Anthony Weiner was released from prison in February and has spent the last couple of months at a halfway house in preparation for his release in May. Today, a judge ruled that Weiner will be considered a sex offender and will have to register as one for the next 20 years. From the Associated Press:

Former Rep. Anthony Weiner was ordered Friday to register as a sex offender as he nears the end of a 21-month prison sentence for having illicit online contact with a 15-year-old girl.

A New York City judge designated Weiner a Level 1 offender under the state’s version of what’s known as Megan’s Law, meaning that he is thought to have a low risk of reoffending…

Weiner, 54, must register for a minimum of 20 years. He is required to verify his address every year, notify the state within 10 days of moving and visit a police station every three years to have a new picture taken.

Because of his low-level designation, Weiner’s information won’t show up in the state’s online sex offender registry but will be available via a toll-free telephone number.

I don’t want to kick the guy when he’s obviously about as low as he could go, but as a practical matter, the claim that he has a low risk of reoffending seems…optimistic. Remember, the crime for which he just served time, sexting pictures to a 15-year-old, happened after he’d already been caught lying once and publicly ridiculed over a similar incident. He then ran for office claiming that was all in his past. But it wasn’t. He used his second chance to behave in a more degenerate way than he had the first time and he wound up in jail.

So what happens next for Weiner. He obviously couldn’t be elected dog catcher now. His career in politics is over. He lost his marriage in the second downfall which means he has fewer immediate reasons to keep his act together now than he did before. What is going to keep Carlos Danger on the straight and narrow when he’s alone in his house with nothing to do?

I’m really not rooting for him to fail. He’s paid a steep price and I hope for everyone’s sake he can finally pull it together. Still, if I were placing a bet, I wouldn’t be betting any money on Anthony Weiner given his record. If he can prove me wrong then good for him.

Weiner will be released from the halfway house on May 14.