Two Sex Offenders’ Cases Go to US Supreme Court

SNAP
November 9, 2015

http://www.snapnetwork.org/mo_two_sex_offenders_cases_go_to_us_supreme_court

In most of the world, kids are even more vulnerable to predators than they are in the US. That’s why we hope the Supreme Court will uphold laws requiring convicted sex offenders to notify authorities when they move to a foreign country.

Two Kansas City men - Lester Nichols and Robert Lunsford - were convicted of sex crimes in unrelated cases and later moved - separately - to the Philippines. Neither of them updated their sex offender registrations. The question is: can or should they be required to do so?

[courthousenews.com]

We think so. For the safety of kids, we hope the justices will side with the vulnerable over the guilty. Sex offender registries aren’t panaceas. We believe they are legal, fair and effective, and should be restricted with great caution.

There’s must to be said for our society’s growing zeal to reduce prison populations and the burdens on ex-criminals. Still, however, because the harm they inflict is so egregious and their chance of re-offense is so high, we believe child molesters should be imprisoned and monitored with utmost care.

(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. SNAP was founded in 1988 and has more than 20,000 members. Despite the word “priest” in our title, we have members who were molested by religious figures of all denominations, including nuns, rabbis, bishops, and Protestant ministers. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)

Contact - David Clohessy (314-566-9790 cell, davidgclohessy@gmail.com, SNAPclohessy@aol.com), Barbara Dorris (314-503-0003 cell, bdorris@SNAPnetwork.org), Barbara Blaine (312-399-4747, bblaine@snapnetwork.org)

SCOTUS to Decide Reach of Sex Offender Registry - By DAN MCCUE

Courthouse News Service Friday, November 06, 2015 - Last Update: 2:33 PM PT

(CN) - The Supreme Court on Friday said it will consider whether the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act requires sex offenders who move to a foreign country to notify their prior home state of their change of residence.

At issue is are the cases of two men who lived on opposite sides of the Missouri River in the Kansas City Metropolitan area, were both convicted of sex crimes in unrelated cases prior to the enactment of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, and later moved -- again separately -- to the Philippines.

Once Lester Nichols and Robert Lunsford left the country . . .