US Supreme Court to Consider Sex Offender Internet Identifier Case
The U.S. Supreme Court will consider whether to review several cases at its Friday conference. Among them is a North Carolina case that deals with the First Amendment rights of registered sex offenders and a Virginia case that involves bathroom policy and a transgender student.
The North Carolina Supreme Court upheld a state law in November that prohibits registered sex offenders from using Facebook or other social networking sites that minors can join. In Packingham v. North Carolina, Lester Gerard Parkingham Jr., a registered sex offender in the state, was charged after Durham police found a Facebook page he created. He was convicted based on a post in which he celebrated the dismissal of a traffic ticket, declaring “God is Good!”
If the Supreme Court took the case, it would determine the constitutionality of the law that makes it a felony for all registered sex offenders to access such sites, including YouTube and nytimes.com.
Is it a NC law that makes it a felony to access sites? I thought in fl they just have to report any accounts they have
Chief Justice Roberts needs to recuse himself from any case involving sex offenders. He brought the case against us in Smith 2003, before he was appointed Chief Justice by Bush jr. To let him rule on any case concerning anything concerning sex offenders is a conflict of interest. All RSOL chapters need to be reminded of who Chief Justice Roberts is and a campaign must begun that will require his removal from any opinions on this case if taken by SCOTUS.
I don’t suppose there is any legal process that could force him to recuse himself?
National RSOL (or a legal team that supports our cause) should strongly consider filing and “Amicus Brief” detailing the conflict of interest Chief Justice Roberts has with his opinion.