SJC Finds Flaws In Mass. Sex Offender Law
BOSTON (AP) - The state's highest court says a Massachusetts law that prohibits the most dangerous sex offenders from living in long-term care facilities such as nursing homes or rest homes violates constitutional rights to due process.
Friday's ruling by the Supreme Judicial Court came in the case of a 65-year-old registered level three sex offender - identified only as John Doe - who was ordered by Boston police to leave the rest home where he had been living.
The 2006 law was designed to protect the elderly against sex offenders. But in a unanimous decision, the court said it infringed on the man's liberty and property interests and violated his right to due process.
The man suffered from various health ailments and had been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, a condition that impairs social behavior.
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