12-15-2011 California: Laguna Hills City Councilman Joel Lautenschleger, who’d previously appeared on the fence about a ban on sex offenders in local parks, joined his council colleagues in unanimously approving the second reading of such an ordinance Tuesday night. The ban, which is modeled after the county’s, goes into effect in 30 days. The city ordinance creates a “Child Safety Zone” that prevents registered sex offenders from gathering in city parks unless they first receive permission from the sheriff’s department, which patrols Laguna Hills. The law also mandates signs in…
Read MoreYear: 2011
REGISTERED CITIZEN BRUTALLY SLAIN IN ORANGE COUNTY
Editor’s Note: Bobby Ray Rainwater, a registered citizen, was brutally murdered on December 1 in the mobile home park in which he resided. According to the article below, police do not yet know the motive for the murder. Is this another case of vigilante violence? Slaying Victim ‘Nearly Decapitated’ Arraignment postponed for accused killer. Meanwhile, new details emerge in last week’s mobile-home park killing. ByPenny Arévalo December 5, 2011 The knife-wielding neighbor accused of killing Bobby Ray Rainwater won’t enter a plea until Jan. 6. At the request of Robert…
Read MoreCA RSOL MAKES FIRST PUBLIC APPEARANCE
Editor’s Note: California RSOL made its first public appearance in opposition to a city ordinance that would prohibit the state’s 92,000 registrants from entering city parks. At least 10 people came to support California RSOL in its appearance and five members of the organization spoke in opposition to the proposed ordinance. While the outcome was not favorable, it is an important first step toward educating the public regarding the truth regarding low recidivism rates of registered citizens, the myth of “stranger danger” and the low probability of a sexual assault…
Read More6-YEAR-OLD CHARGED WITH SEXUAL ASSAULT
Editor’s Note: A petition has begun to protest the charging of a 6-year-old boy with first degree sexual assault. Information regarding this matter can be found in the article below. Please read the article and consider signing the online petition at http://www.thepetitionsite.com/46/investigate-grant-county-wisconsin-da-lisa-riniker Target:Wisconsin State Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen Sponsored by:Concerned Citizens Do your part to prevent the victimization of “D”; a 6 year-old Grant County, Wisconsin boy who is being charged with first-degree sexual assault for the crime of playing “doctor” with a 5 year-old playmate. The following is…
Read MoreHIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WARNED ABOUT DANGERS OF BECOM
Editor’s Note: The article below appeared in the newspaper of Port Angeles High School in Washington state. It is a good statement of the dangers facing teenagers who do “normal” teenage things and end up as “sex offenders”. Should you be a Registered Sex Offender? Tuesday, November 29, 2011 By Autumn Ruddick Not all PAHS High School students have heard of students using their cellular devices to send inappropriate images to one another. Most students would never think of using their cell phone to send nude pictures of themselves to…
Read MoreCA RSOL RETURNS TO L.A. – DEC 3
California RSOL will hold its second meeting in Los Angeles on December 3. The meeting will begin at 10 a.m. and be held at the ACLU building, 1313 W. 8th Street, Los Angeles. The meeting is open to all registered persons, family members, and friends. The meeting will include presentations by attorneys, pscyhologists, and registrants on a variety of topics including residency restrictions, errors and omissions on profiles included on the Meagan’s website, and the need for a tiered registry. Additional information about the meeting is available by calling the…
Read MoreFILE FOR REFLIEF FROM RESIDENCY RESTRICTIONS
Friday, November 18, 2011 Habeas Corpus Forms for CA’s RSOs Residential Restrictions http://www.prisonlaw.com/pdfs/ModelHabeasFull,Dec10.pdf Above is a link to The Prison Law Office’s forms to file a Habeas Corpus Petition asking local CA courts to stay CA’s RSOs on Parole.
