Sixth Circuit Court Makes Decision on Sex Offender Registries

The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, based in Cincinnati, OH, has made a decision to stop the practice of retroactively applying registration mandates to sex offenders who were convicted prior to the inception of these registries. Attorney Brent Horst applauds this decision as a great step forward for freedom, as many of these mandates are considered to be unconstitutional.

For example, many people who were accused of sex crimes in the past took plea deals rather than fighting the charges in court. For them, a few years on probation was better than the risk of going to prison for years, regardless of whether or not they actually committed the crime in question. When sex offender registries were created, many of these individuals were retroactively added to them, which was not part of their plea deals. As these laws have gained strength, they have morphed into punitive measures and forced many non-violent people into the fringes of society, pushing them away from their jobs and families.

The Court’s decision is a first step towards reversing this unfair punitive action and protecting the Constitutional rights of these individuals. To learn more about it, click here.

If you have been placed on a sex offender registry retroactively, this decision may be of special interest to you. The ruling could be a way out of some of the harsh restrictions that registering as a sex offender imposes. Contact Horst Law at to speak with an attorney about your situation.