The Ohio legislature now will allow judges to list people on a registry of sex offenders even if they’ve never been charged with a crime, much less convicted of one. They don’t even have to be accused in a civil suit.
A person listed in the registry can ask to be removed after six years. Meanwhile they will have difficulty finding employment, and will be ostracized. Even after they are removed, they will still be viewed with suspicion by the public.
While sex crimes need to be taken very seriously, it is also important to protect the rights of the accused. The state should not be able to destroy someone’s life based upon only an accusation. In America, the legal system is supposed to be based on the presumption of innocence, and the right of the accused to a fair trial.
One can only hope that this will be appealed to the Supreme Court of Ohio or the Supreme Court of the United States and overturned.
Due Process gets the axe in Ohio
The Ohio legislature now will allow judges to list people on a registry of sex offenders even if they’ve never been charged with a crime, much less convicted of one. They don’t even have to be accused in a civil suit.
A person listed in the registry can ask to be removed after six years. Meanwhile they will have difficulty finding employment, and will be ostracized. Even after they are removed, they will still be viewed with suspicion by the public.
While sex crimes need to be taken very seriously, it is also important to protect the rights of the accused. The state should not be able to destroy someone’s life based upon only an accusation. In America, the legal system is supposed to be based on the presumption of innocence, and the right of the accused to a fair trial.
One can only hope that this will be appealed to the Supreme Court of Ohio or the Supreme Court of the United States and overturned.