Texas Supreme Court decision holding that in a SVP proceeding, the right to appear at trial means physical presence.
In re Bluitt (Tex. 2020)
Posted: September 9, 2023
In re Jones (Tex. 2020)
Posted: September 9, 2023
Texas Supreme Court opinion finding that, while it was error not to submit a jury instruction in a SVP trial informing the jury that they did not need to reach a unanimous verdict to find for the Petitioner, this error was harmless.
Brown v. Tarrant County (5th Cir. 2021)
Posted: September 9, 2023
5th Circuit Court of Appeals holding that denial of treatment during twenty-day convinement in a jail cell to individual civilly confined as a SVP did not violate clearly established law, and thus defendants were entitled to qualified immunity.
In re Stoddard (Tex. 2020)
Posted: September 9, 2023
Texas Supreme Court opinion reversing a lower court on the correct standard of review for factual insufficiency claims in SVP commitment proceedings.
Pierre v. Vasquez, et al. (5th Cir. 2022)
Posted: January 7, 2022
Fifth Circuit decision reversing and remanding district court's grant of summary judgment based on a lack of standing, holding that the damaging reputational consequences of requiring the plaintiff to register as a "sex offender" are a "concrete" form of injury sufficient to support standing.
United States v. Borum (N.D. Miss. 2021)
Posted: November 2, 2021
United States District Court, Northern District of Mississippi opinion holding that a nolo contendere plea, which resulted in Defendant's registration pursuant to the Sex Offender Notification and Registration Act ("SORNA"), is admissible in a prosecution for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2250(a).
Davidson v. State (La. 2021)
Posted: May 16, 2021
Louisiana Supreme Court opinion holding that a conviction dismissed subsequent to successful completion of probation is still a registrable offense, and that Ex Post Facto concerns were not implicated in the case of a Florida resident who sought to avoid registration on his return to Louisiana.
Hearn v. McCraw (5th Cir. 2021)
Posted: April 19, 2021
Texas federal trial court finding that changes in the law mandating registration subsequent to a plea agreement where registration was not contemplated did not violate contractual Due Process rights, and that the claims were time barred.
State v. Hill (La. 2020)
Posted: October 24, 2020
Louisiana Supreme Court opinion declaring unconstitutional under the 1st Amendment a provision of Louisiana law requiring those with past sex offense convictions to carry an identification card branded with the words "sex offender."
United States v. Becerra (5th Cir. 2020)
Posted: October 15, 2020
5th Circuit Court of Appeals opinion vacating, on plain error review, a supervised release condition that imposed a ten year ban on internet and computer usage.