The remains of Jacob Wetterling have been found in Minnesota. Jacob was abducted in 1989 at age 11 in a case that scared, scarred and deeply saddened people around the globe. As his mother Patty texted to the Minneapolis Star Tribune on Saturday: “Our hearts are broken. We have no words.” Full Article
Read MoreYear: 2016
General Comments September 2016
Comments that are not specific to a certain post should go here, for the month of September 2016. Contributions should relate to the cause and goals of this organization and please, keep it courteous and civil.
Read MoreAZ: Court rejects Cochise County man’s challenge of sex-offender registry
WASHINGTON – A federal court Friday upheld a Cochise County man’s conviction for failing to register as a sex offender, even though the state’s the sex-offender registry law was passed the year after his sexual misconduct conviction. A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected David Bernard Clark’s argument that applying a law that passed after his crime was an improper ex post facto application. Full Article Decision Oral Argument Related MI: Court voids state sex offender registry for imposing unconstitutionally retroactive punishment [UPDATED] The 6th…
Read MoreMO: Doniphan men accused of killing sex offender, burning his body
DONIPHAN, Mo. — Two Doniphan men were charged Tuesday night after authorities say they admitted they shot a sex offender to death and burned his body in April. Matthew Brandon Bruce, 29, and Michael G. “Mick” Harris, 59, were charged Tuesday with the first-degree murder, armed criminal action, tampering with physical evidence and abandonment of a corpse. Full Article
Read MoreNC: North Carolina Kicks Sex Offenders Out of Libraries, Parks, and Fairs
A new sex offender law took effect in North Carolina on Thursday, restricting offenders’ freedom of movement and association by barring them from libraries, recreational parks, pools, and fairs. The law is designed to replace a previous measure that a federal court ruled unconstitutional in April. It will do nothing to stop sex crimes while continuing to isolate, penalize, and ostracize fully rehabilitated offenders who are attempting to rejoin society. Full Editorial
Read MoreState Dept. restricts passports for sex offenders
The State Department is threatening to take away the passports of certain sex offenders. Federal law requires registered sex offenders to display a unique mark on their passports to notify officials in foreign governments when they travel abroad. Passports that do not contain the mark could be confiscated, the State Department said Thursday. Full Article Related https://s3.amazonaws.com/public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2016-21087.pdf Janice Bellucci comment: According to the article, the IML case was dismissed which is not true. The article links to an article from April 2016 which correctly reported that our Motion for a Preliminary…
Read MoreMI: Politics & Prejudices – How about a financial offender list?
How’s this idea: The government starts a financial offenders’ list that includes every slumlord who has ever been convicted of code violations. We add to that all the subprime mortgage scum who almost destroyed our economy. Full Editorial Related MI: Court voids state sex offender registry for imposing unconstitutionally retroactive punishment [UPDATED]
Read MoreRate of Re-Offense Drops Again
According to a new report from the CA Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), the rate of re-offense for registrants on parole declined again in 2015. This is the third consecutive reduction in the rate of re-offense reported by the CDCR. The new CDCR report states that the rate of re-offense for registrants on parole was .6 percent in 2015. That rate compares to CDCR reported rates of .8 percent in 2014, 1.8 percent in 2013 and 1.9 percent in 2012. “The CDCR reports debunk the myth that registrants have…
Read MoreTeam finds Sacramento County sex offenders living with minors
A special Sacramento County law enforcement team recently visited dozens of homes looking for sex offenders who might be in violation of their registration requirements. Full Article
Read MoreFBI’s massive porn sting puts internet privacy in crossfire
For two weeks in the spring of 2015, the FBI was one of the largest purveyors of child pornography on the internet. After arresting the North Carolina administrator of The Playpen, a “dark web” child-pornography internet bulletin board, agents seized the site’s server and moved it to an FBI warehouse in Virginia. They then initiated “Operation Pacifier,” a sting and computer-hacking operation of unparalleled scope that has thus far led to criminal charges against 186 people, including at least five in Washington state. Full Article
