Krebs v. Graveley, No. 19-cv-00634 (E.D. Wis. 2020)
Nature of Case: Plaintiff is a transgender woman who has a past conviction for a sex offense. Wisconsin state law prohibits those required to register as sex offenders from changing their names. The Plaintiff sought to change her name to one which reflected her gender, though the statute prevented her from doing this. The Plaintiff filed suit, seeking to have the statute declared unconstitutional and to enjoin her prosecution. Both parties filed motions for summary judgment.
Holding: Federal trial court granted state Defendant’s summary judgment motion. The Court held that the Plaintiff did not demonstrate that the ability to change one’s name implicated the First Amendment, and thus it was without authority to issue a ruling on the matter.