INDIANAPOLIS (CN) - The town of Plainfield, Ind., did not violate the state constitution by prohibiting sex offenders from entering the town's parks and recreation areas, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled.
John Doe was prohibited from visiting the park with his son because Doe was convicted in 2001 of child pornography charges. He challenged the city ordinance.
Judge Robb ruled that park visitation is not a core value guaranteed by the Indiana Constitution.
Robb also found that the prohibition of sex offenders from parks has a "rational relationship" to legislature's goal of protecting the town's citizens.
The judge added that the ordinance does not constitute ex post facto punishment, because it "does not banish sex or violent offenders from the entire Plainfield community, rather, it merely restricts such offenders from a subset of that community."
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