An Oklahoma lawmaker is pushing to allow chemical castration of sex offenders. The procedure is in effect in two other states and could be in Oklahoma before the end of the year. This isn’t the first time this idea has come up in Oklahoma. It’s always been shot down, but some believe it could actually work. Full Article Bill Text
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OK: Federal court ruling could soon affect Oklahoma sex offenders
OKLAHOMA CITY – Thousands of Oklahoma sex offenders could soon have free reign on the internet after a federal appeals court ruled it’s a 1st amendment violation to monitor their online activity. Right now, most sex offenders in our state are not allowed to use the internet. The recent ruling was on a California case, but it’s expected that the federal court that oversees Oklahoma cases will likely review it and make a similar ruling. Full Article
Read MoreOK: Program treats juvenile sex offenders as kids, not criminals
OKLAHOMA CITY – Sex offender. The phrase conjures pariahs living under bridges. Adults “grooming” children for devastating abuse. Violent men who take what is not freely given. Broken people. And yet, here comes Tyler, bounding down the hall with his dusty blonde Justin Bieber haircut and chunky sneakers. He turned 16 today. He and his family have just come from Chuck E. Cheese. Tyler’s mom smiles as she tells the other parents in her support and education group at the University of Oklahoma Medical Center, “Teenagers can regress back to…
Read MoreOK: Local Officers’ Suggestion Leads To New Law
OKLAHOMA CITY – A new law set to take effect Nov. 1 will close a loophole in the current sex offender registration statutes.House Bill 3016, by Rep. Sean Roberts and Sen. AJ Griffin, will require sex offenders to register in Oklahoma if they spend 14 days in the state in a 60-day period. Current law only requires them to register if they spend seven consecutive days in the state. Full Article
Read MoreOK: Sex registry law needs overhaul
In 2007, the Oklahoma State Legislature approved a new law that required all sex offenders be classified under a three-tier system that placed offenders in a specific category depending on the nature of the sex crime. However, the Oklahoma Department of Corrections (DOC) went a step further and made the new registration law retroactive to 1998. However, in June 2013, the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled the retroactive application of the rule was unconstitutional. Full Article
Read MoreOK: Removes 2,400 Registered Sex Offenders After Supreme Court Ruling
Oklahoma has removed 2,400 sex offenders from its registry since a state Supreme Court decision six months ago. The legislature passed a law in 2007 increasing the number of years sex offenders have to register and it was applied to people already convicted, but the Oklahoma Supreme Court said the law could only apply to people going forward. Full Article
Read MoreOK: Bill Would Ban Sex Offenders from State Parks
The House of Representatives approved a legislation today which would prohibit sex offenders from entering state parks in Oklahoma. This includes aggravated sex offenders and habitual sex offenders. Aggravated sex offenders are those who committed a crime against a child and habitual offenders are those who have committed more than one sex crime. The presenter of the bill, State Representative Josh Cockroft, said “we have to continually tweak sex offender laws to ensure that there are no loopholes that allow them access to public places frequented by children. Protecting our children…
Read MoreOK: Sexting Teens Wouldn’t Be Sex Offenders Under New Bill
Minors convicted of sexting wouldn’t be labeled as sex offenders under a bill passed by the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The House unanimously approved HB 2541 by Rep. Terry O’Donnell (R-Catoosa) on Tuesday. Under current law, teens who exchange sexually explicated messages and photographs can be charged with child pornography and labeled sex offenders. Full Article
Read MoreOK: Convicted sex offender sues to stay in his home
PRYOR, OK — A convicted sex offender has sued the district attorney and city of Pryor over housing dispute. ____ ____ bought a home near Jefferson Elementary School in Pryor before the sex offender law was passed which would prevent him from living within 2,000 feet of the school. He was convicted of a child sexual offense in 2008. When he was released from prison in 2013, law enforcement told him he could not live in his house because of it’s proximity to a school. ____’s position is he owned the home…
Read MoreOK: Sex Offender Law Successful Challenge Sets Stage for Other Jurisdictions
Recent decisions have relied on the reasoning of the US Supreme Court in Smith v. Doe when analyzing challenges to sex offender registry laws. The Smith decision notoriously held that Alaska’s sex offender registry did not violate the US Constitution’s prohibition on ex post facto laws. The US Supreme Court held that the Alaska registry was constitutional by applying a two-step analysis: first, determining whether the legislation was intended to have a punitive effect and if so, analyzing the results of the “intents-effects” test established by the court in Kentucky vs. Mendoza-Martinez. The Oklahoma Supreme Court…
Read MoreOK: Sex offenders removed from registry
TAHLEQUAH — Several convicted sex offenders residing in Cherokee County have been removed from the state’s sex offender registry following a ruling from the Oklahoma Supreme Court last June. Cherokee County Sheriff’s Investigator James Brown has received letters from the state indicating two offenders of the 100-plus living here have been removed from the Department of Corrections registry, so far. Full Article
Read MoreOK: Supreme Court rules on sex offender lawsuit [updated with decisions]
OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Supreme Court says people convicted of sex crimes in other states are not required to register as sex offenders in Oklahoma if the convictions occurred before the Legislature passed a sex offender law and if they completed their sentence, probation or parole before Nov. 1, 2005. The justices ruled that two men convicted of sex crimes in other states were not offered the same protection under the law as people convicted of sex crimes in Oklahoma. Full Article Case Information http://law.justia.com/cases/oklahoma/supreme-court/2013/108819.html http://law.justia.com/cases/oklahoma/supreme-court/2013/108797.html
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