VT- Vt. Sex Offender Registry to Expand

If any registrant/s can be removed -for reason (whatever that be)- then every registrant should have the right to contest their presence on the registry! To increase the registry -by retroactivity logic (a logic based on time and dates)- then every registrant should be able to claim their -registry start date- began when the crime was committed, and the term calculated from that date forward; hence, many should be removed immediately. It is a violation of equal protection clauses to allow the state a system, and deny registrants the same system. eAdvocate

UPDATE: In response to a reader's comment: Whether or not a right exists under a state constitution, every state has ratified the U.S. Constitution. In the U.S. Const. states are commanded to provide its citizens all rights outlined in the U.S. Const., Equal Protection under the laws is but one.

9-17-2009 Vermont:

Vermont authorities are putting the final touches on a dramatically expanded version of the state's online sex offender registry. It will include photos and key information about more than 2,000 registered sex offenders.

Until now only one in five of Vermont's 2,500 convicted sex offenders-- 350 to 400 of them-- have been classified as dangerous enough to be included in the public online version of the state's sex offender registry. The identities of the other 2,100 are confidential and revealed only to authorities.

But that all changed last year when convicted sex offender Michael Jacques was charged with the rape and murder of his 12-year-old niece Brooke Bennett. State lawmakers responded with tough new laws aimed at protecting the public from sexual predators, including a dramatic expansion of the online registry.

Under the new law four in five registered sex offenders will now qualify.

"Instead of having only 400 on the internet site we'll now have close to two-thousand," said Shari Englert, who is in charge of registry.

Englert says the new entries will be up and running right on schedule on October 1.

"We'll still have 400-- about that-- that are not going to be on the internet site. They'll still be required to register but not on the internet site," she said.

For now only the offender's town and county of residence will be available. But next July the specific street addresses of the most dangerous offenders will also become public.

Those convicted of the most serious offenses remain on the registry for life-- less serious for only ten years. So far about 400 have reached the maximum. The names have been removed. Nevertheless there are still about 2,500 sex offenders on the list at any one point.

But authorities point out that expanding the list and adding the specific addresses of the most dangerous sex offenders like Michael Jacques does not automatically increase public safety. Authorities point out that Jacques was already on the online registry when police say he murdered his niece.

"Law enforcement can give you all the information that it's allowed to by law. Ultimately what you do with that information is up to you," Englert said. ..Source.. by