Search Results for: sex offenders

Universal suffrage has long been accepted as the standard for enfranchisement in democracies, however full and equal participation is rarely the reality. One group in particular that is frequently excluded across jurisdictions is prisoners. Indian law provides for this exclusion in Section 62(5) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. This exclusion has faced [...]

A special US District Court panel of three judges on Saturday denied California inmates’ request that a certain category of inmates be released in order to allow the physical distancing necessary to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The request, which was filed on March 25, invoked an order entered by the special panel in 2009 [...]

The Maryland Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday that in order for somebody to have to register with the Maryland Sex Offender Registry, all elements must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. The case involves a man who had pleaded guilty to one count of human trafficking and then was ordered to register as a Tier [...]

Attorneys litigate on both sides of some of the most contentious issues in the country: affirmative action, rent control, abortion rights, gun rights, you name it. Sometimes the positions attorneys take may be seen as offensive, as those positions may run contrary to more “popular” opinions. But in our adversarial system of justice, free speech is necessary [...]

The US Department of Justice announced a new section of the Office of Immigration Litigation Wednesday to focus on denaturalization cases. The goal of the office is to denaturalize people who get their citizenship through illegal means. They will focus on terrorists, sex offenders, war criminals, and “other fraudsters.” Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt said, [...]

The Federal District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan ruled part of the Michigan Sex Offender Registry Act invalid on Friday. Judge Robert Cleland struck down provisions of the Sex Offender Registry Act due to vagueness, strict liability and violations of the First Amendment. The provisions that were struck down for vagueness included sections [...]

The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled Wednesday in favor of an Oregon school district’s policy allowing transgender students to use the bathroom that aligns with their gender identity. A group of parents and students had sued to challenge the policy, arguing that it violated their constitutional rights to privacy and that [...]

California Governor Gavin Newsom on Wednesday announced that his office would be launching a new initiative to pardon people who have prosecuted in California for being gay. Inspired by a call to posthumously pardon Bayard Rustin, a humanitarian and civil rights leader who was convicted of a misdemeanor vagrancy offense for consensual adult homosexual activity, [...]

Virginia’s House advanced HB33 with a 52 to 45 vote on Friday that supports Gov. Ralph Northam’s criminal justice reform initiative.  This particular bill addresses a long debated issue of parole in Virginia.  Parole was abolished in Virginia in 1995, but no jury was informed of this change when deliberating sentences until 2000 after the [...]

The coming invigoration of the non-delegation doctrine, long-declared dead, is now nearly certain. In a recent statement, Justice Kavanaugh signaled his interest in revisiting the long-dormant doctrine in a future case. But, while Justice Kavanaugh’s statement all but confirms that the Court will breathe life into the non-delegation doctrine sometime soon, questions still remain about [...]