Why one Colorado county took its sex offender list offline

Westword (Denver): Montrose County, on Colorado’s Western Slope, has pulled its sex-offender list offline, reportedly because of a recent court ruling in which U.S. District Court Judge Richard Matsch found that such registries constituted cruel and unusual punishment in the case of three plaintiffs. The action was taken despite the fact that the ruling is specific to the complainants in question, rather than everyone on the roster, and Colorado Attorney General Cynthia Coffman has announced her intention to appeal.

The news comes from the Montrose Daily Press, which reports that county sheriff Rick Dunlap made the announcement at a GOP central committee meeting last week. He’s quoted as saying that the decision was made “out of precaution” and added that he fears it’s a “matter of time” before his hand would have been forced. At this writing, Dunlap hasn’t responded to multiple interview requests from Westword.

The sex-offender registry page on Montrose’s website includes none of the photos or information common to such online resources. Instead, the page is dominated by text. “The Montrose Police Department maintains the sex offender registry for offenders living within the city limits,” the page notes. “The registry is available to the public for a minimal fee. To obtain a copy of the list, you can contact the Montrose Police Department in person at 434 S. First St., Monday through Thursday, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.”

The site adds that “sex offender information for all Colorado jurisdictions can be viewed on the Colorado Bureau of Investigation Convicted Sex Offender Site,” which continues to be accessible.

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