SORNA Held Unconstitutional in Pennsylvania
ANNA P. SAMMONS – A court calling the sex offender registry “an overbroad, suffocating net“? Is this the beginning of the end of the registry? No, of course not. But it’s does offer a glimmer of hope. Perhaps there is someroom in our system for some forward movement toward more rational sex offense laws.
Two years ago, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania remanded a case back to the trial courts for the judge in the case to analyze SORNA’s constitutionality. On August 23, 2022, the court handed down a decision. “No,” the court said. SORNA is not constitutional “as a legislative scheme,” and it is unconstitutional as applied to the defendant.
The court starts by examining SORNA’s irrebuttable presumption that all sex offenders, regardless of their personal characteristics and circumstances, have a high risk of reoffending sexually. That presumption is not consititutional, the Court concludes, because it is empirically false. The vast majority of sex offenders do not reoffend sexually.
The court also considered a separate question– whether the sex offender registry constituted criminal punishment. The court found it does. And because it constitutes criminal punishment, it’s punitive nature offends Apprendi; results in a criminal sentence in excess of the statutory maximums; violates Federal and State proscriptions against cruel and unusual punishment; and breaches the separation of powers doctrine.
I was curious about the judge, the Honorable Allison Bell Royer. A registered Republican, she has a degree in Government, used to run her own law firm, has previously practiced criminal defense and is apparently a member of the Chester County Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
A person gets sentenced, a min and max. He paid his debt to society. Adding these other stipulations is extending their sentence. It’s wrong.
So, if they want to do that, for certain crimes, why not have it for drug dealers/users and thieves.
Wouldn’t you want to know if a drug dealer/user or thief, moved into your neighborhood ??
Debt is indeed a factor. Societal debt is growing rapidly. The thing about large debt is the interest costs limit future opportunity costs. Most of what makes fascism popular is the profit created with free labor, which of course you do not have to feed them much either.
Sex offender registrants do not cost the state tax money to feed and the fascist state benefits with free property upkeep. Fact is the peoples SOR databases are leased hardware and software, same goes for ankle bracelets. SOR\DOC\DPS & Registrants upkeep the property. Agents are paid wages, while inversely registrants pay fees and supply labor for free. Same goes for ankle bracelets tech, by private enterprise stoked by irrational fear thru some truth but amplified with targeted sensationalism via mass media. Profit and tax collection created by the explosion of the ubiquitous computer database are readily apparent. But at what human cost? That additional cash flow has assisted trend towards massive government overspending and inflation, essentially covering the asses of greedy but ignorant politicians. {Conventional wisdom suggests most legislators don’t know jack about computer programming} Darrell Issa (CA) would be an outlier to that wisdom. Remember the “corporeal” who created the SOR mapping features via a firm called Directed Electronics…hedatguy. Richest man in Congress. Keep in mind the American Civil war was not just about Slavery & involuntary servitude. It was also about the desire for federal tax collection too (Revenue Act 1861) Old honest Abe never gets credit for that. The most acute question may be whether American debt landscape got so fiscally untenable America was forced to return to slavery via the computer database to generate enough cash to make interest notes. Slavery always was profitable. The shame of it is, one of the very first thing “man” did upon the discovery of computer database was find someone enslave to the darn things maintaining. If no liberty at stake; Who would complain?- J.P Stevens, May 1998.{ AGs motion to dismiss Mr. & Mrs Bartrello’s Complaint}
What can we say about historical punishment if your not going the include the 13th Amendment as probative when weighing whether sex offender registration “resembles it.”
I’m a convicted sex offender in Pa and I believe the to be a violation of my rights.It is cruel law that should be terminated.Not a all sex offenders will reoffend my I caught my my case when I was 18y old I’m now 41y old and continue to have to register.The law should simply be removed .if their is any lawyer able to help me in this matter please contact me.
WOW! Finally a judge willing to stand up and say the Emperor has no clothes on. Not only that but also that his underwear is filthy. Anyone with common sense has known from the beginning that these laws are unconstitutional. I’ve read case law where other judges even eluded to that fact, but it appears that it takes a DAR to admit it. Like any other problem that needs repair, we must first admit that we have a problem. It’s one tiny step. But let us hope it eventually becomes a stampede.
A chink in the armor! A little at a time, with continued educational information given to Judges and legislators across the US, the registry will be eventually rendered a poor way to treat another human being, and be reserved for only the worst of the worst offenders.
If it’s unconstitutional then why is it still happening? I was banned from churches in Lancaster, PA simply because of my past. Community Mennonite Church, East Chestnut Mennonite Church, James Street Mennonite Church and Faith & Life Church. They all told me that since I am under sex offender registration that I am not allowed on their property. I was told the same thing by Water Street Rescue Mission. Sex offenders are the only ex criminals who must register. This is discrimination. Slavery was banned but brought back in a different form. Sex offender registration is a form of slavery. SVP status is even worse. I must endure the stigma of this scarlet letter for the rest of my life only because society fears that I may victimize again. PARSOL has been saying that you are fighting for change but the laws are only becoming more strict. I love that you are fighting this for us but how many must die due to vigilant justice or suicide before change actually takes place?
Amen, well said!