Maine Supreme Court Listens to Thirteen Mainers Seeking Removal from Sex Offender Registry

9-14-2012 Maine:

Maine's highest court listened to arguments yesterday seeking to remove certain names from Maine's sex offender registry.

Attorney Jim Mitchell represents thirteen people on the list who served their sentenced before the registry was created in 1999.

Maine's Supreme Court also heard from Deputy Attorney General Paul Stern yesterday.

He says it's important to keep the names on the list because it's not fair to guardians who might be moving next door or working with someone who could still be a danger to their children, but Mitchell says the convicted sex offenders he represents are being punished retroactively.

"If something wasn't criminal when you did it, you can't come back a year later and say 'Now we're making it criminal, so we're gonna prosecute you.' No we don't treat people that way."

"There's no reason to believe somebody who was convicted of a serious sex offense or multiple sex offenses in the 1980s is any more safe than someone who was convicted of a sex offense today."

Mitchell says there's a chance this matter could go back to trial again, but he's hoping the court will make a decision. ..Source.. by WABI-TV5 News Desk