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Appeals Court Hears Challenge to Sex-Offender Reclassification as SJC Review Looms
Summary
In a May 5, 2026 hearing, counsel for John Doe argued the Registry Board improperly relied on factor 7 (position of trust) and factor 37 (multiple offenses) while urging the appeals court to consider an upcoming Supreme Judicial Court review that could limit use of multiple-offense evidence.
The Massachusetts Appeals Court heard argument on May 5, 2026 in 24P1018, John Doe (No. 526-937) v. Sex Offender Registry Board, a partially impounded reclassification appeal that centers on how the board weighed regulatory factors in assigning a sex-offender classification.
Appellant counsel Fred Burkeolder told the panel that the most important issue is whether the board may rely on multiple-offense findings under factor 37 to show dangerousness. Burkeolder said a pending Supreme Judicial Court case to be argued the next day could change the legal landscape and asked the appeals court to account for that possibility. He…
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