MO: New law imposes retroactive lifetime supervision.
Keeping an eye on sex offenders for life, it’s a new law for Missouri and this now includes first-time offenders. But some say it violates the constitution.
“I don’t expect anyone to have a lot of sympathy for me. I am on the sex offender list for a reason and it is because of what I did,” said a sex offender named Frank.
Frank didn’t want to show his identity and didn’t want to say what he did, but he did say it was a non-contact offense, meaning he didn’t touch anyone.
“I have lost a lot of things and I feel that the punishment fits and I deserve these things, however, I don’t like being treated the same way as someone who raped someone,” he said.
That’s what criminal defense attorney, Matt Fry, says is happening now with an amended law that’s being enforced.
“They are now applying them retroactively and ex-post-facto to make about 10 different classes of these offenders now have to come forward, wear a GPS monitoring and have lifetime supervision,” said Fry.
Those 10 different classes include non-contact offenders like Frank.
It also applies to offenders out of state too, who must return to Missouri or face another felony.
“I am not saying certain individuals shouldn’t be supervised, just know what they are getting into. They shouldn’t be punished for past behavior,” said Fry.
Fry is challenging the law. However, it will stay in affect unless it’s declared unconstitutional.
“I don’t feel like what I did warrants being monitored 24 hours a day and seven days a week,” said Frank.
This is really scary. It doesn’t seem like the same America that I fought for. Seems more like the old Soviet Union.
No other country on earth besides the US has such stupidity spewing from lawmakers, aside from a few countries in the middle east. The US should be ashamed for having such stupid people in policy making that destroy the lives of its own citizens. These policy makers are Idiots who should have their jobs taken away. They are a danger to our society.
This is not citizen security; it’s job security for some in law enforcement. It is clearly not constitutional and is more destructive than constructive.
This really vividly illustrates what evil vindictive control freaks law enforcement really is. This has nothing to do with the BS marketing line “think of the children” but everything to do with life long PUNISHMENT of an artificially created CLASS of American citizens!
This is the most abuse of power I have seen in a long time! Really pathetic Missouri!
A law that will bring RSOs from other states and nations aaaalllll the way back to Misery so they can have a bracelet slapped on. And here we were thinking nobody wanted them around.
Even worse, charge with a new “crime” those who cannot afford to come all the way back to Misery, or maybe aren’t even aware that they are supposed to. If they are like most states, they aren’t tracking those who leave once they leave, that is up to the new state of residence. So we can assume here that no notifications will be sent.
A bona fide scam.
Anyway, thank you, MO, for ensuring the 8th district has a shining example of a punitive registry. This could help procure another court opinion that registries are punitive. Also, another opportunity to bring the “frightening and high” statistic in front of a US court to start setting a more reality-based precedent. Maybe, just maybe.
Little do they know but the MO ‘do-gooders’ are doing the RSO’s a favor. No way is this law even approaching constitutionality.
Are those who are not under any MO state sanctions (probation, parole, etc.), and who have legally moved to another state, being required to move back to MO or to return to MO temporarily for some other reason? Even though MO can continue to register them after they leave, are the ex offenders under MO jurisdiction in any way? Are they not free to stay away from MO forever?
That’s a great question for a MO licenses criminal or post-conviction attorney. Hopefully someone will find out more and share their experiences.
They were in trouble the minute they used the term “supervision.” In an amazing moment of clarity and sensibility, the State of Florida and some of the more intelligent counties and cities chose not to try to impose lifetime residency restrictions on people who had been convicted in Florida prior to like 2004.Why? Because residency restrictions prior to the changes in the law had been statutorily mandated special conditions of probation/parole aka supervision. Terms and conditions of supervision/probation/parole are PUNISHMENT and cannot be changed barring some violation and there is substantial case law out there to back that up.
Most Counties in Fl impose lifetime residency restrictions retroactively.
The STATE imposes lifetime residency restrictions by statute for anyone sentence after the law was changed.
Well they ruled against it yesterday they have 30 days to take it off I get mine off tomorrow
What a blessing that must be!