Pennsylvania adds right to counsel for sex offender registration proceedings

02/21/2018 , Pennsylvania , Legislation , Sexually Dangerous Persons - Registration/Notification

in 2018, the Pennsylvania Legislature enacted HB 631.  This bill amended 42 Pa.C.S. §§ 9799.15(a.2)(4) to provide a right to counsel for person petitioning to be exempted from sex offender registry after 25 years.  It also amended 9799.58(e)(2) to provide a right to counsel in an assessment hearing to determine whether an individual is a sexually violent predator for purposes of registration.

Appointment of Counsel: Yes
Qualified: No
? If "yes", the established right to counsel or discretionary appointment of counsel is limited in some way, including any of: the only authority is a lower/intermediate court decision or a city council, not a high court or state legislature; there has been a subsequent case that has cast doubt; a statute is ambiguous; or the right or discretionary appointment is not for all types of individuals or proceedings within that category.