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Class Action Law Suit on Behalf of

Registered Sex Offenders

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Who is behind this initiative?

A: A group of registrants, family members, and believers in due process.

Q: What type of class action law suit will be filed?

A: It will be filed seeking relief from certain registration requirements Class Action Suits have led to social reform in the United States. They have helped to remedy discrimination, address inequities and helped to ensure due process. For example, brown v. board of education, 347 U.S. 483, 74 S. Ct. 686, 98 L. Ed. 873 (1954), the Supreme Court decision striking down segregated schools, was brought as a class action lawsuit. The landmark decision Goldberg v. Kelly, 397 U.S. 254, 90 S. Ct. 1011, 25 L. Ed. 2d 287 (1970), in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that recipients of public assistance must be given notice and the opportunity for a hearing prior to termination of benefits, was also litigated as a class action suit.


Q: What is the premise of the law suit on behalf of registrants?

A:  Even though the laws impacting us are passed by the state and federal legislatures we will be asking the courts to rule on “the law!”

Q: Where will the lawsuit be filed?

A:  In the United States 8th  District Federal Court.

Q: Who will be representing us?

A: A group of attorneys and paralegals. 

Q: Is the law suit against SORA, SORNA, or both?

A:  The registrant law suit will be structured to ask for relief from specific SORNA federal requirements.  

Q: How can a federal suit affect the state laws I am living under?

A: Federal laws trump state laws just as state laws trump city or municipal laws.

Q: How do I know my identity will not be revealed when this is filed?

A: All submissions will be vetted by the Core team then sent to the Legal team.

Q: How will I be identified?

A: You will be assigned as John or Jane Roe # (number).

Q: What will it cost me to participate?

A: While there is no “set dollar amount” to participate we do recommend the following:

If you are able to contribute monetarily, please do so by making a donation to WAR either via Pay Pal on the organization website and earmark it for the law suit in the memo area or send to the post office box with the same instruction.

If you have time available to assist in gathering and compiling documents to be used in the law suits that would be appreciated. Watch for media coverage or documentation where authority figures talk about the collateral damaged/consequences to the families of registrants. Also, any new study data on the registry issue or family impact.

Q: What can I do to help you help me?

Get the word out about the law suits. Sometimes we know “of” others but don’t really communicate with them. Now is the time to do so.  

Also, ask your family members, extended family members, circle of friends,  co-workers (who support us) and church friends to participate, again as a John or Jane Roe, by simply completing the Families and Friends on-line form indicating how they are being affected by your family situation. Also, other organizational leaders who want to support us (i.e., previous housing landlords, bosses who had to let you go because of corporate or public pressure, coaches who understand why you can’t attend your children’s or grand children’s events, etc.

Q: When will this be filed?

A: The projected time frame was fall of 2015 but more arguments have been added. We expect it to be ready to file in a couple of months. We are proceeding with caution and want to make sure what is brought forth is solid and will not make things worse for our registrants and families.

Q: Will I get any monetary compensation if we win?

A: The relief we are asking for does NOT include monetary awards.

Q: How soon could we see things begin to change if the suits are won?

A: That will depend on how the rulings are handed down by the court. It could be immediate or it could be a set date for relief to take place. Of course we would like the immediate relief but we have no control over that.

Q: I am worried that my local law enforcement will learn of my participation and harass me or my family.

A: Identities will remain protected and known only to the attorneys.

Q: I have other law suits pending. Will my involvement here affect the others in any way?

A: No, it will not. You might want to advise your attorney involved in the other suit just to make them aware.

Q: My questions are too complex. How can I contact someone who can answer them? NOTE: Please submit your questions to the email box below and we ask that you give us 5-7 days to respond before sending a follow-up. Also, we need everyone to understand we are gathering data for a law suit. We cannot legally advise on individual situations. We are not attorneys.

A: Submit FAQ questions using the form at the bottom of this page or by email to: fighttheregistry@womenagainstregistry.com

Q: You have sparked my interest in lawsuits about this issue. Where can I find more case law?

A: A good source is Google Scholar and it is free.
Other resources like Lexis Nexus and Find Law are costly to an individual.  

(https://scholar.google.com/)..

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