AG’s letter on sex offender law greeted with caution

CARSON CITY -- A letter from the Nevada attorney general's office stating that a new law regarding sex offenders will apply only to future cases and not to those who have already paid for their crimes was greeted cautiously Wednesday by a Las Vegas attorney.

"We're not altogether clear what it means," said Robert Langford, representing 12 sex offenders who face the potential of being reclassified under the legislation that was to take effect July 1. "It is good news but we're not out of the woods yet."

A federal judge has stopped the law from taking effect statewide until constitutional issues are resolved.

Langford said he and the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada are analyzing the letter, which states the new law will not apply retroactively.

The new law would change the number of Tier 3 sex offenders in Nevada from about 160 to more than 2,500.

The law requires new Tier 3 sex offenders to register with authorities every 90 days, submit to fingerprinting and, in some cases, wear GPS monitoring devices. The new Tier 3 offenders will have their personal information and photos posted on the state's sex offender Web sites. Under the new law, Tier 3 sex offenders are defined as those who have been convicted of the most serious offenses, such as sexual assault and sexual abuse of children under the age of 13.

The law was changed to bring the state into line with the federal Adam Walsh Act, which sought to better track sex offenders. Previously, offenders were put into tiers based on their risk of reoffending.

Langford said the letter might end up alleviating some concerns of his clients, but that the lawsuit will continue.