Two New Jersey registrants won an appeal after being retroactively forced to register for life. Both would have been eligible to be removed after 15 years, but a subsequent change in the law removed that opportunity.
The Superior Court of New Jersey found the State changed the law retroactively, thereby changing the consequences of their guilty plea AND creating a “manifest injustice” for the two individuals.
The opinion can be found below:
https://www.njcourts.gov/attorneys/assets/opinions/appellate/published/a2388-16a3132-16.pdf
Finally, The Courts beginning to see this is bullsh*t. This needs to be used up in Fedral courts. I give it five more years and the sex offender registy will be down size. maybe gone
Boom!
When I was sentenced there were 3 conditions….
1. Submit DNA Sample
2. NO contact with ex-wife or kids
3. Attend MDSO Counseling (which the judge took me out of after 5 months)
NO WHERE did/does it say that I had to register as a sex-offender. That came 16 months after the fact.
And if I knew about that, it would have gone to trial (and the case would have been dropped because the mother & daughter refused to come to court and testify)
They say the registry is not punishment, yet if I dont “comply” to a non-punishment item FORCED on me, I go to jail.