Megan’s Law Upheld in Appeals Court

A federal appeals court upheld Megan’s Law, calling for some technical changes but ruling that it is not unconstitutional for authorities to notify residents about the presence of sex offenders in their midst. The U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia rejected claims by the New Jersey public defender’s office that community notification amounted to the tacking on of additional punishment after offenders complete their prison sentences. The law was passed in response to the slaying of 7-year-old Megan Kanka in 1994 by Jesse Timmendequas, a neighbor with a record of sex offenses.