Senate President Petersen Secures Major Court Victory Protecting Arizona Children, Families
- Arizona Senate Republicans
- 1 hour ago
- 2 min read
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, November 10, 2025
Senate President Petersen Secures Major Court Victory
Protecting Arizona Children, Families
PHOENIX, ARIZONA— Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen is announcing a major legal victory after a federal court upheld Arizona's sex offender registration laws, rejecting a challenge that sought to weaken public safety protections for Arizona children and families.
The case, Doe v. Sheridan, challenged Arizona's lifetime registration and reporting requirements for convicted sex offenders. If successful, the lawsuit would have reduced the ability of families and law enforcement to track high-risk offenders and prevent reoffending.
Despite the importance of the protections, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes failed to defend the law, abandoning the state's responsibility to safeguard communities. In response, Senate President Warren Petersen and House Speaker Steve Montenegro intervened to defend Arizona's statutes and ensure the law was protected.
U.S. District Judge Stephen McNamee ruled in favor of the Arizona Legislature this past Friday, upholding Arizona's registry and monitoring system in full.
"When the Attorney General didn't defend Arizona's public safety laws, we refused to allow the safety of our children to be jeopardized," said President Petersen. "This ruling makes clear that tracking convicted sex offenders is not only constitutional – it is necessary to protect families and prevent new victimization."
The ruling ensures that Arizona will continue to:
Maintain lifetime registration for qualifying sex offenders
Require reporting of online identities and residence changes
Give families and law enforcement tools to monitor potential offenders
"This is a victory for every parent in Arizona," said President Petersen. "The Legislature will always stand up for victims and protect our communities – when those elected to do so refuse to."
###
For more information, contact:
Kim Quintero
Director of Communications | Arizona State Senate Republican Caucus