Washington Times: Sex-offender registries under attack for violating ex-offenders’ constitutional rights
Colorado’s sex offender registry still hangs in limbo seven months after a judge said it violated the constitutional rights of former offenders, subjecting them to an extended punishment and public shaming.
U.S. District Judge Richard P. Matsch’s ruling is the latest to reject states that are reaching for more stringent controls on sex offenders even after they have served their sentences.
Criminal justice reformers say it’s about time the courts strike back. The lifelong punishments that sexual offenders face beyond the courtroom and prison conflict with the country’s tradition of rehabilitation and second chances, they say.
But with federal appeals courts now involved in scrutinizing laws in Colorado, Alabama and Michigan, state attorneys general say they are worried that their legislatures’ work to keep communities safe may be undermined.
“For the national database to work, the states and federal data need to be knitted together, and for one state to be exempted from the registry puts citizens of all states in danger,” Michael Hunter, Oklahoma’s attorney general, told The Washington Times.
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Apparently these state AG’s are not looking at the same data as the rest of us even Amnesty International says the U.S. is cruel when it comes to the treatment of it’s registered citizens. State legislatures have taken away judges power of decresion in such cases now higher courts are trying to do the constitutional thing and the states don’t like it. It’s only a matter of time before SCOTUS will have to get involved again this time we will have human examples and 20+ years of data to back us up. Let the truth be heard.
Great article!!
This goes for all the Criminal in the White House also who should be registering also with us how about registering killers drug dealers and so forth
Oklahoma’s attorney general – Michael Hunter spouts the same bullshit of fear. It is obvious that the registries are not needed – PERIOD.
Those who have paid their price have been punished and have earned the right to be free…fully free…not registered like dogs.
They have been deemed safe enough to be released…if they were not they would be either locked up OR on some sort of probation.
The registry is just public shaming and provides a false sense of safety claiming that those who have been caught will do it again – FALSE
By fooling parents into a this false sense of security they actually lower their guard to the REAL DANGER which is NOT someone one a list but rather someone NOT on a list and furthermore, NOT a stranger but someone the family and/or child ALREADY KNOW.
DUMP THE REGISTRY AND CONCENTRATE ON ACTUALLY PROTECTING CHILDREN.
Stop this political game and do the right thing not only for former offender (there are not such thing as sex offenders – made up meaningless label) but also for the sake of the children they claim to be protecting.
SexOffenderTruth.com
I say how about you come up with some statistics, AG Michael Hunter, that it does keep the public safe (we know it doesn’t) and then we will talk!
All Offenders deserve a second chance at a new life if they have been in compliance and have rehabilated them selves