The Registry joke

Tag: 250th anniversary

  • Standing & Mootness: How Courts Shut the Courthouse Door on You

    Standing & Mootness: How Courts Shut the Courthouse Door on You

    The sex offender registry was sold to you as something that only affected “them.” If you had a problem with it, you could always go to court, right? Wrong. Courts invented technical traps called “standing” and “mootness” to slam the courthouse door shut. If you can’t prove the exact right kind of injury in the…

  • Rational Basis Review: The Government’s Get-Out-of-Constitution-Free Card

    Rational Basis Review: The Government’s Get-Out-of-Constitution-Free Card

    The sex offender registry was sold to you as a reasonable, common-sense measure. Judges waved their weakest magic spell — “rational basis review” — and made the Constitution disappear. Under rational basis review, the government barely has to try. If lawmakers can dream up any conceivable reason that sounds vaguely related to “public safety,” courts…

  • The Magical “Public Interest” Wand That Overrides Your Rights

    The Magical “Public Interest” Wand That Overrides Your Rights

    The sex offender registry was sold to you as something that only affected “them.” A harmless “civil regulatory scheme” for public safety. Nothing to see here. Then judges pulled out the wand. With a wave of the magical “public interest” wand, they made the Constitution disappear. Lifetime public shaming? Not punishment — just regulation. Residency…

  • Due Process Died the Day the Registry Became Law

    Due Process Died the Day the Registry Became Law

    The sex offender registry was sold to you as something that only affected “them.” A simple administrative list. Just a little “civil regulatory scheme.” Nothing to worry about if you’re not a predator, right? Bullshit. The day the registry became law, due process died for every American. Due process is supposed to be one of…

  • How the “Civil Regulatory Scheme” Lie Killed the Ex Post Facto Clause for Everyone

    How the “Civil Regulatory Scheme” Lie Killed the Ex Post Facto Clause for Everyone

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    The sex offender registry was sold to you as something that only affected “them.” The politicians and judges promised it was just a “civil regulatory scheme” — nothing more than a harmless list to keep the public informed. No big deal, right? Wrong. That single polite-sounding lie quietly murdered one of the oldest and most…

  • The Registry Doesn’t Just Fuck Offenders — It Fucks You Too!

    The Registry Doesn’t Just Fuck Offenders — It Fucks You Too!

    The sex offender registry was sold to you as a tool aimed only at “those people” — the monsters, the predators, the ones who deserve it. “It doesn’t affect normal Americans,” they said. “It’s just for public safety.” Bullshit. Every single “civil regulatory scheme” ruling that propped up the registry has quietly rewritten the Constitution…