A federal judge is protecting sex offenders’ first amendment rights.
Fox’s local station in Missouri reported a U.S. District Judge John Ross’ recent decision, which updates a 2008 Missouri statute that required registered sex offenders to avoid all Halloween-related contact with children, stay inside their home with exterior lighting off on Halloween night, and post a sign stating “no candy or treats at this residence.”
The latter requirement is the only one impacted by the Judge Ross’ decision. He ruled that it violated sex offenders’ free speech rights by forcing them to make a statement with which they do not agree.
The ruling came as a result of a lawsuit from a man named Thomas Sanderson. In 2001, when he was 35, Sanderson was found guilty of having sex with someone under 17 years old—for which he’s required to register as a sex offender for 25 years. Because he had been registered as a sex offender before the Halloween statute went into effect, Sanderson alleged that he’d been told by authorities in both 2008 and 2012 that the rule did not apply to him.
As such, Sanderson held Halloween festivities every year. He claimed that he never received “written or verbal notice that the statute applied to him,” according to the outlet.
That changed in 2023, however, and Sanderson pleaded guilty to one charge of “failure to comply with Halloween-related restrictions for sex offenders,” the outlet reported. His lawsuit followed, leading to Judge Ross’ recent decision.
While the sign portion of the statute is now void, registered sex offenders in Missouri must still stay inside with exterior lights off on Halloween and avoid contact with children on the holiday.
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The post Missouri Sex Offenders No Longer Have To Post ‘No Candy’ Signs on Halloween appeared first on VICE.
