Justice Denies Michigan's Appeal To Halt Sex Offender Ruling

LANSING (AP) - A U.S. Supreme Court justice has rejected Michigan's request to halt a lower court decision that found the state unconstitutionally put additional restrictions on sex offenders long after their convictions.

Justice Elena Kagan denied Tuesday the emergency appeal for a stay.

In August, the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said changes to Michigan law in 2006 and 2011, which included retroactively restricting sex offenders' movements near schools, penalize offenders as "moral lepers."

The appeals court denied Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette's request to block the decision during appeal. So did Kagan.

Schuette's office couldn't immediately be reached to comment.

Michigan has the country's fourth-largest sex offender list, with more than 42,000 registrants.

Michigan prohibits all registrants from living, working or loitering within 1,000 feet of school property.

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