Making a Wisconsin sex offender wear a GPS anklet for life, when he was convicted before that was the law, does not violate the constitutional prohibition against retroactive punishment, a federal appeals court has ruled. Full Article
Read MoreMonth: January 2016
TX: Court orders 83-year-old sex offender freed
AUSTIN — In a decision that could presage other releases, a state appeals court in Beaumont on Thursday ordered an 83-year-old man be immediately freed from a controversial supervision program for sex offenders because he no longer qualifies to be in it. The order by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals was the first complete release of an offender from the program in its 16-year-history, even though one other man was freed on a provisional basis and another left the state after an appeals court overturned his commitment — before…
Read MoreJudge Gives Man 5 Days for Child Porn, Rails Against Harsh Sentences
A Brooklyn man who faced 10 years for downloading child pornography was sentenced to five days by a federal judge who sharply criticized punishment guidelines for failing to distinguish between dangerous offenders and those who pose little threat. Full Article
Read MoreCongress Reschedules HR 515 Vote for February 1 [updated with media]
The U.S. House of Representatives has rescheduled its vote on HR 515, International Megan’s Law, for Monday, February 1. As originally scheduled, the vote will be under a “suspension of the rules” and therefore debate will be limited to no more than 40 minutes and require a 2/3 vote of those present regardless of how many members are in attendance. “There is still time to send E-mails this weekend and to make phone calls on Monday,” stated CA RSOL president Janice Bellucci. “The vote on this and seven other bills…
Read MoreCA RSOL to Meet in Berkeley – February 20
California RSOL will meet in Berkeley on February 20 at the Finnish Hall, 1970 Chestnut Street. The meeting will begin at 10 a.m. and last about two hours. The meeting will feature guest speaker Nicole Pittman, an advocate for juvenile sex offenders, and is open to registrants of all ages, family members and supporters. During the meeting, discussion topics will include residency restrictions, international travel and parole/probation conditions. Attendees will also be provided an opportunity to provide input regarding challenges they are currently facing. There is limited free parking available…
Read MoreLA: HIV exposure law unjustly applies sex offender status, advocates say
As the deadline loomed for ____ to send out notices of her sex-offender status, she had two choices. She could stay at Covenant House with a roof over her head and a structured environment geared toward helping her turn her life around. But if she couldn’t find the $1,200 to pay for the notices, she could be sent to prison. Full Article
Read MoreAre We All Sex Offenders? Galen Baughman – TEDxCUNY
Galen works alongside many others in reforming the criminal justice system, but his angle might surprise you. Join him as he shares his crusade for equal justice, which has led him to the courtroom, advocacy, and beyond. https://youtu.be/pYt-3fai-PI View on youtube
Read MoreTX: Families stunned that towns repealed sex offender laws
JUSTIN, Texas — Parents in this community southwest of Denton expressed outrage and disappointment Wednesday after learning that Justin is one of a growing number of small towns that have decided to repeal their sex offender ordinances to avoid a legal battle. Full Article
Read MoreWhy Some Young Sex Offenders Are Held Indefinitely
On the afternoon of ___ ___’s 18th birthday, three parole officers showed up at his home in West New York, N.J. Sanchez was in his slippers and shorts, and when his mother asked if she could grab her son something else to wear, an officer assured her that ___ would be gone only for a little while. That was five years ago. ____ is behind bars, but he is not in a regular prison. He is considered a resident, one who is detained involuntarily and indefinitely at the Special Treatment…
Read MoreMI: Sixth Circuit Considers Internet Restrictions on Former Sex Offenders This Week
The Center for Democracy & Technology has filed an amicus brief in the Sixth Circuit case Doe v. Snyder, a case challenging unconstitutional registration requirements imposed on former sex offenders and brought by the ACLU of Michigan. CDT is joined on the brief by the First Amendment Lawyers Association and Professor David G. Post, an expert in Internet law. The court is holding oral arguments Wednesday, January 27. Full Article
