A federal district court dismissed the recent IML challenge yesterday when it granted the government’s Motion to Dismiss a legal challenge to the International Megan’s Law (IML). That challenge, filed in January 2018, was based upon alleged violations by the State Department of the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). A link to the court’s decision follows below.
Due to the court’s decision, the State Department is expected to expand its revocation of existing passports in order to add a “unique identifier” stating that the individual has been convicted of a sex offense involving a minor. The State Department is also expected to add a “unique identifier” to newly issued passports.
“We disagree strongly with the court’s decision in this case and we will seriously consider filing an appeal of that decision,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci. “The State Department’s failure to request and consider comments from the public, including individuals required to register, could result in harm, including physical harm, to registrants who travel overseas as well as to those with whom they travel.”
According to the courts’ decision, the contested regulations issued by the State Department are “interpretive rules” and therefore exempt from the notice and comment requirements of the APA. That is because the agency’s regulations — which include denial of passport cards — merely clarified “minor ambiguities” in the language of the IML.
In its decision, the court included a brief discussion of the notification provisions of the IML which allow the U.S. government to notify other governments that an individual convicted of a sex offense involving a minor will soon travel to that country. In its discussion, the court emphasized that such notices could be sent with regard to anyone who has suffered such a conviction regardless of whether they are currently required to register.
“In a prior challenge to the IML, the federal government testified that although they have the authority to send notices about a person who is not currently required to register, they have chosen not to exercise that authority,” stated Bellucci. “Unfortunately, there are already known situations where the government has sent notices to other countries about such persons.”
So if If the perpetrator was 18 and the victim was 17, does IML notification apply? Even it happened 20 or 30 years ago?
Ok so now what ?
And lets be reminded of the TRUTH here.
John Walsh was unemployed.
His wife and him went to a Sears Store, during Christmas and LEFT THEIR SON ALONE IN THE TOY DEPARTMENT, WITHOUT SUPERVISION. While they went shopping in another part of the store.
That alone is child neglect, abandonment and Child Endangerment.
SADLY, Adam was kidnapped, raped and killed. If his parents had done the right thing and kept him by their side, maybe, JUST MAYBE, Adam would still be alive today.
John Walsh went on, much like Ron Book, taking his own neglect of his son and making a career out of his own ignorance and willful neglect to do the basic of things. Take care of his son.
Instead, he went and “fed his son to the wolves”, and after it was all over, he made a career out of his own tragedy and neglect.
NO charges were filed against either the mother or father for child endangerment.
This was a ruling on a hypertechnical technicality. The ruling does not speak to the constitutionality of the law. Even if we had won this case, the long-term impact would have been minimal. Although it does seem like we’re in a down slump, this ruling is nothing to get too upset about.
Wow! So if you have a job that takes you out of the country, you’re fired.
If you have family outside the country, you are restricted from seeing them.
Destination wedding? No way buddy!! So sad, too bad!
I travelled freely and liberally between 1998 and 2002(3ish) until this shit started.
No new charges/convictions, etc. Still just one from 1989. How this is not punitive to me???
How do they apply this to adult victims? Still green sheeted me!! That is clearly outside the language of the IML Statute.
Hey USA, just let me out. Give me a pass to leave & you will never see me again.
Sad:(
They should not have issued a green notice if you have an adult victim
It may have been prior to IML, FAC. HAs that changed now? They do not notify of travel for non-minor victims anymore?
The USMS told me that if they receive a state notification they notify the receiving country, period!
Should that not be happening?
Yes – only “child” victims.
No – should not be happenening
I’ll forward the email from the USMS tomorrow, for your review
What if the child has grown up and reconciled with the offender…thus no longer a victim? We need to get away from this perpetual victimization syndrome that our society has fallen into. After all, aren’t we supposed to repent of our offense(s), reconcile, and move on with our lives? The life of an offender or a victim is a terrible thing to waste. Let’s face it, ‘once a sex offender, always a sex offender’ is a lie from the pit of hell.
FAC, What if you were charged with simple computer possession, in my report that the Feds did, the “PSI” it stated no victims. Do they send out a green slip for that type of charge?
Yes, they do send a notice. CP qualifies as a crime subject to IML. See: 42 U.S.C. §16911 (7)(G), which includes: Possession, production, or distribution
of child pornography.
