APnews : Appeals court asked for sex-offender law rehearing.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The Department of Justice on Monday asked a full appeals court to rule that the federal government has the power to hold sex offenders in custody indefinitely beyond the end of their prison terms.
The filing seeks the reversal of a three-judge panel's ruling last month that Congress overstepped its authority when it allowed civil commitment of "sexually dangerous" federal inmates. The panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said that the law intrudes on police powers that the Constitution reserves for states, many of which have their own similar statutes.
In asking the full 4th Circuit to rehear the case, the government argues that it assumes responsibility for inmates in federal custody and should be allowed to "create civil commitment procedures for such persons to protect the public safety."
Indefinite civil commitment of citizens by the government is unconstitutional. Read more about this here at http://constitutionalfights.wordpress.com/2009/02/19/sex-offenders-rights-must-be-observed/
