CALIFORNIA SEX OFFENDER RESIDENCY RESTRICTIONS UPHELD (Housing restrictions barring offenders from living near schools or parks apply even to those convicted years before the law took effect, state Supreme Court says)

latimes.com/Maura Dolan

The California Supreme Court upheld residency restrictions for sex offenders Monday, rulingthat thousands may be barred from living near schools and parks even if their sex crimes werecommitted years before the restrictions became law.  The state high court's 5-2 decisionpermits California to continue enforcing residency restrictions on thousands of sex offenders whowere paroled after Proposition 83, known as Jessica's Law, took effect in November 2006. Four parolees challenged the residency rules, arguing that there was no place where they could liveand comply with the law in the cities to which they had been paroled.  The law bans sexoffenders from living within 2,000 feet of schools or parks where children congregate.
(California)