Judge says new sex offenders laws not retroactive

LAS VEGAS -- A federal judge issued a permanent injunction today that bars the state of Nevada from applying two new sex offender laws retroactively.

U.S. District Judge James Mahan said the laws, as applied to 12 sex offenders represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada, are unconstitutional.

Mahan declined to rule on whether the new laws, which change the way Nevada classifies sex offenders, may be applied to those convicted of sex offenses in the future.

The ACLU of Nevada said the new laws, AB579 and SB471, drastically altered the way in which Nevada deals with sex offenders, resulting in many rehabilitated, low-risk offenders being retroactively labeled high-risk offenders

ACLU attorney Maggie McLetchie said, "Judge Mahan's ruling makes very clear that the Constitution applies to everybody. What this case is really about is a limit on the powers of government."