All Episodes
The complete Registry Matters archive.
-
RM373: ACSOL & PLF Challenge SORNA — The Win Was Already Won
This week on Registry Matters: A court blocks the federal government from prosecuting registrants in California, ruling that state certification of registration requirements is a prerequisite. Plus, we examine a case where a retired law enforcement officer’s son was caught in a sting operation targeting fictitious victims and received what many consider disproportionate punishment. Show…
-
RM372: Does Protecting Kids Require Spying on All?
This week on Registry Matters: North Carolina officers lose qualified immunity after arresting a registrant who was following their own instructions to travel — a stunning case of law enforcement accountability. Plus, we dig into Meta’s $375 million verdict and why the real story isn’t the fine, but the expanding surveillance infrastructure being built in…
-
RM371: NC Court Upholds Online Identifier Law
This week on Registry Matters: Mississippi legislators push a bill imposing the death penalty for child sexual battery — a penalty they know is unconstitutional — in a deliberate attempt to challenge Supreme Court precedent. Also on the docket, North Carolina’s court upholds mandatory online identifier reporting for registrants, a college basketball star’s own phone…
-
RM370: West Virginia’s $800K Registry Cash Grab
This week on Registry Matters: NARSOL takes West Virginia to federal court, arguing the state’s $125 annual registry fee is actually an unconstitutional fine that funds unrelated police services — a case that could reshape how states fund their registries. We also examine NARSOL’s broader legal campaign challenging internet identifier disclosure requirements for registrants, with…
-
RM369: Can Kindness Become a Felony?
This week on Registry Matters: A New Jersey appellate court delivers a significant ruling requiring states to perform a similarity analysis before charging out-of-state registrants with registry violations. We also examine a Fresno city council’s scramble to pass legislation blocking a registered person from running for office, and break down Wyoming’s proposed grooming felony bill…
-
RM368: Is Registration Really Not Punishment?
On episode 368 of Registry Matters, Michigan’s House Bill 5425 threatens to broadly ban registered persons from working at any business serving minors with penalties that could cost taxpayers $200K per incarceration, Nebraska courts side with the state in ruling that retroactive registration extensions are mere civil regulations rather than criminal punishment protected by ex…
-
RM367: When “I Forgot” Fails in Court
This week on Registry Matters: We explore a tense courtroom showdown in “When Rights Collide,” unpacking how judges balance the constitutional rights of registrants against public safety, victim advocacy, and political pressure. We also dive into the legal limits of “I forgot” as a defense when registrants miss deadlines or make reporting mistakes, and we…
-
RM366: Anonymous Speech vs. Child‑Protection Politics
On this episode of Registry Matters, Florida pushes forward an expansive AI Bill of Rights that could reshape how the state regulates privacy, minors’ access, and government use of artificial intelligence, raising big questions about how citizens, advocates, and technologists can engage to keep innovation from trampling civil liberties and child protection, we break down…
-
RM365: Why SCOTUS Rejected ‘Civil’ Restitution
On this episode of Registry Matters, we unpack why SORNA’s so‑called “affirmative defenses” for emergency international travel are dangerously vague, only kick in after you’ve already been charged, and shouldn’t give anyone false confidence about skipping that 21‑day notice without first getting expert legal advice, then pivot to a unanimous Supreme Court ruling that finally…
-
RM364: Parole Granted, Freedom Denied in Iowa
On this episode of Registry Matters, we unpack how states dramatically differ on whether sex offender registration ever ends and why “time served” in one state often doesn’t mean freedom in another—especially if you move—then dive into how rigid 21‑day international travel notice laws collide with real‑world work trips and the constitutional right to travel,…