October 21, 2010

High Court: State Can Continue To Maintain Restricted Sex Offender List

10-21-2010 Connecticut:

HARTFORD – — The state can continue to maintain, at least for now, a separate sex-offender registry that is available to law enforcement, but not the public, according to a state Supreme Court ruling released this morning.

A much larger online registry maintained by the Department of Public Safety, and established under Megan's Law, is available to the public.

A state law allows convicted sex offenders to be placed on the restricted list if a judge finds they are not dangerous and disclosing their name would identify the victim. The list contains at least 41 offenders.

The Freedom of Information Commission in 2007 ordered the Department of Public Safety to release certain information contained on the restricted list with the exception of the offender's name. The department appealed to Superior Court and the trial judge upheld the FOI panel's ruling. The department, which includes state police, then appealed to the Supreme Court, which today reversed the lower court's finding. ..Source.. by JOSH KOVNER

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