⚖ Oral Arguments, with Context

The Sixth Circuit returns to a challenge by eight anonymous men to Tennessee's sex-offender registry law. Sentenced between 1982 and 1994, they contend that later classification and geographic restrictions impose retroactive punishment barred by the Ex Post Facto Clause. In an earlier appeal, the court rejected a blanket injunction and ordered a provision-by-provision analysis tied to each official's enforcement authority. On remand, the district court issued a narrower injunction against Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Director David Rausch. The court must now decide whether that ruling followed its mandate, whether the challenged provisions are punitive, and whether Rausch is sufficiently connected to their enforcement for relief under Ex parte Young, the doctrine allowing federal courts to stop ongoing federal violations by state officials.

John Doe #1 v. William Lee (No. 25-6122) — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, argued August 4, 2026.