Legislation that would allow juvenile sexual offenders to remove their names from the state’s sex-offender registry “is ripe for override.”
That was the assessment of House Speaker Tim Jones this summer.
Missouri lawmakers are preparing for their annual veto session on Wednesday.
While the bill did not attract a lot of criticism when it was approved this spring in the Republican-led General Assembly — it passed the House of Representatives 153-0 and the Senate 28-4 — Gov. Jay Nixon, a Democrat, vetoed it this summer.
The bill keeps the names of people who were younger than 18 when they committed a sex offense off public notification websites operated by state law enforcement officials. Those already named on such sites who committed the crimes as juveniles could petition the courts for removal from the state registry five years after the conviction or their release from custody. Judges would grant the request unless the person faces charges of failing to properly register or for another sex offense, or has not met other conditions.
In his veto message, Nixon said the language is “considerably overbroad” and does not take into consideration the severity of the sex offense.
“It would grant this relief to juvenile sex offenders regardless of the sexual offense for which they were convicted, to include forcible rape, forcible sodomy and child molestation,” Nixon said. He also said victims of the sex crimes would have no opportunity to object when the offenders ..continue.. by Eli Yokley
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