Opinion ID: 1841416
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 9

Heading: ex post facto challenge

Text: Worm argues that the court's finding that he had committed an aggravated offense violated the ex post facto clause because an aggravated offense and its attendant requirements did not exist when he committed a registrable offense. He argues that the clause is violated because the amendment is punitive, since he now must register for life, instead of 10 years. Both U.S. Const. art. I, § 10, and Neb. Const. art. I, § 16, provide that no ex post facto law may be passed. A law which purports to apply to events that occurred before the law's enactment, and which disadvantages a defendant by creating or enhancing penalties that did not exist when the offense was committed, is an ex post facto law and will not be endorsed by the courts. State v. Gales, 265 Neb. 598, 658 N.W.2d 604 (2003). This court ordinarily construes Nebraska's ex post facto clause to provide no greater protections than those guaranteed by the federal Constitution. See, e.g., State v. Urbano, 256 Neb. 194, 589 N.W.2d 144 (1999), citing Weaver v. Graham, 450 U.S. 24, 101 S.Ct. 960, 67 L.Ed.2d 17 (1981). Admittedly, the lifetime registration requirement for committing an aggravated offense did not exist when Worm committed his offense in March 2002. See 2002 Neb. Laws, L.B. 564 (approved April 16, 2002, and effective July 20, 2002). However, the retroactive application for civil disabilities and sanctions is permitted; only retroactive criminal punishment for past acts is prohibited. See, Doe v. Pataki, 120 F.3d 1263 (2d Cir.1997); E.B. v. Verniero, 119 F.3d 1077 (3d Cir.1997). Cf. State v. Howell, 254 Neb. 247, 575 N.W.2d 861 (1998). Here, whether the amendment violates state and federal constitutional proscriptions against retroactive punishment is analyzed under the U.S. Supreme Court's two-prong, intent-effects test for analyzing punishment. See Smith v. Doe, 538 U.S. 84, 123 S.Ct. 1140, 155 L.Ed.2d 164 (2003). If a court determines that the Legislature intended a statutory scheme to be civil, that intent will be rejected `only where a party challenging the [statute] provides the clearest proof that the statutory scheme is so punitive in either purpose or effect as to negate the State's intention.' State v. Isham, 261 Neb. 690, 694, 625 N.W.2d 511, 515 (2001). We recognized that the intent-effects test can apply to either a double jeopardy or ex post facto challenge to a statutory scheme. State v. Schneider, 263 Neb. 318, 640 N.W.2d 8 (2002). Although we have not applied the test in analyzing an ex post facto challenge to a statutory scheme, we have applied it to a double jeopardy challenge. See, Isham, supra ; Howell, supra .