Skip to content. All rights reserved. This information or any portion thereof may not be copied or disseminated in any form or by any means or downloaded or stored in an electronic database or retrieval system without the express written consent of the American Bar Association. The views expressed in this article are those of the author s and do not necessarily reflect the positions or policies of the American Bar Association, the Section of Litigation, this committee, or the employer s of the author s. Search ABA. Close Search Submit Clear.

State Constitution Prohibits Automatic Registration of Juvenile Sex Offenders



Lifetime Juvenile Sex Offender Registration Requirement is Unconstitutional
Many colleges have adopted a principle known as "affirmative consent," which makes it easier to infer misconduct and thus impose expulsion or other discipline when a record is lacking in verbal or physical evidence one way or the other as to whether a student's sexual encounter with another student was consensual. It might seem unthinkable to apply such a standard in criminal law, where the consequences are not expulsion but imprisonment and the burdens of sex offender registration. The italicized phrase might seem ambiguous, but the chair of the responsible commission, in a Thursday email , spelled out what is intended: "consent to sexual activity must be expressed by words or conduct. Four days ago more than members of the American Law Institute, the leading scholarly clearing house for discussions of the evolution of the law, came out strongly against the changes, noting that ALI's own membership had overwhelmingly rejected a similar proposal in The letter was signed by many prominent law professors, judges, and practicing lawyers. Also four days ago, per Lara Bazelon on Twitter , the ABA's own Criminal Justice Section "unanimously vote[d] to withdraw co-sponsorship of the sexual assault consent resolution and to ask the House of Delegates to table it.


The Unintended Effects of Sex Offender Registries
Skip to content. RESOLVED, That the American Bar Association urges Congress and the state legislatures to re-examine and revise laws, policies, and practices that require youth to register as sex offenders or be subject to community notification provisions otherwise imposed upon adult sex offenders, based upon a juvenile court adjudication. American Bar Association policy has long promoted individualized treatment of juveniles, limited the dissemination of juvenile records, and prohibited collateral consequences for juvenile behavior. The purpose of the juvenile correctional system is to reduce juvenile crime by maintaining the integrity of the substantive law proscribing certain behavior and by developing individual responsibility for lawful behavior. This purpose should be pursued through means that are fair and just, that recognize the unique characteristics and needs of juveniles, and that give juveniles access to opportunities for personal and social growth.




Skip to content. About , sex offenders are registered throughout the United States. Community notification has increased awareness about the locations of sex criminals, resulting in the enactment of laws restricting where convicted sex offenders can live. Such policies are designed to diminish the risk posed to children by repeat sexual predators by decreasing access and opportunity.