Hundreds of names of convicted sex offenders may be removed from the state’s list of registered sex offenders as the result of an Oklahoma Supreme Court ruling handed down Tuesday.
In a split decision, the court ruled state corrections officials have been violating the Oklahoma Constitution by retroactively applying state sex offender registry laws, thereby dramatically increasing the time many convicted sex offenders must spend on the registry. (2 Pages) Full Article
This decision is a breath of fresh air! It’s a state supreme court recognizing that being on the registry is punishment. We need to turn this spark into an ember and then into a flame of justice that results in overturning the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in 2003 which reached the opposite conclusion. Thank you, Oklahoma Supreme Court!
This is nice. But I’m not so sure it is very significant to any other state, including California. The decision was based on the Oklahoma Constitution, not the federal or California Constitution, so has no applicability outside Oklahoma. The story doesn’t specify, but I am gathering the court is saying that under the Oklahoma Constitution, it would be punishment; they are not saying it meets the federal standard of punishment (and the California high court has ruled that the federal and California standards are the same). Further, the Oklahoma SOR laws are not written like the California laws. Gee, in… Read more »
Well, aren’t you just a little golden ray of sunshine?
I agree with Janice that this is good, encouraging news.
I am also encouraged by today’s Supreme Court decision…er…non-decision as it represents a more tolerant atmosphere for a group of people that have historically been considered social pariahs. I can kinda relate to that.
One way to get the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn its 2003 decision is to have decisions from multiple state supreme courts which are inconsistent with that decision. This decision by the Oklahoma Supreme Court helps to move us in that direction. It does not, however, have an immediate and direct impact upon registrants in California.
Well, my point is that it is not inconsistent with the federal ruling. It does not say it is punishment under the federal standard. It is not disagreeing with SCOTUS.
I’m happy they ruled as they did, and I welcome any positive rulings. But I’m also going to stay grounded and not get elated without real reason.
Thanks Jeffrey and Janice for your wise perspectives on this wonderful turn of events. Perhaps others so daring as yourselves will come forward and make even more difference for good. The sex offender registry is a kind of misfire at the wrong target. Our real problem isn’t with ex-sex offenders but with the mentally ill. The beloved pastor Rick Warren lost his son Matthew that was mentally ill a few weeks ago. This is a horror that took place and has impacted my community of Lake Forest. My heart goes out to him because my oldest son Noah Christopher (age… Read more »