Lawmakers Seek Fixes For Sex-Offender List.

April 5, 2001

By Mark Pazniokas

A federal judge's declaration that Connecticut's sex-offender registry law is unconstitutional prompted a bipartisan vow by legislative leaders Wednesday to make any changes necessary to keep the registry available to the public on the Internet.

Not waiting for the court to order a remedy, Democratic and Republican Senate leaders jointly asked the legislature's judiciary committee to research potential responses to the ruling released Monday by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny.

Chatigny said the registry, authorized by a version of Megan's Law adopted in Connecticut in 1994, denied sex offenders the right to due process, because it provided no mechanism for them to show they are not dangerous and should not be listed.

Acting independently of the Senate leaders, House Speaker Moira K. Lyons, D-Stamford, proposed amending the law to address Chatigny's concern: She would allow sex offenders to appeal their inclusion in the registry to a Superior Court judge.

"This amendment gives convicted sex offenders an opportunity to show why they do not belong on the Web site, but leaves the burden on them to prove they are not a danger to society," Lyons said.

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Source: CT Now