SC: No sex-offender status for men convicted under anti-sodomy law in South Carolina

Source: postandcourier.com 4/22/22

COLUMBIA — Men convicted under South Carolina’s anti-sodomy law will no longer be required to register as a sex offender, according to a settlement agreement.

The settlement was reached April 22 between Attorney General Alan Wilson, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division Chief Mark Keel and the state’s ACLU chapter.

ACLU attorneys filed the federal suit four months prior in the U.S. District Court of South Carolina on behalf of “John Doe.”

The South Carolina man said he was convicted in 2001 under the state’s “buggery” law for having consensual sex with another man. The law prohibited certain sex acts traditionally associated with homosexuality.

The man received a pardon for the offense after a 2003 U.S. Supreme Court ruling rendered South Carolina’s anti-sodomy law invalid. But the state still required people convicted under the law prior to 2003 to register as a sex offender — something the man said had a profound effect on his life.

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Wow – what a shame that it took nearly 20 years to correct this. Clearly shows that the registry laws have no connection with having a legitimate case behind them, and that they were being enforced for some other reason. Once the law behind the conviction is ruled unconstitutional, it’s astounding to me that anyone would even attempt to continue to enforce repercussions resulting from the conviction. Yet, that’s what happened here for almost 20 years as the state continued to force them to register. It wasn’t protecting anyone and seems to have been merely vindictive and a way to force some additional punishment on these people.

How easily will the people in question be able to get their names removed from all related websites that use the SC registry for their info? Their journey is just beginning on that.

When the “authorities” fight to keep you on the registry, then you know it’s all about control, power and money.