Ohio Supreme Court Upholds Sex Offender Law

The Ohio Supreme Court says changes to the state's sex offender registration law made in 2003 can be applied to offenders convicted before that date.

A story from the AP says, the court's 4-3 decision on Wednesday said applying the changes retroactively does not violate the Ohio or U.S. constitutions.

Andrew Ferguson had challenged a Cuyahoga County court's decision to declare him a sexual predator under the 2003 law, which toughened reporting requirements for sex offenders.

Ferguson, who was convicted of rape and kidnapping in 1990, said the court's decision unconstitutionally added penalties to his case tougher than those when he was convicted.

Supreme Court Justice Maureen O'Connor, writing for the majority, says the law was meant to protect the public, not further punish an offender.

The court previously upheld the retroactive application of the state's original 1996 sex offender registration law.