The Ex Post Facto Laws, Essay Example

The ex post facto laws state than an individual cannot be accused of a crime if they have committed the crime prior to the time in which the law was written. After reading the case of John Doe I and John Doe II with the consideration of the information that was provided concerning Alaska law, it appears that the state’s ability to require sexual offenders to register, even if they committed the crime prior to the law existing is a case that should be brought to the Supreme Court. Cases in which more than one state is involved, such as the transfer of a registered sex offender from a state with the existence of this requirement prior to the commitment of the crime to a state where this is not the case, should be considered as a multi-state policy. Therefore, it is important for the Supreme Court to meet to determine whether the child protective laws an individual was subject to in one state is applicable to a new state. In addition, there should be a discussion to determine whether a national sex registry should be extended to become a national policy.

If the Supreme Court rules that each individual state must deal with this issue on their own, then Alaska has no right to subject sex offenders to the registration law if they committed the crime before the implementation of the law in the specific state. Since the sex offenders were not aware that the law was in place during the time that the crime was committed, they cannot be held to the same standards as individuals who committed the crime after the law was written and were aware of its existence. This is an important example of preventing the creation of ex post facto laws because it demonstrates that it is essential to uphold the legal rights of criminals, even if they have committed a serious crime.