By Sandy . . . A New Jersey Superior Court has handed down a great decision. Two registrants had sought relief from registration under a law in that state that permits such relief. The two registrants had been denied in a lower court, and the higher court on December 7, 2018, reversed that finding, sending the case back to the…
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By Michael Booth . . . The New Jersey Supreme Court on Wednesday held 2014 amendments to Megan’s Law enhancing certain penalties for sex offenders who violate parole requirements unenforceable against four defendants based on the ex post facto clauses of both the state and federal constitutions. The court, in a unanimous ruling, vacated the convictions and sentences of four paroled sex offenders…
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By S.P. Sullivan . . . New Jersey’s highest court has ruled a portion of Megan’s Law unconstitutional because it requires juveniles to remain listed on the state’s sex offender registry for life. The unanimous Supreme Court decision found placing such a lifetime requirement on child offenders violated their due process rights under the state constitution. “Indeed, categorical lifetime notification…
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By Paula Reed Ward . . . A bill introduced this week in Harrisburg attempts to fix flaws in the state’s sex-offender registration system identified in a Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision in July and could affect more than 10,000 registrants. Bill sponsor Rep. Ron Marsico, R-Dauphin, called it “imperative” to amend the law. “We have worked hard to come up with a…
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By Will Bassler . . . International Meagan’s Law makes passports for registered citizens only valid for 1 year (instead of 10). in violation of the 14th amendment equal protection clause. The law requires registered citizens to report all their travel itinerary directly to the department responsible 21 days prior to international travel. Failure to do so is cause for…
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By CBS News This study and this article were done in 2009 but are as true, timely, and essential today as then. A study examining sex offenses in the state where Megan’s Law was created says it hasn’t deterred repeat offenses. The report released Thursday finds that registering sex offenders in New Jersey does make it easier to find offenders…
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By Sandy . . . What’s wrong with the registry? Trick question, right? I mean, what ISN’T wrong with the registry? We could make lists all day long. However, some things seem more wrong than others, and I have come up with a doozy. In Pennsylvania, citizens are on that state’s sex offender registry for committing “custodial interference.” In other…
Read MoreBy Sandy Rozek . . . In 2009, Mark B. was convicted of a sexual crime, served 13 months in prison and put on the public sex offender registry. Fearing he would be unemployable at any meaningful job, Mark started his own company traveling to antique shows to take old-fashioned photos for people. The business was successful, and he was…
Read MoreBy Daniel Walmer . . . It was every parent’s worst nightmare. Seven-year-old Megan Kanka left her New Jersey home on July 29, 1994, for a summer afternoon bike ride around her neighborhood, but she never returned. Instead, neighbor Jesse Timmendequas lured her into his home by promising her a puppy. He then raped and murdered her, dumping her body…
Read MoreBy Joshua Vaughn . . . Licensed Professional Counselor Robert Longo has been vocally opposed to public registries for convicted sexual offenders for years. “I actually met with a group of people in New Jersey and sat across from Megan Kanka’s grandfather,” Longo said. The 1994 murder of 7-year-old Kanka gave rise to the public disclosure of sexual offender registries through what…
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