The following was the release from Brenda Jones, Executive Director of Families Advocating Intelligent Registries (FAIR)
Our class action challenge has finally been filed! With 8 plaintiffs, all named, with various backgrounds, the goal is to force the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS) to remove or roll back registry requirements for EVERY possible person “similarly situated” to the 2013 Doe v DPSCS decision and several subsequent Court of Appeals decisions.
After “Doe 2” (which clarified that there was no independent federal obligation to register, and that the decision should apply to others) in 2014, the DPSCS finally removed a number of registrants whose offenses pre-dated the start of Maryland’s registry on October 1, 1995. They did not, however, apply it to those whose offenses were later, but have seen their registry requirements and restrictions increase. Most dramatically, many people saw their terms of registration increase from 10 years to either 25 years or life in either 2009 or 2010. This is the injustice we are seeking to correct.
With the lawsuit filed, it’s “hurry up and wait” time, as we begin the process of responses and counter-responses, etc. We filed in Baltimore City, and regardless of the outcome there will certainly be an appeal to our higher courts. Patience is a virtue, and we will all feel very virtuous as this could easily take 18 months or more to reach its end.
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