COURT BACKS PUBLISHING NAMES OF SEX OFFENDERS

Publicizing the names of sexual offenders who have served time in prison and released came under attack in New Jersey and New York, but the U.S. Supreme Court has disagreed with the argument that such notification violates the Fifth Amendment's protection against being punished twice for the same crime. Some sex offenders had claimed such laws amount to additional punishment.

While officials in both states, along with many law-abiding residents who want to know when former sex offenders are in their neighborhoods, were pleased with the court's ruling, there are more challenges in the works. Lawyers for the sex offenders will next seek to overturn the laws by claiming that community notification violates personal privacy rights.

All 50 states have laws requiring released sex offenders to register with local authorities when they move into a community. That requirement hasn't been challenged yet. Just last year Missouri became one of the state to permit public dissemination of those registrations. The Southeast Missourian was among the state's newspapers that published the information.

Laws that keep the public informed are valuable. And knowing who in the community has a history of criminal sexual behavior is important to public safety. So far, the public's rights have taken precedence over those of the criminals.