: Jul 07, 2014 3:17 PM EDT
Updated: Jul 07, 2014 3:25 PM EDT
By Chase Erwin

ATHENS, AL (WAFF) - Athens police arrested an adult sex offender for not having identification.

Officers encountered Bennie Jean Nance walking at the intersection of West Hobbs Street and Lucas Ferry Road just before 10:30 p.m. Saturday. He told officers he was leaving a friend’s house on Ezell Street and was walking to a nearby apartment complex.

The officers offered to take Nance back to the friend’s house. While on the way back to Ezell Street, dispatch advised the officers Nance was a convicted sex offender.

Nance was taken to the police department, booked, and transferred to the county jail.

Here is the actual statute:

ALABAMA STATUTES AND CODES

Section 15-20-26.2 (Effective September 1, 2006) Adult criminal sex offender - Documentation of identity.

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Section 15-20-26.2
(Effective September 1, 2006) Adult criminal sex offender - Documentation of identity.

(a) Every adult criminal sex offender who is a resident of this state shall obtain and always have in his or her possession either a valid driver's license or identification card issued by the Alabama Department of Public Safety. If any offender is ineligible to be issued a driver's license or official identification card, the Department of Public Safety shall provide the offender some other form of identification card or documentation that, if it is kept in the offender's possession, shall satisfy the requirements of this section. If any adult criminal sex offender is determined to be indigent, an identification card or other documentation in lieu thereof shall be issued to the offender at no cost. An adult criminal sex offender who knowingly violates this provision shall be guilty of a Class C felony.

(b) Whenever the Department of Public Safety issues or renews a driver's license or identification card to an adult criminal sex offender, the driver's license or identification card shall bear a designation that enables law enforcement officers to identify the licensee as a criminal sex offender.

So forgetting your ID Card is a Class C Felony? How stupid!