Last week California Sen. Sharon Runner wrote about the fate of SB54, which addresses those convicted of sex-offense crimes and their subsequent residency restrictions once they are released from incarceration. Runner stated her mission clearly: “The California Supreme Court decision (that ruled on a portion of Jessica’s Law as unconstitutional) creates uncertainty. County governments need a clear process to protect voter approved residency restrictions when possible and expedite relief when necessary; SB 54 provided much needed clarity.” She tried to give jurisdiction to local county courts that would allow for…
Read MoreDay: August 8, 2015
MN: How one case — and geography — dramatically affected commitments to the Minnesota Sex Offender Program
On Thanksgiving eve 2003, Dru Sjodin disappeared from the Columbia Mall parking lot in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Early evidence didn’t look promising. Investigators found the 22-year-old’s car in a parking lot with a knife sheath beside it. A few days after the disappearance, police found one of her shoes across the Red Lake River in Crookston, Minnesota, under a bypass. Sjodin’s family wasn’t giving up, but by the end of the year, police knew they were most likely looking for a body. Full Article
Read MoreNM: Widow seeks damages in eldery inmate’s ‘brutal’ killing
A Santa Fe woman is suing the federal government over the beating death of her 72-year-old husband in a California prison after he was convicted on child pornography charges. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Albuquerque, says prison officials are to blame for putting retired Wall Street attorney ____ _ ____ in a communal cell at the Victorville, Calif., prison with another inmate whom they knew was a danger to him. Full Article
Read MoreKY: No place to live, sex offenders kept in prison
____ ____ ____ served out every bit of his eight-year sentence for sexual abuse and should have been released from prison more than a year ago. But he is still behind bars and could be for up to four more years, with state taxpayers footing the bill for his medical expenses and incarceration. The reason: He was charged with violating the terms of his conditional release from prison before he even got out, because he couldn’t find a legal place to live as a sex offender. Full Article
Read MoreFL: New security system will keep sex offenders out of Palm Beach County schools
WEST PALM BEACH (CBS12) – School will soon be back in session in Palm Beach County, and this year, new technology is offering an added layer of security. Ashley Frost is a parent and a teacher in Greenacres and says “I feel responsible to keep them safe so having one more security system in place can’t hurt.” Full Article
Read More