Read MoreJudges Are Starting to Question Overzealous Sex-Offender Laws
There’s a stark divide between lawmakers and experts when it comes to laws which restrict where registered sex offenders can live. Cities and states all around the country have enthusiastically banned offenders from living too close to schools — and introduced other, similarly oriented restrictions — on the grounds that such legislation is a common-sense way to help keep kids safe. Experts, on the other hand, have insisted that these laws at the very least don’t reduce recidivism, and could have the opposite of the intended effect, increasing the odds…
Read MorePrescott on Post-Release Regulations and Sex Offender Recidivism
Abstract: The purported purpose of sex offender post-release regulations (e.g., community notification and residency restrictions) is the reduction of sex offender recidivism. On their face, these laws seem well-designed and likely to be effective. A simple economic framework of offender behavior can be used to formalize these basic intuitions: in essence, post-release regulations either increase the probability of detection or increase the immediate cost of engaging in the prohibited activity (or both), and so should reduce the likelihood of criminal behavior. These laws aim to incapacitate people outside of prison. Yet,…
Read MoreSenate Appropriations Committee Stops AB 2569
The Senate Appropriations Committee stopped Assembly Bill (AB) 2569 which would have reduced the number of registrants who are not listed on the Megan’s Law website. The bill, which was authored by Assembly Member Melissa Melendez, was previously passed by the full Assembly. “AB 2569 was stopped by the efforts of registrants, family members and supporters who wrote letters, made phone calls and testified,” stated ACSOL President Janice Bellucci. “The halting of this bill before it could be considered on the Senate floor is a significant victory.” The initial bill…
Read MoreThe 6th Circuit Finally Said The Magic Word: Punitive
Of the many legal fictions enjoyed by judges, few have done as much damage to as many people as calling sex offender registries “regulatory.” The trick is that if it’s characterized as regulatory, then it’s not punitive. And if it’s punitive, then it opens a whole slew of constitutional rights that would render the concept unlawful. But if legislators squint and write the “r” word instead of the “p” word, and judges squint and agree, problem solved! Full Editorial
Read MoreJanice’s Journal: Sixth Circuit Speaks Truth
The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals spoke the truth this week when it declared unconstitutional the retroactive application of sex offender laws in the State of Michigan. In doing so, the Court demonstrated uncommon courage and set an example that should be followed by courts throughout the land. The laws at issue in this case are common and can be found in many states. First, they prohibited registrants from living, working or loitering within 1,000 feet of a school. Second, they required registrants to report in person updated information regarding…
Read MoreActivists asking if police will be charged in sex scandal
Activists and relatives of a teenage woman at the center of a San Francisco Bay Area police sex scandal say they want to know if any of the more than two dozen law enforcement officials implicated earlier this year will face criminal charges. The woman, who turned 19 on Thursday and says she works as a prostitute, told The Associated Press that she informed internal affairs investigators months ago that she had sex with three Oakland police officers and a Contra Costa County deputy before her 18th birthday. Full Article
Read MoreCalifornia DOJ Agrees to Correct Megan’s Law Profiles
The California Department of Justice (CA DOJ) agreed yesterday to correct more than 90 percent of individuals’ profiles on the state’s Megan’s Law website which lack the date of conviction. The agency’s agreement is the result of a lawsuit filed by CA RSOL in November 2015. “The lack of a conviction date coupled with an individual’s current photo on the Megan’s Law website profiles led many potential employers, landlords and others to assume that the offense for which individuals were convicted occurred recently,” stated ACSOL President Janice Bellucci. “There are…
Read MoreSex offenders would have to disclose email addresses and usernames under bill sent to governor
Sex offenders would be required to report their email addresses, usernames and other Internet identifiers to law enforcement under a bill California state senators sent to the governor Wednesday. Full Article SB 448
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