2010 D e c i sion s O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit 3-30-2010 

# U SA v . P hi llip C l a yt on P r e c e de nt i al or N on-P r e c e de nt i al : N on-P r e c e de nt i al D ocke t N o . 09-3733

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Thi s de c i sion i s br ou ght t o you for f r e e and ope n a c c e s s b y the O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit at V i ll anova U nive r sity S choo l of L a

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w . vi ll anova . e du . Re c omme nde d C it at ion " U SA v . P hi ll ip C l a

yt on" (2010). 2010 D e cisio n s . P ape r 1605. http://d i git alc ommon s .l a

w . vi ll anova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2010/1605T he H onor abl e J os eph H . R odr i guez, Seni orU ni t ed St at es D i s t r i ctJ udge fort he * D i s t r i ctof N ew J er s ey , s i t t i ng bydes i gnat i on NOT P RE CE DE NT I AL UN I TED STATES CO UR T OF A PP EALS F O R T H E T H IR D C IR C U IT N o. 09- 3733 UNI TE D ST ATE S OF AM ERI CA

v . P HI L L I P CH RI S T OP HE R C L AYT ON, A ppel l ant A p p ea l from the U n it ed S tat es D istri ct C o u rt f o r th e W e ste rn D istric t o f P e n n sy lv a n ia D . C . C r i m i nal N o. 08- cr - 0006- 001 ( H onor abl e K i m R . G i bs on) Subm i t t ed U nderT hi r d C i r cui tL A R 34. 1( a)

February23, 2010 B e f o re : S C IR IC A , C h ie f

J u d g e , a n d C H A G A R E S , C ir c u it J u d g e s , and R O D R I G U E Z , D i s t r i ctJ udge * ( O pi ni on fi l ed: M ar ch 30, 2010)

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P h ill ip C h risto p h e r C layt o n ’s m o tio n to dis m i ss hi s i nd i ct m ent. T he D i stri ctC ou rthad subjectm at t er j uri sdi ct i on ov er the case p u r s u a n tt o 1 8 U. S . C. § 3 2 3 1 a n d we h a v e j u r i s d i c t i o n t o h e a rth i s a p p e a l u n d e r2 8 U. S . C. § 1291. P h ill ip C h risto p h e r C layt o n w a s in d icte d o n F e b ru a ry2 0 , 2 0 0 8 f o r f a ili n g to r egi s t eras a s ex off

enderi n vi ol at i on of the Sex O ffe nderR egi s t r at i on and N ot i fi cat i on A ct (“S O R N A ”), 18 U . S . C . § 2 2 5 0 (a). H e p lead ed n o t gu il tyan d ask ed the d istri ct co u rt t o di s m i s s t he i ndi ctm ent , ar gui ng t hatSO R N A w as i l l egal and uncons t i tut i onal . T he di s t r i ctcour tdeni ed the mot i on. U ni t ed St at es v. C l ayt on, C r i m i nal N o. 08- 06J , 2009 W L 1033664 ( W . D . Pa. A pr . 16, 2009) . C l ayt on then pl ed gui l t yt o t he one- count i ndi ctm ent , r es ervi ng t he r i ghtt o appea l , and w as s ent ence d t o 36 m onths i n pr i s on t o be fol l ow ed by10 y ear s of s upervi s ed r el eas e. T hi s t i m el yappea l fol l ow ed. B yw ayof bac kgr ound, i n 1992, C l ayt on w as convi ct ed i n C al i forni a of the fe l ony s ex off ens e of O r al C opul at i on of an U ncons ci ous V i ct i m , and w as r equi r ed t o r egi s t eras a se x o f f e n d e r f o r life . T h e re a f

ter , C layt o n re lo c a ted to P e n n sy lv a n ia, b u t f a iled to r egi s t eras a s ex off

endert her e. T he i ndi ctm entchar ged C l ayt on w i t h fai l ur e t o r egi s t er orupdat e hi s s ex off

enderr egi s t r at i on betw een O ct ober1, 2007 and D ece m ber31, 2007 i n v i o l a t i o n o f

