Effective this week, all sex offender information, no matter the magnitude of the crime, is now public information on a state website.

The state law expanding the Sex Offender Registry was passed last year and went into effect on Monday.

Now, every sex offender in the state, no matter the severity of their crime, is listed, picture and all, on a public website.

But the new law is creating controversy in the courts.

There was supposed to be a big decision made in a Lancaster County courtroom Thursday, but that didn't happen.

Lincoln Attorney James Beckmann says, "We got notice that they had filed with federal court removing this action to federal court or at least trying to."

On behalf of his clients, Beckmann was going to request a preliminary injunction over the sex offender registry law that took effect Monday.

The new law requires the public posting of all registered sex offenders. Their previous classification or risk levels will no longer be used.

Beckmann argues his clients are being lumped together with dangerous sex offenders.

Beckmann says, "The people that are on your PTA and you sit next to in church, they'd be up on the website with the people that are truly dangerous."

That differs from previous laws regarding the Nebraska Sex Offender Registry. "Everybody got a chance to be heard on where they should be classified and whether or not they should be up on the website. Now that really has changed."

The State Attorney Generals office says they requested to move the case to the federal level because of numerous, similar cases and hope they can all be decided once, without wasting time and resources.

But Beckmann says these cases are not designed for federal court. "Because these are different questions, different plaintiffs and it involves the state law, I hope we get back down here and get to have it heard in state court."

Meantime, Beckmann says he'll fight for his clients' day in court, while state prosecutors say they'll fight to defend law designed to protect Nebraskans.