This should have a few communities reconsidering things:
MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — A sex offender who fought a city of Barre ordinance restricting where he could live has won a legal challenge.
Washington Superior Court Judge Helen Toor struck down the ordinance, finding that the city had failed to prove it had legal authority to dictate where people reside.
Christopher Hagan had sued the city after being told he couldn’t live with his wife and children in a Barre apartment.
American Civil Liberties Union attorney Dan Barrett, his lawyer, says Friday’s ruling is a victory for the rule of law. He says that Vermonters convicted of crimes should have their punishment determined by the courts, not by city councils or town selectboards.
- Terri Hallenbeck
Labels: corrections, sex offenders, Vermont
