The Pennsylvania Association for Rational Sexual Offense Laws (PARSOL) has learned that attorneys for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania filed a notice of appeal to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania (SCOPA) in the case Commonwealth v. Torsilieri. The appeal docket number is 97 MAP 2022. But didn’t SCOPA already send this for review? That’s correct. In June 2020, SCOPA remanded the…
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Read the Case Analysis by PARSOL’s Legal Committee around the potentially game-changing ruling from Chester County, PA declaring SORNA Unconstitutional.
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Listen to PARSOL’s executive director on the Registry Matters Podcast about the recent Chester County ruling declaring SORNA Unconstitutional.
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Learn about Chester County Court Judge Allison Bell Royer’s ruling that Pennsylvania’s Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act is unconstitutional.
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PA Senate Judiciary Committee public hearing following the PA Supreme Court Muniz decision. 2/5/2018. Begin video at 7:00 minutes
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Commonwealth v. Torsilieri Update 1/15/21 The fate of the public sex offender registry in PA will be determined sometime this year or next. Either defendant Torsilieri’s challenge will again reach the Supreme Court of PA, or the Commonwealth will be able to convince lower judges of their argument. (For a history of this momentous case and its significant delay, please…
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The Pennsylvania Supreme Court (SCOPA) has relied on Commonwealth v. Lacombe in the ruling of T.S. v. PA State Police (PSP). T.S. argued that PA’s SORNA Subchapter I violated the Federal and State Ex Post Facto Clauses. The basis of his argument is on the fact that his offense occurred prior to the enactment of any PA registry. The problem…
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The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania (SCOPA) heard oral arguments in a consolidated case of Mr. Claude Lacombe and Mr. Michael Witmayer in November of 2019 challenging the constitutionality of Subchapter I of PA’s Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). SCOPA ruled Subchapter I is “non-punitive and does not violate the constitutional prohibition against ex post facto laws”. This is…
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By Larry of NARSOL. . . In these consolidated appeals, Commonwealth v. Lacombe and Commonwealth v. Witmayer, the Commonwealth (state) challenged orders of the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas relieving appellees Claude Lacombe and Michael Witmayer of their duties to comply with Subchapter I of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. To achieve its dual goals of ensuring public safety…
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