Pennsylvania State Police have started the process for removing as many as 5,000 ex-offenders from the Megan’s Law registry under a state supreme court mandate and a new law.
Shaquana Green appeared at a Pennsylvania State Police barracks last month to update her information as a registered sex offender. It’s an annual chore she has done for the last five years, having landed on the Megan’s Law list after disappearing with her daughter for three hours in violation of a custody order.
As of this month, though, the name of the 26-year-old Northampton County resident no longer appears on the registry, under a state Supreme Court ruling and a new exemption for parents who had been charged with interfering with custody of children, but no sex crime.
“I get to have my life,” Green said last week. “This is more than a blessing.”
Last year, the state Supreme Court ruled retroactive application of the state’s version of the new, tougher Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act was unconstitutional. In response, state lawmakers passed House Bill 631, a stop-gap measure to keep up to 12,000 individuals on the registry, but that included an exemption for legal guardians charged with interference with custody of children. Gov. Tom Wolf signed the bill into law Feb. 21. The exemption applies to only legal guardians of children, though another bill in the state Senate would remove interference with custody of children as a Megan’s Law offense; Pennsylvania and Louisiana are the only states where the crime is considered a violent sex offense even when no sexual contact occurred.
How on earth did “interfering with custody of children” offense ever end up on a sex offender registry in the first place?! Insane!
Many states consider inadvertant downloading of CP “a violent sex offense”, even though no physical or sexual contact of any kind has occurred.
Time for defamation suits!
I think the main reason is to keep registries as large as possible. Federal grants and such are awarded based on the number of registrants. “Public safety” is irrelevant – it’s been shown time and again that the registry has no effect there. Politicians know it, but are more concerned with the money generated and cheap political points in keeping them.
Does anyone Know about The case Aaron Marcus has for Philly clients his message from the 22nd says he should be hearing from a three judge panel on some kind of decision in the next week or so?
No names removed yet today, very little were removed yesterday also…don’t know what’s the hold up, it ain’t no holiday!!!!
Hi Everyone,
Act 10 is the holdup. The majority of people who were due relief are going to be denied relief due to Act 10. Round and round we go. I just wish PSP would take this seriously and get the review done. Oh well, life goes on….
Total Registrants – Actual Counts from PSP Website: 2/24/2018 – 21,292: 3/5/2018 – 20,787. Decline of 505. Includes preSorna removal + custody issues removal – new registrants.
0 removed today as Harrisburg is shut down due to state of emergency declared by governor wolf.
For anyone who still owes time for there 10 years. Like the recent two people talking about your 10 years are up in May 2018.
Did you ever hear of the Venus Fly Trap?
HB 631 or Act 10 has the same effect as that plant.
If you are not done your 10 years, you arent coming off SORNA, they are holding you, more than likely as a TEIR 1, until the 30 day letter is sent explaining your new requirements under ACT 10.
The bill reads, continued registeration for ones who HAVE NOT COMPLETED THERE 10 YEARS OR REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS.
Its simple to understand, you got caught up on ACT 10.
Feb 21 to May 21 2108. Is close to 90 days.
If you havent finished your 10 years prior to Feb 21 2018 when Wolf Signed the bill, you have 90 days to register under ACT 10.
And then once registered, I bet you and I will have to fight them to review that our 10 years is up.
They are not going to remove anyone under Act 10 unlesz requested.
If Muniz Decision didnt scare them, that should tell you they dont care about breaking the law. They only care when sex offenders do.
Has anyone received the letter for HB 631 in the state of PA for the new requirements. On February 21 2018 the bill was signed in law. They have thirty days to get a letter out from the day of the signing of the bill by Wolf. March 23 2018 is 30 days. And we are to update with in 90 days from February 21 2018. That would May 21 2018 or about there. So have anyone the honor and received our to retroactive requirements.
I haven’t gotten anything yet either, I am due relief but not sure that they are going to send letters to people who are due relief or not. But at the same time they done know all who is due relief yet I don’t think.
Over 4000 people have been removed from TEIR 2 and 3 and according The the stats right now, looks like were all moved to TEIR 1
holy cow…what lit the fire over night..take a look at the site now.. tier 2 dropped over 1000, and now there is no tier designations… interesting…
Wander what their plan is now…
I am one of the many who were removed from the website last night. I called ML and they told me that this does not mean that I have been removed from the registry, but rather that I have been slated for review “since my date is coming up.
This doesn’t make sense since my next scheduled update isn’t until December, but this still feels like progress towards my ultimate removal.
Just got off the phone with psp, said the same thing, should be getting a lettersoon, I asked why everyone has been moved to t1 status and she said there all being reviewed.
Sorry to Guessit and the others the did not get removed just stay patient maybe things will change. For the rest of us that got completely removed from the site congratulations its been a long wait. We just have to wait for them to finish the reviews now.
Yep still up, no TEIR alication still, it doesn’t say if I’m active though.
Tony two Times And Adam
Congrats guys, enjoy freedom at last my friends, hope I’m off before I see my lawyer Friday,
Good luck guys…
I also have no tier designation and it does not say active.
I see some people are still tiered, some people are tierless, and some (me for example) are not on at all. Does this mean I’m off? I was sentenced in 2010 to probation and sorna retroactively put me on since I was “under supervision” at the time. Please tell me they aren’t going to put me back on…
Has anyone that is not an out of state offender that was not required to register pre SORNA or has finished their 10yrs still on the site? Just wondering because I think they have pretty much removed everyone that has finished their time.
@ Andy and Wants off,
Let’s remember the way the law reads now, it is not a matter if you were in custody, being incarcerated or on probation/parole. Some were in jail or on probation for say dui, and were pulled onto sorna because they had a prior sex offense conviction at some point in their life.
It is rather a matter of when you’re crime was committed and if you would have been required to be on it at the time you commited the sex offense.
Im from out of state (md)
My time was up last year. But they have me on as starting when i moved to PA in 2013. Im still on the registry. So im Not shore if im getting off or not. And i cant afford a lawyer any time soon. Any ideas?
I was removed from the website on 3-14-2018 does that mean I am officially off for good or is there a hidden catch somewhere in ACT 10 that might bring me back on the list. I didn’t receive a letter before I was removed stating I was done. I was figuring that psp would send me a letter before they took me off telling me I was officially done.