Georgia was lauded four years ago by conservatives for passing one of the nation’s toughest sex offender laws. But the state has had to significantly — and without fanfare — scale back its once-intense restrictions.
Georgia’s old law was challenged by civil liberties groups even before it took effect. After losing court battle after court battle, state legislators were forced to make a change or a federal judge was going to throw out the entire law. Now that the restrictions have been eased, about 13,000 registered sex offenders — more than 70 percent of all Georgia sex offenders — can live and work wherever they want.
