Response.sendRedirect not redirecting

[p vs np]

I face a very queer problem. I have written a simple servlet to gather information from a static HTML form and I wish to write to a Database (DB) if the record doesn't exist already.

In order to do so, I have the following snippet from my servlet, DataEntry.java

 
protected void doPost(HttpServletRequest request, HttpServletResponse response) throws ServletException, IOException 
    {
        try
       {
           boolean success_register = authenticate_register(request.getParameter("first_name"),
request.getParameter("last_name"),request.getParameter("realDob"));
 
/*
autheticate_register( ) is a straight forward implementation of opening 
a connection, retrieving from database values where name="first_name" 
and so, and checking if the retrieved values are null.
 
If they are null,  I return "true", meaning they don't exist in the DB already.
Else, I return "false"
*/
     if(success_register)
     {
                response.sendRedirect("SuccessLogin.jsp");
                /* Followed by code to actually write the first name,
last name and DoB into the DB.*/
     }
     else
     {
                response.sendRedirect("Welcome.jsp");
 
     }
   }//End-try
   catch(Exception e) { }
 
}//End doPost()
 

Now, the problem is weird.

The redirection is happening only to success.jsp in either case, whether success_register is "true" or "false".

But, the DB values are not entered if authenticate_register( ) evaluates to "false", which is what is supposed to happen.

A System.out.print( ) on the values of success_register shows "true" even if the value showed by the expression being returned within authenticate_register( ) is "false".

I am stumped. What's going on??