Lawsuit Challenges Sex Offender “No Candy” Halloween Signs (NBC)

An Orange County city will consider a provision in an ordinance that requires sex offenders to post signs outside their homes that indicate they do not have candy for Halloween trick-or-treaters. The Orange City Council will meet Tuesday night to discuss the ordinance, which also bans sex offenders from displaying Halloween decorations, opening their doors to children and leaving lights on Halloween night. Part of the ordinance requiring sex offenders to post signs on their front doors that read, “No candy or treats at this residence,” is the subject of…

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City of Orange’s Halloween law for sex offenders challenged in court

LA Times – A city law requiring registered sex offenders to post a sign in front of their homes on Halloween to discourage trick-or-treaters is unconstitutional and should be tossed out, a federal lawsuit alleges. Registered sex offenders in the city of Orange are legally required to post a 12-by-24 inch sign reading “no candy or treats at this residence.” Violators face a $1,000 fine or six months in jail. The lawsuit, filed Wednesday on behalf of the California Reform Sex Offender Laws group, alleges that the city violates 1st…

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RSOL Conference 2013 – Mary Sue Molnar: Introduction to Support Groups

Mary Sue Molnar of Texas Voices For Reason and Justice talks about her experience and the formula for successful support groups for ex-offenders. Phil Taylor also contributes his experience. – “Introduction to Support Groups” Recorded Friday August 30, 2013 in Los Angeles at the RSOL Annual National Conference. More RSOL Conference Workshop / Presentation Videos [hana-flv-player video=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFW_JftJK-o” width=”400″ height=”240″ description=”” player=”5″ autoload=”true” autoplay=”false” loop=”false” autorewind=”true” /] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFW_JftJK-o

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RSOL Conference 2013 – Clare Ann Ruth-Heffelbower: Restorative Justice and Sexual Offenders

Keynote Speaker Clare Ann Ruth-Heffelbower speaks on “Restorative Justice and Sexual Offenders” during the RSOL Conference in Los Angeles last August. More RSOL Conference Workshop / Presentation Videos [hana-flv-player video=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjUDF7isgbM” width=”400″ width=”240″  description=”” player=”5″ autoload=”true” autoplay=”false” loop=”false” autorewind=”true” /]

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CA RSOL Challenges Halloween Ordinance in U.S. District Court

A lawsuit was filed today in U.S. District Court challenging the Halloween ordinance adopted by the City of Orange which requires “sex offenders” to post a sign on the front door of their residence. Specifically, the lawsuit alleges that the city ordinance violates the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and places “sex offenders” as well as anyone living with a “sex offender” at risk for physical and emotional harm. “The City of Orange is the only city in California that requires registered citizens to post a sign on the…

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RSOL Conference 2013 – Catherine Carpenter: Sexual Offense Laws and Constitutionality

National RSOL Conference 2013 – Professor of Law, Catherine Carpenter of Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles talks about just how punitive and extreme sex offender laws have become over the years and the ways in which they violate US citizen’s constitutional rights. [hana-flv-player video=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qyA9TU8nE8″ width=”320″ description=”” player=”5″ autoload=”true” autoplay=”false” loop=”false” autorewind=”true” /] Youtube – RSOL Videos on Youtube

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RSOL Conference Recap

Advocates and supporters of reforming sex offender laws from throughout the nation converged on its second largest city over the Labor Day holiday weekend to participate in RSOL’s sixth national conference, “Justice for All.” From the evening of Thursday, August 29, through the late morning of Sunday, September 1, the City of Angels played host to the living angels of a cause deeply rooted in the hope for justice and constitutional freedom for more than 700,000 American citizens who populate the country’s myriad registration schemes from coast-to-coast. Organized with increased…

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CA RSOL Meetings – September 14 in LA and October 12 in Berkeley

California RSOL is pleased to announce two upcoming monthly meetings for registrants, friends and family in both regions of the Golden State. The Southern California meeting will be held on Saturday, September 14 at the ACLU building at 1313 W. 8th Street in Los Angeles (usual location). CA RSOL will hold a meeting in Northern California on Saturday, October 12, in Oakland / Berkeley.  The address is Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists, ***1606 Bonita Avenue***, Berkeley, CA 94709. *** Please note: an incorrect address was listed previously for the Berkeley meeting…

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RSOL Conference this week in Los Angeles (with program brochure)

Later this week, August 30 (29) – September 1, the National RSOL Conference will take place in Los Angeles at the Westin Hotel near LAX. This year’s conference is hosted by California RSOL. The conference will feature presentations and lectures by the foremost experts in the field and offers an unprecedented opportunity for networking with others interested in and affected by the subject. Full conference attendance is $100, with daily passes available for $50. No advance reservation / sign-up is required, register at the door. For a preview of planned…

