[JURIST] A civil rights group has sued the state of Georgia [JURIST news archive], arguing that a new law designed to protect children from sex crimes all but forbids convicted offenders from living in urban and suburban areas. The Southern Center for Human Rights (SCHR) [advocacy website] filed a complaint [PDF] on Tuesday in the US District Court for the Northern District of Georgia [official website] in Rome, asking the court to certify the lawsuit as a class action and to issue an injunction blocking the enactment of House Bill 1059 [legislative materials], which takes effect on July 1. The statute, in part, provides that:

(a) No individual required to register pursuant to Code Section 42-1-12 shall reside or loiter within 1,000 feet of any child care facility, church, school, or area where minors congregate. ...
(b)(1) No individual who is required to register under Code Section 42-1-12 shall be employed by any child care facility, school, or church or by any business or entity that is located within 1,000 feet of a child care facility, a school, or a church.