Ohio Supreme Court: Give sex offenders old classifications

COLUMBUS (AP) — The Ohio Supreme Court today threw out sections of a new sex-offender law, saying the Legislature violated the state constitution when it forced state officials to change convicts’ classifications.

The ruling means that sex offenders convicted before the law went into effect on Jan. 1, 2008, would revert back to the classifications they received under the old Megan’s Law — and potentially be subject to less-stringent registration and notification requirements.

The ruling leaves in place the new, tougher requirements for those convicted since.

A spokeswoman for state Attorney General Richard Cordray said the office was working to identify how many offenders would be affected by the ruling.

Ohio was the first state to put substantially in place a new sex offender registration and notification system required by the federal Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act.

The 2006 law is named for a 6-year-old Florida boy who was abducted and killed in 1981. His father, John Walsh, is the host of TV’s “America’s Most Wanted.”