My Friend Just Got Ohio's Sex Offender Retroactive Redesignation Law Overturned!!!

[ChoppinBroccoli]

I have a good friend in the Ohio Public Defender's Office who just got a decision handed down from the Ohio Supreme Court. A while back, Ohio's Republican Legislature thought it would be a good idea to kiss up to the John Walsh lobby and create an absolutely TERRIBLE law that reclassifies sex offenders retroactively, and increases the severity and/or length of the registration requirement. The problem with this law is that many of the sex offender classifications were arrived at as the result of plea bargains, not to mention the fact that it includes sex offender classifications for many people who were found guilty of crimes that are not inherently sex crimes. For example, you may have been found guilty of an assault 10 years ago, completed your sentence, and then woken up one morning to find that you are now classified as a sex offender and required to register with the County Sheriff's Office every year.

My friend argued the case that this kind of retroactive reclassification is unconstitutional before the Ohio Supreme Court and won in a 5-2 decision (which is a stunning victory in Ohio's ultra-conservative Supreme Court). She's been interviewed by all the local news outlets and she even was interviewed on NPR this morning. The other side was represented by the Ohio Attorney General's Office (Republican toolbox Mike DeWine). And the best part of it is that the law was found unconstitutional under the Ohio Constitution, which means it CAN'T be taken up on cert. to the U.S. Supreme Court. This decision will stand.

This is a big victory for civil rights in Ohio, a State that is gaining a reputation for not being particularly friendly to civil rights.

Here's a link to a short article discussing the decision: http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wosu/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=1827244

And for those interested, here's a link to the actual decision: http://www.sconet.state.oh.us/rod/docs/pdf/0/2011/2011-ohio-3374.pdf

[CBGLuthier]

1. Just what part of Ex Post Facto do they not understand?

One of the clearest points in the Constitution.

[PoliticAverse]

2. Congratulations to your friend. n/t

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. What great news!

I am thrilled to hear this good news in a time when so much is bleak.

Congrats to your friend! She has done extremely well...

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