CHICAGO (CN) — A Seventh Circuit panel heard arguments Friday over whether a Wisconsin law barring convicted sex offenders from changing their name amounts to free speech infringement.
The underlying lawsuit was brought in Milwaukee federal court in May 2019 by Karen Krebs, a transgender woman from Kenosha, Wisconsin, who cannot change her name due to a 1992 conviction which required her to register as a sex offender.
Wisconsin law makes it a Class H felony for anyone who is required to register as a sex offender to legally change their name, criminal penalties for which range up to a $10,000 fine and six years in prison.
Krebs, whose forename given at birth is Kenneth, contended that her First Amendment rights are violated by being denied the ability to change her name in order to suit her identity, as she has not gone by her given name since she came out as transgender in 1999.
Her complaint, which named Kenosha County District Attorney Michael Graveley as a defendant, claimed that not being able to go by the name that comports with her self-identity causes her distress and embarrassment and creates confusion whenever she applies for a job, goes to the doctor or manages her finances, forcing her to explain the fact that she is transgender.
U.S. District Court Judge J.P. Stadtmueller, a Ronald Reagan appointee, did not feel Krebs had met the burden of proof to show that Wisconsin’s name-change statute violates her free speech rights and granted summary judgment to Graveley in March of this year.
How does this not meet burden of proof? She’d like to change her name. The law says she can’t. This isn’t a government document like a passport that’s on lease, allowing the government to put whatever they want on it as it’s the government speaking. This is her name and the government is forcing her to use something she doesn’t wish to. What more proof do you need?
What’s instilled in the heart of many in this much of these deceptive ordeals. Well the bible can tell you all that. This transgender issue ordeal is a game changer just like this whole sex registry scheme or scam. Seems a person isn’t satisfied with their real birth name and wants to play up a klinger type ordeal which would give anyone the woolies or second guess.
One can talk about a chameleon changing spots it would seems that human nature doesn’t play that game. Funny that a transgender wants to be something that the creator didn’t intend that person to be. God only made two genders. Is one talking about a psychological ordeal in this type of game change or did the individual want a change of habit. Talk about vain that is vanity to the max or who know’s the thoughts and intent of “why”.
What a deviant display of wittness rebellion. Consider many of these internet encounters when one is texting to the person on the other end and that person turns out to be a he instead of a she in this game of pretense. Should one go with instinct or basic understand. In my own ordeal I even asked to speak to the person on the phone to hear the person’s voice.
As far as this registry and wanting a person to sign off that they knew they were talking to a girl, teenager person or whatever is a way to incriminate one in much of this registry ordeal with all this paper signing and confusion. This gender effect is a bit out of character in any level of christian character. Its not to say a christian can’t get out of character at times when swayed by unknown forces of a dark world. I believe that would explain a lot of this registry in many of these ordeals.
If the new President coming into office and yes I’m sure many have hopes and pray’s for a new President to lead this county wants to band all these sex traps via thsi internet one can be sure something good will come out of something bad. Janice this would be another way to say let my people go in this type of unethical type of devilish registry means.
@All on here. Now Janice has bought out many pieces to this puzzle and many of these articles are good. Maybe thats the reason I came back on here to help enlighten others in much of this gloom and doom without getting my thorat cut in all this type of sexcapade. Should we all start singing Glory, Glory, Halelujah or is it time to put much of this registry to rest in many ways.
I’m sure a lot of men didn’t like the song By Helen Reddy .. I am woman hear me roar but many mom’s are upset over this registry issue that has uprooted many in much by this overshadowing in this brain washing type of encounter.
So how does one turn a negative into a positive or is gender discression being this bias wittness of self conceit. Janice you’ve hit on a key factor or issue in all this. Your team is in there. While many don’t seem to understand these wirey type internet ordeals it would seem protecting and serving is a bit different than preventing. Hey look at California.
At one time marijuana was illegal in California now Cannabis is used as a medicine and legal. Yes growing was illegal so what about these registry issues. One would tend to understand that this is an issue that treads on biblical issues as well as enticement by devilish means or who is leaning on this evil in this money factor ordeal..One wonders do all men have truth or does much of this whole justice system full of carbolic acid.
In my view you have something their with this article you present and I’m sure many would have to take notice also that reply to this article. I’m sure this registry is getting out of hand in all America and yes we all should put a stop to all this and stand up as preached on here or who is judging fairly or preverting justice?
@saddles It’s easy to get hung up on the transgender part of this issue, but that really isn’t the core of the problem. If a person wants to legally change his/her/their name then the reason doesn’t really matter. The fact that the state is forcing them to identify by a name other than the one they choose is the issue. For a person getting married that wants to take on a married name, this will of course create a problem.
It’s also easy to allow ones religious beliefs about transgender people to really get in the way of civil law discussions. Whether someone else’s religious beliefs consider something right or wrong has little to nothing to do with the individual’s civil rights as a citizen of Wisconsin and the USA.
To answer the other question asked of me above about Wisconsin DOC wanting to keep tabs on me and other registrants after we leave the state? I don’t like it, I don’t agree with it, and I don’t know that I alone can change it. That said, Wisconsin does make it extremely easy to update the registry, especially when compared to other states. All it takes is a simple phone call or email to notify them of most changes. Of course, if someone did leave the country legally and notifies Wisconsin of the move, they would certainly be beyond the reach of state.
Yes, Wisconsin has gone way to the extreme trying to “protect victim rights” to the extent that there is a case right now alleging that the recently passed constitutional amendment violates other parts of our constitution by interfering with the rights of the accused.
Cant get a job, can’t live where you want, can’t go where you want, can’t travel freely, can’t change your name, can’t defend yourself, and other rights lost in this insanity. What’s next can’t change your gender? Not punishment to People on power trips controlling other people’s lives.
I wish you hadn’t done that Lake. Yes I’m sure some men like the song course dont’ quote me on that one but one wonders how Tom Jones or Trump would react to this feminst song and this culture movement that was on the rise back than when dope smokers were just trying to get by in a nation of unrest. Nothing wrong with the song but it is a type of steryotyping of empowerment if one would like to say Was the timing right for that song? How about this jive talk’n today or rap, etc. I hope we are all not getting off base with this registry problem.
Sure the song can be a strengthing device for a movement that was about to come in the “Me too” movement if one wants to steryotype the Jane Fonda’s and others. Hey doesn’t the one on the registry have a cause also with much and many of these jaded catcher talkings of a sexual norm.
Name changes, gender changes, or transgender changes. Well thats like saying be all you can be in the Army or a Klinger type character in many. See when things and principles get out of balance who is getting the beast ( I apologize for that remark) enlargement in much of this garbage. Didn’t we all just comment or give views of a woman on the registry. Should we all call this whole registry a lot of vanity in many ways.
Nothing wrong with name changes if one wants to go that route such as the Cashus Clay or the Baby Face Nelson or whatever happened to Baby Jane or even this Svengoliee character on TV. One’s view point can be very different from others or is to wonder why gender change or name changes come in many of these character defaults even in many ordeals.
I believe that is the best way for me to explain all this registry or I could use some soap. Will Alan toss me a bar of soap.