Thursday, September 23, 2010

No, You Can't Attend Church


The New Hampshire Supreme Court has refused to permit a convicted child sex offender to attend church, even in the company of a chaperone.  Here's the Union-Leader story:

"The New Hampshire Supreme Court has denied a sex offender’s request that he be allowed to attend church with a chaperone. Jonathan Perfetto of Manchester was convicted of possessing child pornography and released from prison in 2008.

Though a court ordered him to have no contact with children, he had asked to attend Jehovah’s Witnesses services chaperoned by a church elder.  The state Supreme Court Friday upheld a lower court ruling denying that request. It said the condition does not violate Perfetto’s constitutional rights to religious freedom and that Perfetto can practice his religion in other ways.

Perfetto also served time when he was 17 for molesting a young male relative and again when he was older for assaulting adult women."
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Huh?  Really?  Let's chew on this one.

1 comment:

  1. According to Eugene Volokh, this is covered under Employment Division v. Smith. A state law can override a religious practice. FWIW.

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