Current:Home > FinanceMichigan Supreme Court decision will likely strike hundreds from sex-offender registry-InfoLens
Michigan Supreme Court decision will likely strike hundreds from sex-offender registry
View Date:2024-12-23 10:44:50
DETROIT (AP) — Michigan’s policy of putting people on a sex-offender registry even if their crime was nonsexual is unconstitutional, the state Supreme Court said Monday.
In a 5-2 decision, the court said a portion of a 2021 law is “cruel or unusual punishment” barred by the Michigan Constitution.
A Wayne County man in 2015 was convicted of holding his wife and two children at gunpoint for hours. After his release from prison, he would face 15 years on the sex-offender registry because his unlawful-imprisonment conviction involved minors.
“Although defendant’s offense was undoubtedly severe, that offense contained no sexual element and no indication that defendant poses a risk of committing sexual crimes in the future,” Chief Justice Elizabeth Clement said.
“Defendant is not personally or morally responsible for having committed a sex offense, and yet SORA treats him as if he is,” she said, using an acronym for the registry.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan estimates there are roughly 300 people on the registry for nonsexual crimes.
In dissent, Justice Brian Zahra said dozens of states have a similar policy. He said the Michigan law empowers the public and is not a punishment.
“The majority opinion ignores that countless Michigan families rely on the registry to ensure their safety. ... Registration provides vital information for the parent who must choose a babysitter or entrust a child with a volunteer coach,” said Zahra, who was joined by Justice David Viviano.
___
Follow Ed White on X at https://twitter.com/edwritez
veryGood! (92354)
Related
- Kentucky woman seeking abortion files lawsuit over state bans
- Nevada Supreme Court will take another look at Chasing Horse’s request to dismiss sex abuse charges
- Suspect's release before Chicago boy was fatally stabbed leads to prison board resignations
- 11-year-old killed in snowmobile crash in northern Maine
- All Social Security retirees should do this by Nov. 20
- Supreme Court seems poised to reject abortion pill challenge after arguments over FDA actions
- Illinois helps schools weather critical teaching shortage, but steps remain, study says
- Shakira to play New York pop-up show in Times Square. Here's what you need to know.
- Charles Hanover: Caution, Bitcoin May Be Entering a Downward Trend!
- Jimmer Fredette among familiar names selected for USA men’s Olympic 3x3 basketball team
Ranking
- The Daily Money: Mattel's 'Wicked' mistake
- Why did the NFL change the kickoff rule and how will it be implemented?
- North Carolina elections board finalizes results from primary marked by new voter ID rules
- Should college essays touch on race? Some feel the affirmative action ruling leaves them no choice
- Kim Kardashian and Kourtney Kardashian Team Up for SKIMS Collab With Dolce & Gabbana After Feud
- Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul fight could be pro fight or exhibition: What's the difference?
- Flaco the owl's necropsy reveals that bird had herpes, exposed to rat poison before death
- Amor Towles on 'A Gentleman in Moscow', 'Table for Two' characters: 'A lot of what-iffing'
Recommendation
-
Relive Pregnant Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly's Achingly Beautiful Romance
-
2 brothers attacked by mountain lion in California 'driven by nature', family says
-
Illinois helps schools weather critical teaching shortage, but steps remain, study says
-
In a dark year after a deadly rampage, how a church gave Nashville's Covenant School hope
-
Don't Miss Cameron Diaz's Return to the Big Screen Alongside Jamie Foxx in Back in Action Trailer
-
Hold Tight to These Twilight Cast Reunion Photos, Spider Monkey
-
Flaco the owl's necropsy reveals that bird had herpes, exposed to rat poison before death
-
Are banks, post offices, UPS and FedEx open on Good Friday 2024? Here's what to know