civil rights challenges, lawsuit updates, and court rulings
By Associated Press Two offenders identified only as H.D. and J.M. pleaded guilty to sexual offenses in the 1990s and guilty in 2001 to other offenses, one for computer-related theft and one for failure to register as a sex offender, and were sentenced to probation. State law imposes lifetime registration requirements on offenders but allows those on the registry to…
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By Sandy . . . We first reported on this in June of last year. The Tennessee legislature had just passed a bill, due to take effect July 1, 2019, with a single provision added to an already existing statute: It would disallow the right of parents to be alone with or live in the same home with their own…
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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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By Justin Dwyer Lawyers will make their case in front of a federal judge on Wednesday over what to do about the state’s sex offender registry. The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled nearly four years ago that many of the requirements of Michigan’s registry are unconstitutional. But the law hasn’t been changed, and people continue to be on the list.…
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By Lorraine Bailey CHICAGO (CN) – The Seventh Circuit appeared likely Tuesday to overturn Indiana’s sex offender registration requirement, as it applies to people only required to register because they moved away from the state then moved back. “This registration requirement imposes a significant burden on those who move to Indiana, and not on people who live in Indiana continuously,”…
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From our Michigan affiliate: It appears we are in for more waiting. The state of Michigan is not working as fast or in the direction we had hoped. Because of that, we are moving forward with our class action lawsuit. The state and the ACLU have filed the necessary documents outlining their respective positions. The state’s position is that they…
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By Angela Couloumbis The landmark Pennsylvania law that for nearly a quarter of a century has required a public registry of sex offenders and community notification about their whereabouts is facing a life-or-death challenge before the state’s highest court. Enacted nearly 25 years ago, Megan’s Law was hailed as a pivotal step toward making communities safer by empowering the public…
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By Ashley and Larry The Supreme Court of Illinois handed down a very important decision on Thursday, November 21, 2019. In a very comprehensive opinion, the court held in The People of The State of Illinois v. Conrad Allen Morger that a blanket social media ban as a condition of probation or parole is a violation of the First Amendment.…
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SPRINGFIELD — Illinois’ highest court ruled Thursday that it is unconstitutional to ban convicted sex offenders from social media sites. Conrad Allen Morger was convicted of sexually abusing a minor and sentenced to four years of probation by a court in McLean County. That came with a binding condition he not use specific internet sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram…
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