Minnesota Sex Offenders' Lawyers Pressure State For Solution

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Lawyers representing Minnesota sex offenders in a confinement program deemed unconstitutional are urging a federal judge to keep the pressure on the state to make changes.

In a brief filed Wednesday, the attorneys said U.S. District Judge Donovan Frank should deny a state motion seeking to suspend his order spelling out a list of mandated changes. The Minnesota attorney general's office and key state officials want Frank to issue a stay of last week's ruling while they appeal his order. That appeal has been filed.

Frank ordered the more than 700 offenders in two secure treatment facilities to be urgently reevaluated, with those no longer seen as a serious risk moved to lesser-restrictive settings.

Their attorney, Dan Gustafson, says suspending the ruling would only further an unconstitutional loss of liberty.

(© Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)