civil rights challenges, lawsuit updates, and court rulings
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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By Larry and Sandy . . . Have you had enough hearing about the imaginary boogeyman who snatches children on Halloween? NARSOL has, and it will be co-hosting the third annual Halloween Marathon/Cop Watch Hotline with ACSOL. To add to this year’s festivities, we will be updating everyone on the two lawsuits that have been filed in Georgia relating to…
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By Sandy . . . NARSOL and its affiliates make a special effort to keep abreast of trends as they pop up in various parts of the country and to evaluate them for the effects they will have on registered citizens. Not many states, for example, have actual state laws mandating Halloween restrictions for registrants, yet this past legislative session…
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By Amanda Ottaway . . . A Long Island sex offender who faced home visits from a private nonprofit contracted by his county did not endure an unconstitutional search, the Second Circuit affirmed Wednesday. Writing for a three-judge panel, U.S. Circuit Judge Christopher Droney noted in the ruling that in this case, public-safety interests outweigh the offenders’ rights. “In sum, the program advances…
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By Will Doran. . . Sex offenders have rights, too, and in some cases the state has been violating those rights, the NC Supreme Court ruled on Friday. The ruling concerns people who have been ordered to submit to satellite-based monitoring for the rest of their lives, which forces them to wear a tracking device so law enforcement can track…
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By Robin . . . On January 23, 2017, the National Association for Rational Sexual Offense Laws (NARSOL) and its affiliate in North Carolina (NCRSOL), along with two John Doe plaintiffs, filed an 88-page complaint in the U.S. Federal Court for the Middle District of North Carolina. The complaint alleged various constitutional claims concerning Article 27A (sex offender registry scheme) of…
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By Sandy . . . On July 31, a district court in North Carolina ruled that a suit brought against the state, a suit challenging the constitutionality of certain aspects of North Carolina’s sexual offense registry, may proceed. In denying the state’s motion to dismiss, the court found that the action is based on a plausible constitutional claim. Filed by…
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