The head of Minnesota's Department of Human Services says she's long asserted that the state's civil commitment program for sex offenders is constitutional.
Lawyers for sex offenders confined indefinitely to Minnesota's secure treatment program have asked a judge to stay all further proceedings while they ask the U.S. Supreme Court to review an appeals court finding that the program is constitutional.
An array of Minnesota officials gathered at a federal courthouse to privately discuss the future of the state's program for confining sex offenders. More than a dozen legislators, Gov. Mark Dayton, Attorney General Lori Swanson and others are talking about potential changes to a program that's been declared unconstitutional.
Minnesota legislative leaders from both parties blamed each other Friday for a lack of progress on overhauling the state's sex offender treatment program.