S OR NA. C l ayt on ar gues t hatt he D i s t r i ctC our terr ed i n fai l i ng t o di s m i s s hi s i ndi ctm ent b e c a u se , as a p p lied to h im , S O R N A , en a c ted o n Ju ly2 7 , 2 0 0 6 , (1 ) is n o t ap p lica b le3

b e c a u se P e n n sy lv a n ia h a s n o t y e t im p lem e n ted th e law , an d (2 ) v io late s th e e x p o st f a c to cl aus e. W e exe r ci s e pl enaryr evi ew of a di s t r i ctcour t ’ s det erm i nat i on of the co n sti tuti o n ali tyo f a crim inal statu te. U n it ed S tat es v . W alke r, 4 7 3 F . 3 d 7 1 , 7 5 (3d C ir . 2 0 0 7 ). T h is c a s e m ir ro rs U n ite d S ta te s v . S h e n a n d o a h , 5 9 5 F .3 d 1 5 1 (3 d C ir . 2 0 1 0 ). In v o k in g th e re c e n t d isc u ss io n o f th e se iss u e s s e t f

o rth in S h e n a n d o a h , w e su m m a rily affirm . A s di scussed i n S hen and oah , C l ay t on ’s fi rs targum ent i s w i t ho ut m eri tbecau se S O R N A “ a p p lie s to s e x o f f e n d e rs -- n o t to s ta te s .” S h e n a n d o a h , 5 9 5 F .3 d a t 1 5 7 . C l ay t on w as a r egis t ered sex off end er i n C al i forni a w hen S O R N A w as enacted. T hu s, “SO R N A r equi r ed onl yt hathe kee p hi s r egi s t r at i on curr enton and af t erJ ul y27, 2006. ” I d. T he al l egat i ons i n t he i ndi ctm entpert ai n t o C l ayt on’ s fai l ur e t o keep hi s r egi s t r at i on curr ent , and ther efor e ar e cont empl at ed bythe s ubs ect i ons of SO R N A w hi ch pr ovi de that s ex off ender s keep thei rr egi s t r at i on curr enti n eac h j ur i s di ct i on i n w hi ch theyr es i de, 42 U . S. C . § 16913 ( a) & ( c) , byi nform i ng the j ur i s di ct i on of al l change s i n i nform at i on r equi r ed i n t he s ex off

enderr egi s t r y . “I nas m uch as . . . Penns y l vani a had [ a] s ex off ender re g istr[ y ] in p lac e a f

ter S O R N A ’s e n a c tm e n t, S O R N A d e m a n d e d th a t [ C layt o n ] u p d a te hi s r egi s t r at i on byr egi s t er i ng i n Penns y l vani a. ” I d. Si m i l ar l y , t he ex pos tfac t o cl aus e ar gum entfai l s beca us e C l ayt on comm i t t ed a “new ” cr i m e, vi ol at i ng SO R N A , w hen he f ai l ed t o r egi s t erorupdat e hi s s ex off ender r egi s t r at i on betw een O ct ober1, 2007 and D ece m ber31, 2007, aft erthe ena ctm entof the sta tu te. “ S O R N A is n o t b e in g a p p lied re tro a c tiv e ly . In ste a d , S O R N A ’s f o c u s is4

pr os pect i ve. I tcr eat es a new puni s hm entfora new offe ns e, thi s new offe ns e bei ng t r a v e l i n g i n i n t e r s t a t e c o mm e r c e a n d f a i l i n g t o r e g i s t e ra s a s e x o f f e n d e ru n d e rS OR NA a f te r J u ly 2 7 , 2 0 0 6 .” Id . a t 1 5 8 (c ita tio n o m itte d ). F o rt h e s e r e a s o n s , we f

i n d n o r e v e r s i b l e e r r o r , a n d a f f i r m.