Attorneys for sex offenders argue that Congress overstepped the power granted to it in the Constitution when it enacted the law. Also, they say that confining the mentally ill is a duty of the states, not federal government.
Federal prosecutors will ask the nation’s highest court today for permission to keep some sex offenders locked up after their sentences for fear they will strike again.
The case originated in Raleigh after public defenders questioned the constitutionality of a 2006 law aimed at keeping tighter control over sex offenders. So far, the courts have sided with inmates.
