LA: Court Strikes Louisiana’s ‘Sex Offender’ ID Requirement
A WIN!!!
Louisiana’s requirement that people convicted of certain sex crimes carry a state-issued ID card with the words “SEX OFFENDER” printed on it in orange capital letters is unconstitutional, the state’s Supreme Court ruled Tuesday.
The 6-1 ruling upholds a decision by a state judge in Lafayette who last year threw out a charge filed against a man who altered his card to remove the label.
State attorneys had argued that the state had a legitimate interest in having the information on the ID card: to let law enforcement officers know the cardholder’s criminal history.But Justice James Genovese, writing for the majority, said there are less restrictive ways to inform law enforcement than requiring someone to show the branded card every time they are required to produce a government ID.
“A symbol, code, or a letter designation would inform law enforcement that they are dealing with a sex offender and thereby reduce the unnecessary disclosure to others during everyday tasks,” Genovese wrote.
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My nextdoor neighbor is a former NYPD lieutenant and we get along just great. In fact, it was probably his letter about me that helped me get off probation eleven years early. I respect law enforcement officers…they have a tough job…and I am disappointed when I see or hear of one going astray. We must remember that they too are humans and subject to failure just like all of us. The failure of one does not make them all failures or unable to retrieve their lives…unlike registered citizens, at least in the public ‘eye’.
Too true and yes I know not all law enforcement officers are jerks I have a few who I consider friends and even more so they concider me there’s as well even after I made a mistake . they are the ones who say EVERYBODY makes mistakes as long as we learn from them , take responsibility and do what’s right then we SHOULD be given a chance to prove our selves.
Would it be a good idea to forward these comments and the e mails to the people who make the laws that we deal with? Like Legislature’s, Government oficials, Law enforcement, ect!!. It might help for them to read what we read and comment about. And for them to maybe understand how we feel about it all!. And to let them know why we think it needs to stop. Because it doesn’t need to be this way. We the people who are suffering know what we need to do so we dont have to suffer anymore. It doesn’t seem like they hear us any other way. “OR” they don’t want to listen anyway “Maybe” 🤔
“A symbol, code, or a letter designation would inform law enforcement that they are dealing with a sex offender”
Hum so someone who gets pulled over who 30 years ago stole something, they call into dispatch and say ” I just pulled over a thief”? NOOOO
But forever and ever and ever we are actively committing sex acts ?
Take off the “S” from sex offender and you get the truth “Ex-offender”.
Although we cannot undo our crimes (Or what we were at least accused of) that doesn’t mean every day we drive around looking to offend.
Unconstitutional in one state but not in others. Which Constitution are these judges using? I thought this was supposed to be the ‘United’ States. I believe that we are united only in confusion. It’s coming down to a ‘lawyer benevolent’ society.
Justice Crain said: “The speaker is the government: the words are stamped by a governmental agency on a government-issued identification card in accordance with a government enacted statute,” Crain wrote. “This is the embodiment of government speech.”
So what he said is “enacted statue” and that’s what we have on ours. A lot of people know what this means. Regardless I don’t want to speak the statue either. Y’all say your not SOs but speak the statue on your IDs I bet you also identify so while registering. In polk your required to write sex offender or felon on the sign in sheet that stays in the lobby for everyone to read.
How do we appeal this here?
Law enforcement knows who the hell you are when they pull your name. They know every call on your tag, when they been to your house, this isn’t the CB days with Roscoe and Boss. This just goes to show you your on trial for life; when officer is “dealing” with an SO. Like now what they gonna check the trunk for child like dolls or wine coolers and condoms. Make sure your wife isn’t a prostitute cause she’s wearing heals. The gonna ask “sir how much sex have you had tonight”…” do you mind steeping out of your vehicle while we search for skeet rags your within 20 miles of Coconut Grove.
Why would we want to appeal this? Justice Crain dissented. That means he disagreed with the decision of the majority who felt it was unconstitutional. This was a GOOD decision that we would not want to appeal.
I haven’t read the actual opinion, but the excerpt indicates that Crain found it unconstitutional because it compels government speech from a private citizen, which has regularly and consistently been held unconstitutional. The same reasoning that struck down that idiot sheriff in Georgia who was posting signs in registrant yards last Halloween.
Personally, I would argue the same logic should apply to the registry en totem.