Bad News: IML Challenge Dismissed
The International Megan’s Law challenge brought in the Northern District of California was dismissed.
According to Janice Bellucci, who represented the plaintiffs (and all registrants), there is no plan to give up and accept that international travel will forever be impeded, that our lives will be placed in jeopardy when we travel and that our passports will be branded just like the Jews in Nazi Germany.
Another lawsuit will be filed before the end of the year and we will continue to fight!
For those who want to read the Court’s Opinion, it can be found here: http://all4consolaws.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Order-Dismissal-Sep-2016.pdf
This is what the Alliance For Constitutional Sex Offense Laws had to say about it:
A federal district court judge today granted the government’s motion to dismiss a challenge to the International Megan’s Law. The law, passed by Congress in February, allows the federal government to notify foreign countries that a registrant whose offense involved a minor is traveling to that country and requires the federal government to add a conspicuous unique identifier to their passports.
“Today’s decision is a travesty of justice,” stated ACSOL president Janice Bellucci. “As a result of this decision, registrants’ lives will be placed in danger and their ability to conduct business overseas will be halted.”
A fundamental disagreement between the parties in the case is whether the addition of a unique identifier to a registrant’s passport will convey a fact or an opinion. According to the government, the passport identifier reflects the fact that the individual has been convicted of a sex offense. According to the plaintiffs, the passport identifier reflects the government’s opinion that they are likely to engage in child sex tourism or child sex trafficking.
“Although today’s decision is a significant setback, we will file another lawsuit challenging the IML,” stated Bellucci. “The next lawsuit will be filed this calendar year and could be filed in another state.”
Actung! Where are your papers! Every year more unwarrented punishment then the last.
where is the identifer for murders, gang bangers, people who have a communicable disease, theives etc?
Is this independent of our federal obligation to register? Tier one offenders I believe are only compelled to register for ten years past their sentencing date. Does the International Megan’s Law apply to all offenders ever convicted, offenders still required to register in their state of residence (which all have longer than the federal minimum periods) or to offenders obligated to register under the Adam Walsh act?
If Adam Walsh is the standard then at least the unique identifier would be limited in time which is far less than any states requirement.
Yes – it is independent and applies to all offenders, including those no longer required to register.