State v. C.G. (Wis. Ct. App. 2021)

State v. C.G., No. 2018AP2205 (Wis. Ct. App. 2021)

Nature of Case: Appellant was adjudicated as a juvenile for a sex offense, and appealed an order requiring her to register as a sex offender. Appellant, who is a transgender female, argued that requiring her to register as a sex offender would mean that she would be unable to change her name under state law, in violation of her First Amendment rights.

Holding: The Wisconsin Court of Appeals affirmed the trial court’s refusal to stay the registration order, holding that it did not abuse its discretion and that because Appellant was free to use whatever name she chose in her personal life, the First Amendment was not implicated.