Doe v. Sex Offender Registry Board

33 Mass. L. Rptr. 598
CourtMassachusetts Superior Court
DecidedAugust 16, 2016
DocketNo. ESCV201601084A
StatusPublished

This text of 33 Mass. L. Rptr. 598 (Doe v. Sex Offender Registry Board) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Massachusetts Superior Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Doe v. Sex Offender Registry Board, 33 Mass. L. Rptr. 598 (Mass. Ct. App. 2016).

Opinion

Feeley, Timothy Q., J.

This is a Chapter 30A appeal of the July 15, 2016 final decision of the Sex Offender Registry Board (“SORB” or the “Board”) classifying plaintiff John Doe (“Doe”) as a level two sex offender. Immediately upon receipt of an e-mail copy of the decision at about 9:30 a.m. on July 15th, and knowing of SORB’s policy of same-day publication of a newly classified sex offenders’ (level two and three) registry information on its website, counsel for Doe contacted SORB, informed SORB that she was going to prepare and submit to the court later that day a complaint and amotion to prohibit/stay Internet publication ofDoe’s registry information. Doe’s counsel requested that SORB delay posting Doe’s registry information on its website until Doe’s intended motion for an injunction could be considered by the court. Just before 4:00 p.m., Doe’s complaint and motion for a TRO/preliminary injunction was filed with the court. However, no later than 12:00 noon, SORB had posted Doe’s registry information on its website. In response to Doe’s request for a TRO, and given that Doe’s registry information was already on SORB’s website, the court issued a short order of notice and the parties appeared in court on July 18, 2016. The above facts were confirmed by SORB, but other facts remained unclear. It was unclear to the court (Feeley, J.) whether any member of SORB’s legal department refused Doe’s request to delay posting to its website, or whether Doe’s information, despite notice of Doe’s intention to seek immediate judicial intervention, was posted to the website as part of SORB’s standard practice and policy to post registry information the same day a final classification decision is issued. SORB was previously warned by this court in an earlier classification matter that it should not prevent sex offenders from a meaningful opportunity to seek judicial intervention prior to Internet publication of a sex offender’s registry information. Doe, SORB No. 298384 v. Sex Offender Registry Board, Essex Superior Court No. 2015-01848-A, Memorandum Dated November 23, 2015 (Feeley, J.). By its actions, despite a request to delay Internet publication, SORB prevented Doe from seeking meaningfut judicial intervention in a legitimate effort to prevent irreparable harm if Doe is successful [599]*599in his Chapter 30A appeal to have his classification level reduced to level one. See Moe v. Sex Offender Registry Board, 467 Mass. 598, 606 (2014) (injury to sex offenders “that could arise from Internet publication would likely be irreparable, even if SORB were later to reduce their classification to level one or release them from the obligation to register”); Doe v. Attorney Gen. (No. 2), 425 Mass. 217, 222 (1997) (once sex offender information is obtained and distributed with no remedial motive, “at best it will not easily be remediable”).

The court (Feeley, J.) issued an order that SORB withdraw Doe’s registry information from its website, withdraw Doe’s registry information from public availability, and otherwise treat Doe’s registry information as if Doe were classified as a level one sex offender, pending further order of the court. In addition, a hearing was scheduled in order to complete the factual record and to address the constitutionality of SORB’s practice/policy to post sex offender registry information on its website the same day the final classification decision issues, and whether such a practice interferes with the fair administration of justice by preventing the court from considering judicial intervention (in the form of a stay of Internet publication) before a sex offender’s registry information is published on the Internet.

An evidentiary hearing was held on August 5,2016. SORB was represented by an Assistant Attorney General (“AAG”). Before taking evidence, the court marked eighteen exhibits, consisting of the written order scheduling the hearing [Ex. 1], and written decisions/ orders by the undersigned associate justice in prior Chapter 30A appeals of classification decisions. Exhibits 2-8 are orders staying Internet publication of registry information sought by sex offenders. Exhibits 9-18 are decisions vacating final classification decisions, or in two cases, granting a new hearing before SORB. Exhibit 19 is the affidavit of William Burke, SORB’s General Counsel (“Attorney Burke”), which was submitted the day before the hearing, along with a written memorandum signed by the AAG. Exhibits 20-23 were submitted by Doe at the hearing. Three of the exhibits are affidavits from other counsel who represent sex offenders in Chapter 30A appeals of their final classification levels. Exhibits 24 and 25 were submitted by Doe later in the day of the hearing. Exhibit 24 is another affidavit from an attorney who represents sex offenders in Chapter 30A appeals of their final classification levels. Exhibit 25 is a printout from a private website unrelated to SORB that reflects that Doe is posted as a registered sex offender on the private website.

At the hearing, Attorney Burke answered questions from the court to clarify and expand upon his submitted affidavit. Robert DePardo, a registration specialist for SORB (“DePardo”), and the person who sends classification decisions to counsel of record, was sworn and testified. He responded to questions from the court and Doe’s counsel. SORB passed on further questioning. Now that the factual record is complete and the parties have been provided a meaningful opportunity to address the constitutional and administration of justice issues raised by SORB’s same-day Internet publication policy, the court makes the following findings and rulings.

FACTUAL BACKGROUND

On Friday morning July 15, 2016, sometime before 9:30 a.m., DePardo received the written decision of the hearing examiner classifying Doe as a level two sex offender. He made no database entry of the decision or of Doe’s registry information into SORB’s website, as that was apparently routinely done by hearings unit personnel before he received the decision. DePardo is, perhaps among others, responsible for notifying counsel of record of the hearing examiner’s classification decision. That notification in all instances prior to July 15,2016, was made by DePardo by placing the written decision in SORB’s mail system, for delivery to the United States Postal Service. He has historically received classification decisions throughout the day, and would send them out upon his receipt, even if not received until the afternoon, or the late afternoon.1 In accordance with a recently instituted practice, and if requested by counsel for sex offenders, SORB will notify counsel of classification decisions by fax or e-mail, to a provided fax number or e-mail address.

In this case, on July 15, 2016, DePardo for the first time in his experience at SORB used e-mail to notify a sex offender’s counsel of the issuance of the hearing examiner’s classification decision.2 He did so at 9:36 a.m. Consistent with SORB’s practice, no notice was provided in DePardo’s e-mail as to the anticipated timing of the public availability of Doe’s registry information on SORB’s website. Immediately thereafter, he received a reply from Doe’s counsel informing him that she was in the process of seeking a court order to stay Internet publication. She requested that SORB not publish Doe’s registry information on its website before day’s end. At 10:00 a.m., DePardo responded to Doe’s counsel and informed her that she needed to direct any questions or concerns to SORB Attorney John Bosse (“Attorney Bosse”), who had represented SORB at the classification hearing. Doe’s counsel sent an e-mail to Attorney Bosse at 10:16 a.m.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
33 Mass. L. Rptr. 598, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/doe-v-sex-offender-registry-board-masssuperct-2016.