Court Rules in Favor of Sex Offenders

On Tuesday, a federal appeals panel in California ruled in favor of sex offenders who are required to disclose Internet user names, e-mail address and other identifying information to authorities. The three-judge panel’s decision said 2012’s Proposition 35 violates the offenders' right to free speech under the First Amendment. “There can be little doubt that requiring a narrow class of individuals to notify the government within 24 hours of engaging in on-line communication with a new identifier significantly burdens those individuals’ ability and willingness to speak on the Internet,” Judge Jay S. Bybee remarked. The law was faulted over ambiguity and the vast freedom law enforcement had in disclosing Internet identities to the public.