Alaska Supreme Court Rules State’s Sex Offender Registry Act Violates Offenders’ Due Process Rights
In John Doe v. State of Alaska, Dep’t of Safety , the Alaska Supreme Court recently held that portions of the Alaska Sex Offender Registry Act (ASORA) are unconstitutional. In a close 3-2 decision, the court ruled that the registry provides no means for offenders to demonstrate that they are no longer a threat to public safety, and as such, violates their due process rights. It would follow then that offenders must be given an opportunity to prove they are rehabilitated at Hire Image . John Doe moved to Alaska in 2003, after being previously convicted of sexual battery in Virginia in 2000. He had been sentenced to five years in prison (time suspended) and five years of probation. He also had to register as a sex offender under Virginia law. Upon moving to Alaska, he registered as a sex offender immediately and again registered the following two years. However, when the state told him he had to register quarterly for life, he refused....