COLUMBUS, Ohio, April 3 (UPI) -- The Ohio Supreme Court ruled Tuesday the state's sex-offender law is a form of cruel and unusual punishment, striking down parts of it.
Known as the Adam Wash Act, the law imposes lifetime registration of sex-offenders and requires certain sex offenders to register with authorities.
In a case involving a 15-year-old charged with sexually assaulting a 6-year-old relative, Justice Paul E. Pfeifer, writing for the 5-2 majority, said the law's automatic requirements allow little latitude for a judge in a juvenile case, and "fundamental fairness requires that the judge decide the appropriateness of any such penalty."
Justices Terrence O'Donnell and Robert R. Cupp dissented. O'Donnell wrote that requiring offenders to register their addresses and check in with law enforcement officials is not a form of punishment.
