Court Blocks Retroactive Sex Offender Rules | Grand Rapids News

The state Supreme Court just ruled that stricter sex offender registry rules passed in 2021 can’t be applied retroactively to crimes committed before July 1, 2011 — a major win for due process. The decision stems from Eddie Lee Smith’s case, where he argued the new rules amounted to an “ex post facto” punishment, which is unconstitutional. The court agreed, echoing a prior ruling that public access to registry info functions as punishment, not just civil oversight. Though state police enforce the registry, they must now comply with this landmark decision — ensuring no one faces harsher penalties under laws that didn’t exist at the time of their offense. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Sources:https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/2026/09/michigan-removes-20k-from-sex-offender-registry.html More coverage & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/321ebe4954754e63 Report issues to [email protected].