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By Olivia Covington . . . Six men required to register as sex offenders after moving to Indiana can have their names removed from the sex offender registry, the 7th Circuit has held, finding that the state’s registration law discriminates between offenders who have consistently lived in Indiana and those who more recently moved into the state. A dissenting judge, however,…
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Associated Press . . . The California Supreme Court ruled Monday that inmates who have been convicted of nonviolent sex crimes may be eligible for early parole consideration as part of a ballot measure that nearly two-thirds of voters approved of four years ago. “The initiative’s language provides no indication that the voters intended to allow the (Corrections) Department to create…
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By King Alexander . . . This week the Louisiana Supreme Court handed the forces of onerous registration an unexpected defeat on federal First Amendment grounds. The court in a six-to-one ruling struck down two statutes requiring registrants to carry state identification bearing at bottom center the words “SEX OFFENDER” in orange block letters, on grounds that the statutes impermissibly…
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We have featured City Walk, a Florida ministry that welcomes registrants, previously. We especially like their slogan, “Every saint has a past, every sinner has a future.” We later learned that the mission was dealing with a suit filed against it that could force it to close and abandon its ministry of hope and help to those it serves and…
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By Robin . . . Congratulations to NARSOL’s attorney, Paul Dubbeling, who has successfully challenged the constitutionality of registering individuals who moved to North Carolina prior to December, 2006, with convictions from out-of-state. Federal District Court Judge Terrence Boyle signed an order yesterday (May 12) agreeing that these individuals (more than 1,000 of them) were placed on the N.C. registry…
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By Mike Desk . . . SOMERVILLE – A state appellate court ruled on Monday that it is unconstitutional to ban a convicted sexual offender from using the internet to access social media sites. The court wrote in its 43-page decision that the social networking ban violated the constitutional rights of a sex offender, identified only by his initials R.K.,…
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By Steve Lash . . . BALTIMORE, MD — A sharply divided Maryland high court ruled Tuesday that a convict’s placement on the Sex Offender Registry qualifies as “punishment” for a sex offense, meaning that all elements of the crime required for placement – such as the victim’s age – must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt at trial or…
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By Rebecca Kanable . . . A sex offender expert with the Wisconsin Department of Corrections on Monday discouraged the Harmony Town Board from passing an ordinance restricting where sex offenders could live in the town. The town board later tabled its proposed ordinance again during a lengthy meeting. The sex offender ordinance was proposed after board members learned that…
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From the ACLU of Michigan . . . The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan (ACLU) applauds today’s decision by U.S. District Judge Robert Cleland to provide relief for registrants on the Michigan Sex Offenders Registration Act (SORA). In today’s ruling, Judge Cleland ordered that if the legislature does not bring the law into compliance with constitutional requirements, the state will no…
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(WXYZ) A federal judge has issued a ruling that invalidates portions of Michigan’s Sex Offender Registry Act (SORA) that are unconstitutional. U.S. District Court Judge Robert Cleland issued the decision on Friday in a lawsuit that argued the SORA was unconstitutional. Cleland heard oral arguments in Port Huron Federal Court on Feb. 5 based on his previous 2015 ruling and…
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