Read MoreSTUDY RECOMMENDS TREATMENT NOT JAIL FOR RSO’S
Sunday, Nov 13, 2011 9:00 AM 18:10:39 PST Child abuse: We’re making the problem worse Experts say America’s approach to sex offenders only increases the likelihood that they will re-offend By Tracy Clark-Flory The alleged Penn State sex abuse scandal may provide a powerful lesson about institutional corruption — but it’s also a good time for some self-examination. The general consensus among experts who treat sex offenders is that America has taken the wrong approach to dealing with child molesters. In fact, some say that we’re only making the problem…
Read MorePENN STATE CASE: WHY ASSAULTS NOT REPORTED
Editor’s Note: The following article regarding recent events at Penn State is from Salon magzine and focused upon the important question of why the abuse was not reported when it occurred. The most telling statement is “The more we make sex offenders into monsters, the less likely we are able to see behaviors in people we love that give us concern.” This may explain why more than 90 percent of those who sexually assault children are family members or close friends of the family. Saturday, Nov 12, 2011 12:00 PM…
Read MoreSAN FRANCISCO MEETING CONTINUES MOMENTUM
The civil rights movement for registered citizens in California took another important step forward on November 12 when more than 55 people, including registrants and family members, participated in the first CA RSOL meeting in San Francisco. The meeting focused upon topics such as ending the state’s lifetime registry and replacing it with a tiered registry, requesting corrections of an individual’s profile on the Megan’s Law website and residency restrictions. There was an animated two-way exchange of information at the meeting during which registrants described challenges they are facing including…
Read MoreHUFFINGTON POST: REGISTRANTS NEED HOMES, JOBS AND
Editor’s Note: This is a well researched article that compares recidivism rates for many crimes and finds recidivism rates for those conivcted of sex related crimes to be extremely low. The author correctly notes that registrants need housing, jobs and healthcare. With the addition of those three basic factors to their lives, registrants could once again become productive citizens. Sex Offenders: Recidivism, Re-Entry Policy and Facts by Paul Heroux of the Huffington Post 11-11-11 Sexual predation is back in the national spotlight since Jerry Sandusky, the former Penn State defense…
Read MoreLIFE SENTENCE FOR POSSESSION OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
Editor’s Note: A court in the state of Florida, known for its lack of common sense and compassion, has hit a new low mark. This time, a Florida judge sentenced a man with no prior criminal record to a life sentence for possession of child pornography. Florida courts in the past haver reserved lifetime sentences for those who murder their victims, not those who view photos of them. Federal guidelines for this offense could have resulted in a prison sentence of less than 6 years. The article below is from…
Read MoreSAN FRANCISCO MEETING – NOVEMBER 12
California RSOL will meet in San Francisco on Saturday, November 12, to discuss issues of concern to RSO’s, family members, and friends. The meeting will be held at Unity Church, 2222 Bush Street, San Francisco and begin at 10 a.m. The meeting is free and will include presentations by attorneys, psychologists, and researchers. There is no need to register for the event, but additional information is available by contacting state organizer Janice Bellucci either via E-mail at jmbellucci@aol.com or via phone at (805) 896-7854.
Read MoreHALLOWEEN NOT FOR REGISTRANTS
The County of Riverside unanimously passed an ordinance on October 18 that prohibits anyone listed on the registry from celebrating Halloween in their own home! This is a violation of registrants’ constitutional rights, including but not limited to, the First Amendment. Riverside County specifically prohibits registrants from (1) decorating the dwelling in which he/she lives, (2) leaving on any exterior decorative and ornamental lighting and (3) answering the door to children who are trick-or-treating. Riverside County passed this ordinance under an emergency provision which allows the ordinance to take effect…
Read MoreCA RSOL OPPOSES HALLOWEEN ORDINANCE
Editor’s Note: This is a copy of a press release issued to the media by CA RSOL on October 25: Riverside County’s Halloween Ordinance Violates U.S. Constitution The ordinance recently adopted by Riverside County which prohibits “sex offenders” from celebrating Halloween in their own homes violates the U.S. Constitution. Specifically, the ordinance abridges the First Amendment right to free speech of anyone convicted of a sex-related crime (“sex offenders”) by prohibiting them from decorating their homes inside or outside in celebration of Halloween as well as displaying decorative lighting and…
Read MoreTESTIMONIAL: Registrant speaks out
Editor’s Note: At the request of the registrant, his name is being withheld, however, he granted CA RSOL permission to share the following letter which he wrote after the October 1 meeting in Los Angeles. Last week I attended a meeting of a group of lawyers, educators and other advocates committed to reforming the sex offender laws in California and other states. These laws deprive registrants of Megan’s Law and similar laws of their constitutional rights for the remainder of their lives. Attending this meeting were also a number of…
Read MoreNY Says “No” to Adam Walsh Act
Editor’s Note: The Adam Walsh Act would place additional restrictions on anyone convicted of a sex-related crime. Although passed by the U.S. Congress and signed into law in 2006, only seven states (Ohio, Delaware, Florida, South Dakota, Michigan, Nevada and Wyoming) agreed to fully comply with that Act. The state of Ohio subsequently declared the Act to be unconstitutional. California does not comply with this Act. October 7, 2011 New York Opts Out of Compliance With Adam Walsh Act John Caher New York Law Journal The Cuomo administration has opted…
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