President Petersen Fights to Keep Sex Offender Monitoring Laws in Place
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, April 13, 2026
PHOENIX, ARIZONA—Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen is continuing the Legislature's fight to protect children and families, filing a new legal brief late last week in the case of Doe v. Sheridan to defend Arizona's sex offender registration laws before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
This comes after a clear win at the trial court level, where a federal judge upheld Arizona's law and rejected constitutional challenges to the state's lifetime registration and reporting requirements for convicted sex offenders. The plaintiff in Doe v. Sheridan is now appealing that decision, attempting to roll back the state's ability to track offenders and monitor potential threats.
At the heart of this case is whether Arizona can require convicted sex offenders to keep law enforcement informed, including reporting online identifiers used on social media and other platforms, so officers can investigate crimes and prevent future harm. These laws are designed to give law enforcement critical tools to solve cases, deter repeat offenses, and protect families across Arizona. The plaintiff is a convicted sex offender who pleaded guilty to crimes involving a minor, agreed to lifetime probation and registration requirements as part of that plea, and is now asking the courts to undo those terms.
The Legislature stepped up and successfully defended the sex offender registration laws in court after the Arizona attorney general failed to carry out her responsibility to do so.
"We already prevailed in federal court because Arizona's law is constitutional and serves a clear public safety purpose," said President Petersen. "These requirements give law enforcement the ability to track convicted offenders, investigate crimes, and prevent future harm. Weakening those safeguards does not make anyone safer, it only makes it easier for offenders to operate without oversight. It is deeply concerning that Arizona's Attorney General has chosen not to defend this law. When the state refuses to stand behind its own laws, especially those designed to protect children, the Legislature has a duty to act. We will continue defending these protections to ensure Arizona families are not left exposed."
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals will now review Doe v. Sheridan and determine whether to uphold the lower court's ruling and keep Arizona's law intact.
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For more information, contact:
Kim Quintero
Director of Communications | Arizona State Senate Republican Caucus
kquintero@azleg.gov