Sex Offenders Sue To Make It Easier To Live In Apple Valley

APPLE VALLEY, MN — Convicted sex offenders in Minnesota are suing to overturn a law in Apple Valley that makes it harder for them to move into and live in the city. The city ordinance bans convicted sex offenders from living within 1,500 feet of places such as parks, playgrounds, and churches.

According to the lawsuit, the ordinance practically bans sex offenders from living in the city:

"The restrictions the ordinance impose are so severe that they effectively ban individuals subject to the ordinance’s restrictions from residing anywhere in Apple Valley," the suit states.

The three sex offenders suing are people who claim they had to move out of Apple Valley because of the law. One — who was convicted of possessing child pornography — says he owns a townhome in Apple Valley and wants to live in the home he owns, but right now is not allowed because of the ordinance.

Read the law, passed in 2017, below:

Location of Residence.

It is unlawful for any designated offender to establish residence or otherwise reside within one thousand five hundred feet (1,500') of any of the following uses

(hereinafter referred as “protected zones”):

(1) School for pre-K through Grade 12, public or private;
(2) Public park or playground;
(3) A public place of worship that is maintained and controlled by a religious organization/
body and at which regular educational programs are provided (e.g. Sunday school);
(4) Licensed child care center (excluding in-home daycare providers); and
(5) Adult establishment (sexually oriented) businesses.

City ordinances like the one in Apple Valley have become more popular across Minnesota, reports the Star Tribune.

However, attorneys say the laws violate offenders' civil liberties and make it hard for the government to integrate convicts into society.