What is the current status of the Sex Offender Registry?
The Sex Offender Registry Board is now able to follow all of the requirements of the Sex Offender Registry Law. On June 28, 2001, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (“SJC”) decided Roe v. Attorney General, 434 Mass. 418 (2001) in which the Court concluded that the Sex Offender Registry (“Board”) can require an offender to provide his or her home and work address prior to providing the offender a hearing to determine whether or not the offender had to register. In addition, the SJC concluded that the Board can transmit this data, and other data regarding the offender, to police departments prior to the offender having the opportunity to challenge the recommended classification at an administrative hearing. Police departments, however, cannot disseminate this information to the public until the Board classifies the offender and the offender has an opportunity to challenge that recommended classification at an administrative hearing. The SJC’s decision reversed a Superior Court judg