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Prop 35 Court Date [updated with audio]

Prop. 35 case has a court date on September 10 at the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.  The topic is whether the current preliminary injunction was properly granted.  More information / documents Sept 9: Court to Hear Arguments on Right to Anonymous Speech in Prop. 35 Case  September 9 / EFF: The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco will hear oral arguments Tuesday in Doe v. Harris, EFF’s challenge to California’s Proposition 35, which requires registered sex offenders to turn over all of their Internet identifiers and service…

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National RSOL Conference: One-Day Pass Now Available

One-day passes are now available to attend the national RSOL conference to be held in L.A. starting Aug. 30. The cost of the pass is only $50 and can either be purchased online at www.nationalrsol.org or at the door. “National RSOL is providing this opportunity in order to allow maximum participation in the conference,” stated Janice Bellucci, CA RSOL president. “It is a wonderful opportunity for people who can only attend one day of the conference.” There will be a wide range of presentations by individual speakers and panels at…

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CA RSOL Letter to Ed Royce, Chairman Committee on Foreign Affairs re. H.R. 2848 (Int. Megan’s Law)

Below find a copy of a letter sent by CA RSOL’s Janice Bellucci to Ed Royce, Chairman Committee on Foreign Affaris in opposition to H.R. 2848 (Int. Megan’s Law). Feel free to use this letter as a guide to compose your own letter protesting this unconstitutional portion of the bill. Full Size Letter (pdf)

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No Justice: Sex Offenses, No Matter How Minor or Understandable, Can Ruin You for Life

The collection of laws and restrictions that regulate people categorized as “sex offenders” has been punctuated by names such as Megan, Jessica and Adam. These are the names of children, all victims of heinous crimes that sparked high-profile campaigns aimed at creating “get tough on crime” legislation. Today you can go online to your state’s Megan’s Law website, where all convicted sex offenders are required to register, and probably find clusters of red dots on the map of your neighborhood, each dot representing an individual convicted of a sex crime.…

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CA RSOL Challenges El Dorado County Ordinance

California Reform Sex Offender Laws (CA RSOL) filed a lawsuit today challenging the El Dorado County ordinance that prohibits all registrants from entering the county’s parks, schools and other areas where children congregate. The lawsuit requests that the court declare that the ordinance is unconstitutional and prohibit the county from enforcing that ordinance. “It is important to stop the El Dorado County ordinance as it prevents all California registrants from visiting most recreational areas at or near Lake Tahoe,” stated Janice Bellucci, President of CA RSOL. “The ordinance also prohibits…

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Orange County Ordinance Legal Battle Continues

The Court of Appeal will hear oral argument in the Hugo Godinez case on July 22 in Santa Ana. At issue in that case is whether the Orange County ordinance which prohibited all sex offenders from entering public places such as parks, beaches and hiking trails is preempted by the state constitution. The court’s decision is expected within 30 days. The Orange County ordinance, which was passed in April 2011, is currently not in effect due to a decision by a three-judge panel of the Orange County Superior Court. If…

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CA RSOL supports AB 218

CA RSOL strongly supports the passing of AB 218 in the California Legislature. This bill would remove questions about criminal convictions from public job applications, postponing them until later in the hiring process.  Through your support of AB 218, the State of California can begin to unlock employment opportunities for thousands of residents and help them obtain the second chance they deserve, thereby,significantly improving public safety and reducing the current recidivism rate. AB 218 was approved by the Assembly on May 30, 2013, and is now under consideration in the…

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[UPDATED] California RSOL Meeting July 27 – Los Angeles

California RSOL will discuss the California Supreme Court decision of Doe v. Harris — its meaning and its impact — in the organization’s monthly Los Angeles meeting on July 27. The meeting will be held at the ACLU building at 1313 W. 8th Street and start at 10 a.m. The meeting will also include updated information regarding the exciting National RSOL Conference to be held in Los Angeles starting August 29. The conference will include experts and dynamic speakers including Alex Landon, criminal defense attorney and author of “A Parallel…

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Early Bird Registration now open for RSOL Conference in Los Angeles

California RSOL will be hosting this year’s RSOL Conference, from August 29 to September 1. The Conference will take place in Los Angeles, near LAX, and will provide an opportunity to interact and network with researchers, mental health professionals, criminal justice practitioners and advocates interested in reforming current law, policy, and treatment of former sexual offenders. We are certain that all will benefit from this opportunity to share, learn, and strategize with others from around the country. Early Bird registration is now open, until July 30, with significant savings for early…

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