HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The Pennsylvania Supreme Court upheld laws Thursday that require offenders deemed “sexually violent predators” to undergo lifetime counseling and registration and be the subject of community notices.
The requirements have the legitimate purpose of keeping the community safe and therefore do not amount to extra punishment, the court said in reversing a lower court’s decision.
Nearly 10% of the state’s about 2,000 registered sex offenders have been deemed sexually violent predators thought to be at the highest risk of reoffending.
The court, in an opinion by Justice Kevin Dougherty, found “there is a rational connection between the (reporting, notice and counseling) requirements and the government’s interest in protecting the public.”
