ST. LOUIS — This Halloween, Missouri sex offenders won’t have to put a sign on their front door turning people away after a court decision earlier this month.
Since August of 2008, registered sex offenders had to put signs on their doors on Halloween saying "No candy or treats at this residence."
Attorney Janice Bellucci represented a Hazelwood man challenging the law.
“All the laws have one thing in common, which is they're based on a myth or misunderstanding that people on the registry actually pose a danger to children while they're trick or treating. The fact is no child has ever been sexually abused by a registrant while that child was trick or treating, not even once,” Bellucci said.
Earlier this month, U.S. District Court Judge John Ross declared the signs unconstitutional.
Bellucci said they've seen in other states how those signs actually made people on the registry a target on Halloween.
“We have had instances where people have tried to light a house on fire, shot a gun into somebody's house. I mean, those are the kinds of things that people on the registry are really concerned about,” Bellucci said.
Safe Connections CEO Cynthia Danley said she understands both sides of this issue.
“I do think the signs helped, because it took it off of that parent or that adult or whoever was with the children during, the trick or treating,” Danley said.
She encourages parents to still do their homework ahead of time, take a look at the sex offender registry and have a conversation with their kids.
“They can tell them, ‘That person doesn't have their lights on. So that means they're not giving away candy or treats for the holiday. So then we’re going to bypass that home,'” Danley said.
Other parts of the law are still in place for registrants, including keeping outside lights off, avoiding Halloween-related contact with kids and staying home between 5 and 10:30 p.m.
Bellucci said Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has filed a notice to appeal. 5 On Your Side reached out to his office but did not immediately hear back.