NY: Man sues after being detained following parole because of residency restrictions
A man in Dutchess County who’s been forced to register as a sex offender says the registry is unconstitutional and he’s suing to be removed from it.
According to Inner City Press, Karl Pennington was arrested two decades ago for kidnapping a 17-year-old. Currently residing at the Fishkill Correctional Facility, Pennington says he was forced to register as a sex offender because the child was under 18 and he was not their parent or guardian.
The crime was part of gang activity and, according to Pennington, is now causing him to stay in prison even though he’s been paroled. Thanks to New York’s Sexual Assault Reform Act, those who are listed on the sex offender registry are not allowed to reside within 1,000 feet of a school. Unfortunately, if that person has friends and family in New York City, that rule makes it virtually impossible to live with them. The residence restriction rules out being able to live in nearly all of Manhattan and the Bronx, as well as most of Brooklyn and Queens.
Read More: Man in Fishkill Suing to be Removed From Sex Offender Registry
In FL we don’t have this problem— we simply release them to a street corner and make them register as transient over and over again. As opposed to NY, which keeps them confined if they can’t overcome the residency rules.
Yes but even as a transition you still have to go by the 2500 ft school and 1000 feet bus stop rule making even a street corner hard to find . Was lucky and found a private road that just fit the rules. The owner said as long as I kept the area clean didn’t make a nusience of my self and didn’t bring more registrants there I could stay. But as soon as probation found out it was a place that fit the rules they started telling other homeless registrants to go there never getting permission from the owner even after I told them what he said about not wanting a tent city they said I don’t tell them where they can or can’t send people and I have no right to tell them anything yep you guessed it a week and a half later the sheriff came out and said we all had to leave the owner didn’t want us on his property It didn’t matter that I tried to tell probation that he said no one else was to come. Welcome to polk county
When someone sues the state over the constitutionality of the registry, that is NOT always good news. It depends whether they’ve retained good counsel who’ll properly argue the case and create good precedent.
Fingers crossed that that’s the case here.
The only way any one of gets a better life is to do what this man is doing. If we cower and hide they will continue to pass laws/bills harming every RSO no matter their crime. Only when you fight back do they take notice
Good luck with that. Why are they publishing the pictures and addresses of all those others unless they are wanted for violating there restrictions. That right there should be illegal.
Hmmm, Im currently Suing the FDOC because they forced me to register when the law clearly states I am not eligible for the registry while on probation