Dowdell v. City of Jeffersonville

907 N.E.2d 559, 2009 Ind. App. LEXIS 888, 2009 WL 1605773
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedJune 9, 2009
Docket10A04-0811-CV-676
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 907 N.E.2d 559 (Dowdell v. City of Jeffersonville) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Dowdell v. City of Jeffersonville, 907 N.E.2d 559, 2009 Ind. App. LEXIS 888, 2009 WL 1605773 (Ind. Ct. App. 2009).

Opinions

OPINION

BAKER, Chief Judge.

At issue herein is an ordinance that prohibits convicted sex offenders from entering public parks in Jeffersonville. Though offenders may seek very limited exemptions, the exemption procedure is extraordinarily burdensome and virtually illusory. The defendant was charged, convicted, served the sentence for his crime, and completed his registration requirement before the ordinance was enacted. As applied to this defendant, we find that the ordinance violates the prohibition on ex post facto laws contained in the Indiana Constitution.

Appellant-defendant Eric Dowdell appeals the trial court's order entering summary judgment in favor of appellee-defen-dant City of Jeffersonville, Indiana (the City) on Dowdell's complaint for injunctive and declaratory relief. Dowdell argues that the trial court erred by concluding that the City's ordinance prohibiting all sex offenders from ever having unrestricted access to the City's parks and recreation areas is constitutional. Specifically, Dowdell argues that the ordinance is facially unconstitutional pursuant to Article I, Sections 1, 12, and 24 of the Indiana Constitution and that it is unconstitutional as applied to him pursuant to the same constitutional provisions because he is no longer required to register as a sex offender. Finding that the ordinance is unconstitutional as applied to Dowdell, we reverse.

FACT1

The City has an extensive park system that includes an outdoor theater, a field-house containing indoor recreation areas, an aquatic center, Little League fields, and general park properties. There is no cost to enter most of the park properties and the parks are open to all subject to the rules and regulations set by the City's Parks Department.

The City Ordinance 2006-OR-68 (the Ordinance) states that "individuals defined by Indiana Code as 'Sex Offenders' shall be permanently prohibited" from park properties. Appellant's App. p. 120. If a sex offender enters the parks, he is subject to a fine of $100 to $2,500 and prosecution for criminal trespass. Another ordinance provides that if a sex offender is able to demonstrate good cause he may apply to a City Court judge for a waiver of the exclusion. A waiver may be granted only for a "legitimate reason," which includes only a situation in which the sex offender plans to be in a park to observe his or her son, daughter, stepson, stepdaughter, grandchild, stepgrandchild, sibling, or stepsi-bling participating in a specific activity in the park. Id. at 127-28. Under no other cireumstances may an exemption be granted.

Indiana law currently defines "sex offender" as a person who committed certain offenses.2 Generally, a sex offender must register for ten years after he or she is released from prison, placed on parole or [563]*563probation, or placed in a community transition or community corrections program, whichever occurs last. I.C. § 11-8-8-19(a)3 Even after the registration obligation ends, the person's name remains on the registry forever, though specific information concerning the person-e.g., his or her address and photograph-will no longer be updated.

In 1996, Dowdell was convicted of sexual battery and was sentenced to three years in prison with two years suspended. His crime did not occur in a park. He remained on probation for approximately three years after his conviction and his duty to register expired in 2006. Dow-dell's registry listing indicates that the "registration period has ended," and instead of an address, the registry explains that "[this individual is No Longer Required to Register as an Offender." Appellant's App. p. 141. Dowdell's photograph has been removed from the registry. Id.

[564]*564Dowdell lives in Clarksville and has a minor son who plays Little League games in Jeffersonville's parks. In the past, Dowdell has been a Little League coach. He has twice sought a waiver pursuant to the City's ordinances to attend his son's games but his request was denied both times.4 Dowdell would also like to enter the City's parks without his son to engage in various activities such as adult baseball, adult basketball, fishing, and other lawful activities. Under the terms of the ordinances, he may not seek a waiver to enter the parks for these activities.

On July 3, 2007, Dowdell filed a complaint challenging the constitutionality of the Ordinance. Dowdell and the City eventually filed cross-motions for summary judgment. Following an August 25, 2008, hearing, the trial court entered summary judgment in the City's favor, finding that the Ordinance was neither facially unconstitutional nor unconstitutional as applied to Dowdell.5 Dowdell now appeals.

DISCUSSION AND DECISION

I. Standard of Review

Summary judgment is appropriate only if the pleadings and evidence considered by the trial court show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Owens Corning Fiberglass Corp. v. Cobb, 754 N.E.2d 905, 909 (Ind.2001); see also Ind. Trial Rule 56(C). Here, the parties do not dispute the relevant facts. Instead, they disagree about the constitutionality of the Ordinance, which is a pure question of law for which summary judgment is particularly appropriate. - Ramirez v. Wilson, 901 N.E.2d 1, 2 (Ind.Ct.App.2009). Where the issue presented on appeal is a pure question of law, we review the matter de novo. Id.

II. Facial Challenge

In large part, Dowdell's facial challenge relies upon arguments that are identical to those made in Doe v. Plainfield, which concerned a Plainfield ordinance very similar to the Ordinance at issue herein. 893 N.E.2d 1124 (Ind.Ct.App.2008), trams. pending. At oral argument, Dowdell's counsel acknowledged that though he disagreed with the result in Dog, he is bound by its precedential value. Under these cireumstances, we decline to address Dow-dell's facial challenge and will instead turn to his argument that the Ordinance is unconstitutional as applied to him.

III, As Applied

Dowdell raises a new argument not considered by the Doe court, namely, that the Ordinance is unconstitutional as applied to him. Unlike a facial challenge, an as applied challenge "ask{s] only that the reviewing court declare the challenged statute or regulation unconstitutional on the facts of the particular case." Sanjour [565]*565v. E.P.A., 56 F.3d 85, 92 n. 10 (D.C.Cir.1995).

Dowdell argues that the Ordinance is unconstitutional as applied to him under the ex post facto prohibition of Article I, section 24 of the Indiana Constitution. This prohibition "forbids the Congress and the States to enact any law 'which imposes a punishment for an act which was not punishable at the time it was committed; or imposes additional punishment to that then prescribed'" Weaver v. Graham, 450 U.S. 24, 28, 101 S.Ct. 960, 67 L.Ed.2d 17 (1981) (quoting Cummings v. Missouri, 4 Wall.

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907 N.E.2d 559, 2009 Ind. App. LEXIS 888, 2009 WL 1605773, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dowdell-v-city-of-jeffersonville-indctapp-2009.