Sex Offenders File Lawsuits in Arizona and Missouri

Oct 18 / Admin
Two federal civil suits have been filed in Arizona and Missouri, challenging the constitutionality of state-imposed registry laws for sex offenders.
In Arizona, an activist named John Doe filed a lawsuit against the Sheriff of Maricopa County, alleging violations of the First, Eighth, and Fourteenth Amendments of the US Constitution. 
The complaint argues that Arizona's registry laws infringe on free speech rights by requiring registrants to report internet identifiers and restrict their online activities. It also contends that lifetime registration without judicial review violates the Due Process Clause and that vague reporting requirements violate the Fourteenth Amendment's right to due process.

Furthermore, the suit claims that the registry's requirement for sex offenders to carry identification branding them as such is unconstitutional. In Missouri, a lawsuit has been filed challenging mandated Halloween signage that must be placed at the addresses of registrants. The case involves Thomas Sanderson, a registrant who had been displaying elaborate Halloween decorations for his community until he was suddenly arrested in 2022 for not complying with the signage requirement.

The suit argues that the compelled signage violates the First Amendment's protection against compelled speech. These federal district cases could have a broad impact, as successful litigants can appeal to their respective circuit courts, potentially setting binding precedent within their circuits and providing persuasive authority for other circuits.

These cases are on-going and have not been resolved but are good to keep on our radar. What happens in one jurisdiction often impacts others in short order.