Opinion ID: 1248280
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Howell's SORNA Conviction

Text: In 1987, Howell was convicted in Michigan state court of third degree criminal sexual conduct. After his release from a Michigan prison, Howell did not complete a sex offender registration as required by Michigan law, and was convicted in May 2005 under Michigan's sex offender registration statute. Howell finally registered as a Michigan sex offender on August 9, 2005. Sometime after registering, Howell left Michigan. Howell then moved to Iowa in 2006 and resurfaced on May 24, 2007, when authorities in Oelwein, Iowa, responded to a call and questioned Howell as a witness to a crime. During the investigation, the Iowa authorities learned Howell had an outstanding Michigan arrest warrant for failure to register as a sex offender, and also noticed Howell had not completed a sex offender registration as required by Iowa law. Howell was arrested. Howell was released on June 5, 2007, and registered as a sex offender in Iowa. The next day, Howell left Iowa and moved to Texas. Howell failed to notify Iowa of his change in residency and did not register as a sex offender in Texas. On July 13, 2007, Howell was arrested in Texas on a federal warrant and extradited to the Northern District of Iowa. Shortly thereafter, a federal grand jury returned a two-count superseding indictment against Howell for failing to register as a sex offender. Howell moved to dismiss the indictment arguing (1) SORNA did not apply to his conduct, and (2) SORNA and § 2250 violate the ex post facto clause, the nondelegation doctrine, due process, and the commerce clause. Howell also objected to venue in the Northern District of Iowa. On February 1, 2008, the district court granted Howell's motion to dismiss the first count of his indictment because it violated the ex post facto clause, but rejected Howell's arguments to dismiss the second count. The district court found (1) SORNA and § 2250 are constitutional exercises of Congress's commerce clause power, and (2) Iowa venue is proper. Howell then pled guilty to the second count of the indictment on the condition he could appeal the district court's denial of his motion to dismiss the second count. Howell filed a timely appeal.