PHOENIX, Arizona — A federal judge has upheld Arizona’s sex offender registry laws, rejecting claims that lifetime registration, address reporting, and online identifier requirements violate constitutional rights. In a ruling issued November 6, U.S. District Judge Stephen McNamee wrote that the state has “a significant governmental interest in protecting children and preventing sex offender recidivism.”
The plaintiff, identified as John Doe, was convicted of sexual conduct with a minor in 2016 and argued the laws infringe on free speech and due process by requiring him to disclose all online usernames and register every change in residency. McNamee disagreed, finding that Arizona’s rules “do not bar Doe from engaging in online discourse” and that personal online identifiers are not publicly disclosed.
Doe also challenged Arizona’s lifetime registration mandate as cruel and unusual punishment, but McNamee ruled that the obligation stems directly from conviction, rendering further hearings unnecessary. The court also dismissed his claim that address-reporting statutes were unconstitutionally vague after both sides agreed on their interpretation.
The decision prompted political sparring between Republican Senate President Warren Petersen and Attorney General Kris Mayes. Petersen, who intervened in the case, accused Mayes of “abandoning the state’s responsibility,” while her office countered that she was never a party to the lawsuit and continues to defend the registry in a separate ongoing case.
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