Read MoreTX: Small town sex offender laws in jeopardy
DENTON COUNTY — The fight over sex offender laws has come to Denton County in a big way. And it isn’t the only place. Five small towns near Denton now face legal challenges over their local sex offender ordinances. A sixth, the town of Justin, repealed its ordinance in December. “I’m not surprised,” said Denton attorney Richard Gladden. “I think the law is clearly on our side.” Gladden recently filed a string of lawsuits across the state on behalf of the group Texas Voices for Reason and Justice. The petitions target “general law” communities with a…
Read MoreVA: Senate Approves Eliminating Employer Names from Sex Offender Registry
The Virginia Senate passed a bill 22 to 17 that would remove a requirement that businesses who employ sex offenders have their name included in the sex offender registry. Democratic Senator Janet Howell of Northern Fairfax, the bill’s patron, says the current requirement serves as a barrier to hiring those who have served their time, and making it harder for them to get on with their lives. Full Article
Read MoreSex Offender Rehab Center Moving To Former ‘Out Of The Closet’ Space
It’s been over a year since Out Of The Closet and the AIDS Healthcare Foundation moved out of the yellow building on the corner of Church and Duboce, and finally, a new tenant has emerged. Sharper Future, an outpatient clinic which helps rehabilitate individuals who have been convicted of sex crimes, will be moving into the 7,400 square foot space at the end of this month. Full Article
Read MoreJanice’s Journal: A Blizzard in the Nation’s Capitol Provides a Window of Opportunity
It took a miracle, a miracle in the form of a blizzard in Washington, D.C., to slow down Congress’ consideration of HR 515, the International Megan’s Law bill. Prior to the blizzard, the bill was on a fast track to a speedy vote under a “suspension of the rules” which would have ruled out any discussion or debate of this historic and misguided legislation. We haven’t won yet. The bill has not been stopped. But it has given us a window of opportunity to educate our Congressional representatives about the…
Read MoreThe Myth of Super Bowl Sex Trafficking Obscures Real Issues
East Bay rapper Joshua “Five Hunnet” Durham had a busy August. He forced an underage runaway girl into paid sex with him and others, according to law enforcement, keeping her addled with a drug cocktail of weed, cocaine and meth. He advertised her services on social media next to boasts about opening for hip-hop mega-couple Meek Mill and Nicki Minaj, a show that would be stopped after a pepper spray fight between fans. Sex trafficking, Durham’s alleged crime, has become a major focus of Bay Area law enforcement agencies in…
Read MoreOppose HR 515 Online Today at Change.Org
Please sign an online petition at Change.Org regarding your opposition to HR 515, International Megan’s Law. It takes less than 5 minutes and it is a way to express your opinion regarding this terrible bill. The link to the petition is below and once you sign the petition, be sure to ask others to do it, too. There are more than 800,000 registrants and each person has at least one family member or friend. With those numbers, the voices of more than 1 million people could be heard. http://www.change.org/p/u-s-house-of-representatives-vote-against-hr-515
Read MoreNV: Ruling approves stricter sex offender registration
A ruling by the Nevada Supreme Court on Friday gave the go-ahead for the state to implement stricter registration requirements for sex offenders. Justices, in a unanimous ruling, denied a petition sought by 24 unnamed, previously convicted sex offenders to block the nearly decade-old law from being implemented while a lower court considers constitutional challenges. Justices said the judicial record of facts was insufficient for the high court’s review. … Assembly Bill 579 was passed by lawmakers in 2007 to make Nevada compliant with the Adam Walsh Act, a federal…
Read MoreUK: York man is banned from having sex unless he gives police 24 hours’ notice
A YORK man has been banned from having any form of sexual activity with a woman – unless he tells police 24 hours in advance. He is also subject to controls on his use of the internet and must tell the police about every phone and device that he has that he could use for accessing the internet or calling or texting people. The restrictions are part of an interim sexual risk order and will continue until May 19, when York magistrates will decide whether to make a full order…
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