At Least That Solves the Residency Problem

|

When Cedric Bradshaw was released from prison after serving a sentence for statutory rape, he moved in with his sister. Because she lived near a recreation center, Bradshaw, a registered sex offender, was forced to move. He moved in with his aunt. But his aunt lived within 1,000 feet of a church, so he had to move once again. A friend of a friend offered him a bedroom in a trailer, so he re-registered.  But he (apparently accidentally) gave the wrong address, failed to move  into  the  trailer within the required 72 hours, and stupidly lied to police about having moved into the trailer. The penalty?

The judge had only one option when he sentenced Cedric Bradshaw: life in prison.

Bradshaw had not committed murder, rape or armed robbery. His offense was failing to properly register as a convicted sex offender for a second time —- even though he had repeatedly tried to follow the law.

Welcome to Georgia! The state's supreme court will decide whether Bradshaw's sentence is cruel and unusual. Perhaps a lawyer can explain why residency laws that force convicted sex offenders away from their families and into random trailer parks are amenable to public safety. 

reason slammed Georgia's draconian residency laws here and here

Via Volokh.