By Chris Serres . . . Three convicted rapists awaiting release from state custody are suing the city of Dayton, Minn., over an ordinance that virtually bans them from living in the city, arguing that the measure violates their Constitutional rights and is trumped by state law. The men are challenging a far-reaching 2016 ordinance that bars convicted sex offenders from…
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Is civil commitment protection, punishment, prison–or purgatory?
By Maurice Chammah…. If someone finishes a prison sentence for a violent sexual crime, but might still be dangerous, should he be released? How do you know if he’s dangerous? And when does it violate his rights to hold him? On Monday, the Supreme Court is considering whether to hear a case that stems from these questions, a challenge to…
Read MoreCivil commitment setback | 8th Circuit reverses lower court
By Chris Serres . . . A federal appeals court in St. Louis has reversed a lower-court ruling that Minnesota’s sex-offender treatment program is unconstitutional — a major victory for the Minnesota Department of Human Services and a decision that could delay long-awaited reforms to the state’s system of indefinite detention for sex offenders. In a decision Tuesday, a three-judge…
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