Ohio Supreme Court: New sex offenders may avoid registry rules

COLUMBUS (AP) — The Ohio Supreme Court has delivered a major setback to efforts by state lawmakers to apply the tough new sex offender notification requirements laid out in the federal Adam Walsh Act.

In a unanimous decision today, the high court ruled sex offenders notified of their status in the most severe category after Jan. 1, 2008, may avoid the new community reporting requirements under exceptions found in Ohio’s old law.

That means not all newly convicted sex offenders in the most egregious category will be required to register with authorities every 90 days for the rest of their lives, as lawmakers intended.

In the majority opinion, Justice Robert Cupp agreed with lower courts that the wording of the law was clear in allowing the exceptions to continue to apply.