Detroit - The Michigan Supreme Court has agreed to take a second look at a man's case that was convicted and is in the list of sex offenders for life. The court has decided to review their registry because of cases like this.
According to Detroit News, when the man was 19, the man was charged with groping and kissing a 12-year-old girl in Wayne County. After the man completed his three years of probation, his conviction was erased in 1997. The incident happened nearly 20 years ago but he is still in the list of sex offenders. He said the registry is affecting his integrity, his competence to work and his family. He also had depression and his life in general is just greatly affected by this list.
SFGATE stated that the Supreme Court said last Saturday they will take up the appeal and will address several issues that concern the topic with other lawyers. They also said that they will look into some cases and assess whether is violates the constitution as "cruel and unusual punishment." They added that the main purpose of the registry is to protect the health, safety and overall welfare of the general public, not to reprimand, discipline and discourage other people.
Moreover, in some states like Oregon and Delaware, San Angelo Standard Times said, lawmakers are given more power to review who goes on the registry. In Pennsylvania, courts have completely ended lifetime registration for juveniles. Many cases have led other states to re-evaluating their laws about the registry too.
Furthermore, research shows a child convicted of a sex crime, or an "adjudicated delinquent" in juvenile court, is not likely to commit another sex offense, listing them on the registry for a lifetime is too much. Many states are following what Oregon and Delaware did. The unsympathetic treatments to sex offenders especially to juvenile are being reviewed. Many advocates of Human Rights are happy about the news.
