PA- Allegheny to appeal sex offender ordinance ruling

3-25-2009 Pennsylvania:

Allegheny County will appeal a federal court ruling that struck down residency restrictions for sex offenders, the county executive's office announced today.

"We believe it is important to appeal this ruling in order to provide an additional level of protection for children here in Allegheny County," Executive Dan Onorato said in a news release. "Megan's Law requires sex offenders to register their addresses with local police departments, but it does not prevent them from living next door to a school, day care center or other places where children are regularly present. This is an important public safety issue, and we will continue to pursue it."

The ordinance was designed to prevent any registered sex offender from moving within about half a mile of child care and community centers, county parks and schools. U.S. District Judge Gary L. Lancaster ruled Friday the ordinance conflicted with state law.

Most of the county had become off limits to those sex offenders, Lancaster wrote. That left some prisoners stuck in jail after their entitled release dates and made it difficult for state officials to uniformly apply the terms of parole.

The initial ordinance had passed without opposition in October 2007. The county has 30 days to file its appeal, according to Onorato's office. ..News Source.. by Tim Puko