Pearson v. Holder, No. 09-10808

Challenge to Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act

In Pearson v. Holder, No. 09-10808, a challenge to the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) and state sex-offender laws as unconstitutional on the grounds that they impermissibly labeled those convicted of receipt of images of child pornography as "sex offenders," the court reversed the dismissal of the action where, inasmuch as plaintiff's release date was only some two years hence, his case was sufficiently ripe for adjudication.

As the court wrote:  "Plaintiff-Appellant Ronald Pearson, currently incarcerated in Texas,
challenges the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) and state sex-offender laws as unconstitutional on the grounds that they impermissibly label those convicted of receipt of images of child pornography as "sex offenders." Pearson was convicted of this crime and will be required to register as a sex offender when his sentence expires."

Related Resources

• Read the Fifth Circuit's Decision in Pearson v. Holder, No. 09-10808