Source: missourinet.com 2/12/25 The Missouri Supreme Court has ruled unanimously in favor of a lower court’s ruling, saying the sex offender failed to present evidence that a lifetime electronic monitoring requirement is unconstitutional. The woman sued the state Department of Corrections, arguing that electronic monitoring for the rest of her life violates her Fourth Amendment right against unreasonable search and seizure. Her attorney also argued that women are different and much less likely to be repeat offenders. During a December court hearing, Michael Patton with the Missouri Attorney General’s Office…
Read MoreDay: February 12, 2025
UT: Affirmative Consent Is Back
Source: reason.com 2/12/25 In the later years of the second Obama administration, affirmative consent was all the rage. Affirmative consent refers to the idea that “no means no” doesn’t cut it; when it comes to sex—or even kissing—all actions must be explicitly and affirmatively agreed upon. There’s nothing wrong with affirmative consent as an ideal, though some may argue it’s the antithesis of erotic. But affirmative consent as a legal standard is unworkable and dangerous. And as a feminist standard, I think it leaves a lot to be desired too. Alas, affirmative consent…
Read MoreMD: Maryland’s highest court upholds ending statute of limitations on child sex abuse lawsuits
Source: apnews.com 2/3/25 ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Maryland’s Supreme Court on Monday upheld the constitutionality of a state law that ended the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse lawsuits following a report that exposed widespread wrongdoing within the Archdiocese of Baltimore. The court upheld the 2023 law in a 4-3 ruling, saying the Maryland General Assembly had the authority to change the law as it did, after hearing arguments in September. Opposition over the law’s constitutionality focused on an earlier 2017 law that established a cutoff age of 38 for victims…
Read MoreNC: North Carolina Supreme Court Upholds Law That Allowed 2 More Years for Child Sex Abuse Suits
Source: usnews.com 1/31/25 North Carolina’s highest court has upheld a law that gave adult victims of child sexual abuse two additional years to seek civil damages RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina’s highest court upheld on Friday a law that gave adult victims of child sexual abuse two additional years to seek civil damages, rejecting arguments that the temporary window violated constitutional protections for those facing claims that otherwise could no longer be pursued in court. In a case involving a local school board sued by three former students years…
Read MoreME: Maine supreme court strikes down law that allowed civil lawsuits for decades-old sexual abuse claims
Source: mainepublic.org 1/28/25 Maine’s Supreme Judicial Court struck down a recent state law that had eliminated the statute of limitations on civil lawsuits alleging child sexual abuse. The Roman Catholic Bishop of Maine challenged the law after it was sued by dozens of adults who claimed they were abused by clergy members. By removing the statute of limitations, the 2021 law opened the door to civil lawsuits for child sexual abuse no matter how long ago the alleged abuse occurred. But the state’s highest court said Tuesday that once a…
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