Court Says Public Can Access Sex Offender Registry

[bmacd]

(8/22/02) -- A federal appeals court says the public may once again access Michigan's sex offender registry. A judge in Detroit had blocked public access to the Web site in June. But yesterday's ruling by the Sixth Circuit US Court of Appeals says the site should be up while it reviews the case. The case was filed by state prison officer Daniel Fullmer, who was convicted of having sex with a female inmate in 1999. Fullmer sued after a neighbor saw his name on the Internet. He says police can track sexual predators, but his name shouldn't be made public because he's not a danger to society.

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I went to the sex offender registry for michigan and found a friend who'd been listed for urinating in public @ camp david.

-=bmacd=-

 

[tcsenter]

8/22/02) -- A federal appeals court says the public may once again access Michigan's sex offender registry. A judge in Detroit had blocked public access to the Web site in June. But yesterday's ruling by the Sixth Circuit US Court of Appeals says the site should be up while it reviews the case....I went to the sex offender registry for michigan and found a friend who'd been listed for urinating in public @ camp david.

Yep, I have serious problems with the Michigan law and others like it. Certain 'crimes' of a non-predatory and non-violent nature are often categorized as crimes of 'sexual perversion', such as public display of nudity.

Depending on the state, you can be required to register as a 'sexual predator' or 'sex offender' if you were caught mooning someone or streaking through a public place, urinating in a public place, largely innocent crimes where youthful indiscretion meet's a little alcohol or a friend's dare.

In most states with such registries, 4th degree sexual misconduct is considered a 'trackable' offense. This can be statutory rape, a high school senior having sex with a high school freshmen or sophomore (that never happens, eh?).

I have no problem with registries of TRUE sexually deviant criminals who have a mental defect that makes them a danger to society. I know about a dozen or more people who were dating freshman or sophomore's when they were seniors and they're not out raping children nor would they. Yet, had they been convicted of statutory rape, they would be in the Michigan Sex Offenders Registry.