Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Sex offender convicted in California must continue to register in Nevada

CARSON CITY – The Nevada Supreme Court has ruled that California lacks the power to tell Nevada how to protect its citizens.

The court decided that Eugene W. Donlan of Pahrump must continue to register as a sex offender even though his conviction in California was 25 years ago.

Donlan pleaded guilty in 1985 to a charge of lewd and lascivious behavior on a child and he was placed on probation. The charge was later reduced to a misdemeanor and the conviction was dismissed.

The California Attorney General terminated Donlan’s requirement to register as a sex offender.

Donlan moved to Nevada and petitioned the district court in Nye County to end the requirement that he must continue to register as a sex offender. He said Nevada must honor the faith and credit of another state.

The court Thursday upheld the decision of District Judge Robert Lane, who rejected Donlan’s petition.

The Nevada Supreme Court said, “We conclude that the Full Faith and Credit Clause does not require Nevada to dispense with the preferred mechanism for protecting its citizens by virtue of termination of the duty to register in another state.”

The court said California has no authority to dictate to Nevada the manner in which it can best protect its citizenry from those convicted of sex offenses.

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