Mike I looked into this before and what was explained to me and it also seems to match the laws I read. IML only notifies on a child related charge however FDLE claims A Travel Notice can be issued under SORNA for any registrant travel. Interpol and the Marshalls office have in the past stated they didn’t send a Green notice but did send a Travel Notice. I think it’s a game of words and achieves the same denial to our travel. I also believe many variables are in the works and the procedure not consistent. I have had Travel alerts multiple times yet gained entry to that country to only be denied later. Then again back no issue. My personal opinion and view is they should not notify anybody and if they do because they have a credible reason to think that Travel is to harm somebody or break the law. Since the resources are not available they simply report everybody whenever they can. It can really be a game of Wack A Mole!
Anonymous,
“FDLE said”……
This IS the same FDLE who cant define what a day is?
The same FDLE who says that “even tho I turned in my tags over 16 years ago”, I have to go to DMV (which has NO RECORD dating back that far) and get proof that I turned the tags in….. DMV says its FDLE that has to update that info—it was turned in 16 years ago, NOT ME..
And its the same FDLE that Refuses to “change it”, thus causing me to be “NON-COMPLIANT” which is a 3rd degree FELONY.
I read this decision. I’m not a lawyer but it seems to leave a lot open for the Circuit Court of Appeals to decided. There are a ton of facts on both sides and the law is a slippery slope for the government in that Circuit. Recall, that is the same Circuit Court that repeatedly ruled the so called Muslim ban was unconstitutional against the government. Ultimately that case needed SCOTUS resolution and so does this case. But the only way to get it there is for the losing party to appeal. Who knows what will happen then.
This mentally SICK government is out of control. If this isn’t a clear case, I don’t know what is.
It’s legally OK to kill children and families overseas with drones! But GOD FORBID we allow those pesky ‘sex offenders’ to travel freely after their be served their sentences.
THIS. THIS is why other countries don’t understand us. Because of backwards Bullsh*t like this. And please stop calling this a ‘Free country’. It’s a God damn free jail cell. Let’s not keep lying to ourselves. If your own government can indirectly prevent ANYONE non-incarcerated from leaving to another country, then there is NO FREEDOM in that.
Only disgusting hypocrites would be OK with any US citizen having to go through this.
If people aren’t angry from reading this court decision, then they may want to check if they still have a pulse.
This is a MAJOR defeat for the civil and human rights of registered citizens 🙁
This essentially revokes the rights of registered citizens to leave the country.
I don’t think it’s a major defeat. This case was about administrative procedures, not the substance of the law.
I wish I could get a new passport that indicates that I am a “convicted” person and then sue the govt for defamation, since Florida never “convicted” me (they just registered me).
Same. Let me know if they make you get a passport mark. Having to do all this without being convicted shouldn’t even be legal in the first place. Can’t think of any other charge where they don’t convict but still punish you like they did.
Should be interesting..i just received my renewed passport without any ‘graphitti’ on it and also received a passport card(I didnt ask for one nor did I pay the extra fee)..I reside on a small island here in the Caribbean..I am wondering how they theif back the passport or card..I can just say I lost them?!?!?!
This unconstititional situation is based on Megan, Adam, Jacob etc..I never met those people..I do not have anything to do with them, why, why, why?
Therefore , there also MUST be registries for those who committ gun.crimes, felony DUIs, Drug Crimes,..
then registries for every felon!
This whole IML is a freskin joke
Following this unconstitutional act by the US government. Any wonder our government is so fouled up!
“Unfortunately, there are already known situations where the government has sent notices to other countries about such persons.”
I’d be interested in seeing the details about those situations. I bet the government articulated a clear threat in each of those cases, otherwise why were they monitoring someone not in the registry? Those citizens were likely under investigation for plotting to commit sex crimes at their destination, and I suspect all of them were traveling to known sex tourism destinations.
That is a world apart from a registered person, not under any investigation traveling to say… Scottland for a family wedding.
No one questions that the state department has the authority to warn other nations of known threats, but there is no due process for the rest of us that warrant the specific language in a Green Notice that we are likely to commit further crimes at our destinations.
Doesn’t matter where you want to travel the point is you should have the right to do so unmolested vacation business sightseeing the place doesn’t matter and your reasons are your own
Two steps forward one step back
More like one step forward, three steps back!
I apologize to all for this comment.
What is happening, has already happened. History is repeating itself. This is 1934-1941 Germany all over again.
The having to carry “papers”
The yellow star on your “papers, houses, clothing”.
Deprivation of your rights as a citizen.
Restricted movement.
When is the government going to start rounding us up, putting us on trains and shipping us off to “work Camps”?
When are we going to be shot or gassed “for the good of man”???