Legislature Debates Changing Sex Offender Registry

1-29-2010 Maine:

Supreme Court Ruling Necessitates Changes

AUGUSTA, Maine -- Lawmakers met in Augusta Thursday to discuss changing the state's sex offender registry to satisfy the concerns of the Maine supreme court.

The court said it is unconstitutional to impose new laws that are retroactive for people convicted of sex crimes in the 1980s and 1990s.

The ruling means the state cannot require sex offenders to register for the rest of their lives when they were previously told they would have to register for only 10 years.

Maine changed the law in 1999 to require all sex offenders to register for life.

Lawmakers also discussed the possibility of changing the registry to better differentiate between minor and serious offenses.

A deadline was set for the end of March to make the necessary changes. ..Source.. WMTW.com