Appeals Court Upholds State’s Megan’s Law

The federal appeals court for nine Western states upheld Washington state’s version of Megan’s Law on Thursday, saying paroled sex offenders suffer no additional punishment when the public is told of their whereabouts.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed in a 3-0 ruling that public notification “may have a lasting and painful impact on a sex offender’s life,” including “humiliation, public opprobrium, ostracism, and the loss of job opportunities.” But it said other regulatory laws have harsh effects - such as the loss of professional licenses or government benefits, or deportation - and have not been found to be punitive.

The Washington law, passed in 1990, requires paroled felony sex criminals to register with local police agencies. Each offender is placed in one of three classifications.

No public notification is given for the least serious; in the second category, police agencies, local schools and neighborhood “block watch” captains are given the offender’s name, picture, and history, but not address or employment data.

For the most serious offenders, the same information is also given to local news media.