JUNEAU — The Alaska Supreme Court has ruled that some sex offenders convicted outside the state are not required to register in Alaska.
The Juneau Empire reports the court ruled Friday that the Alaska Department of Public Safety does not have leeway when determining if out-of-state sex crimes match with offenses under Alaska law.
For registered sex offenders who moved to Alaska, it was up to the public safety department to determine if their names would be entered into Alaska’s sex offender database.
Defense attorney Darryl Thompson, whose client’s case was one of two that spurred the ruling, says the department was unrestricted in making that determination. He says the ruling calls for legislative solutions.
The state Department of Law declined to comment, saying it was still reviewing the court opinion.
