NC law banning registered sex offenders from social media faces challenge at Supreme Court [View all]

Last edited Sun Feb 26, 2017, 03:06 AM - Edit history (1)

WASHINGTON -- Police arrested Durham, N.C. resident and convicted sex offender Lester G. Packingham, Jr. after he posted a message praising God on Facebook.

Now, the Supreme Court will weigh Packingham’s challenge to the North Carolina law that bans registered sex offenders from visiting online social networking sites that could be frequented by minors.

It’s a tricky case, requiring a balance between free speech and public safety, the short-handed court on Monday must sort through Packingham’s claim that the Internet access-restricting law adopted by North Carolina in 2008 violates the First Amendment. The court’s ultimate answer will guide other states, as well.

“Some of the logical paths to the court’s opinion could have considerable implications,” noted UCLA School of Law Professor Eugene Volokh.

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article134741084.html