May 17 (Bloomberg) -- The Supreme Court upheld a federal law that allows the civil commitment of sexually dangerous people, including those whose federal prison terms have expired.
The justices, voting 7-2, today ruled that Congress acted within its constitutional authority in enacting the 2006 measure, which affects people already in federal custody.
The ruling bolsters the ability of the national government to play a role in preventing sex crimes, traditionally a state function. More than 100 people have been held under the law, which a lower court had declared unconstitutional.
The case is United States v. Comstock, 08-1224.