TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Stacey Shrader Joslin on May 16, 2024

The entirety of Tennessee's sex offender registry law cannot be thrown out because a handful of requirements may be unconstitutional, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit has ruled. According to Courthouse News, the decision vacates an injunction granted by U.S. District Judge Aleta Trauger and directs her to focus on only the requirements that do not pass constitutional muster. A class of sex offenders convicted before 1995 sued the state in 2021, arguing that recent changes to registry requirements violate their constitutional rights. The appeals panel also dismissed Gov. Bill Lee from the action, leaving Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Director David B. Rausch as the sole target of the suit.