Recently the New Yorker published a major article about juvenile “sex offenders.” The story, by staff writer Sarah Stillman, is far ranging, moving and important. Stillman writes about many young people who were caught doing anything from playing doctor to sexually coercing another person (usually another child). Convicted for sex crimes, some of these youth are incarcerated and subject to lifelong sex offender registration—a kind of social death sentence. Full Opinion Piece
Read MoreYear: 2016
WA: Supreme Court – Records of low-level sex offenders are public
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Washington’s Supreme Court says information about low-level sex offenders can be released under the state Public Records Act. The 7-1 decision Thursday overturns a King County Superior Court holding that found the records were not subject to disclosure. The ruling came in a case involving Donna Zink, a Franklin County woman who requested a copy of the Washington State Patrol’s sex-offender database. Full Article Opinion
Read MoreFL: Concerning the Registrants at the Tracks
As mentioned in a prior post; the ACLU filed it’s Appellate Brief on behalf of FAC and the 200+ registered citizens living alongside the railroad tracks at the corner of 79th Street and NW 36th Avenue in Miami. Derek Logue of OnceFallen.com, who had traveled to Florida last week and visited the encampment initiated a post to which FAC replied. Since our reply contained a lot of information and could possibly be an action item for anyone (or group of people) who want to help these people, we’ve re-posted the…
Read MoreLiving with 290: Without an answer
I know that I posted this earlier in the general comments. Someone suggested that it should have gone under, living with 290. So for those of you who have already read this, I’m sorry. I have tried to edit this and make some changes. But I have done all of this on my phone, so I ask that you excuse me. I really don’t know how to tell this story, so I will simply start from the beginning. You will have to forgive me for my grammar is essentially non…
Read MoreIL: ACLU, EFF ask state supreme to strike down limits on free speech in cumbersome sex offender laws
CHICAGO – The ACLU of Illinois, joined by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, today asked the state supreme court to strike down the “incredibly broad scope” of limitations contained in the state’s sex offender registry laws. The amicus brief was filed in the case of ____ ____, a young man from downstate Normal who served a 12-month probation for a misdemeanor offense, which he completed. Though years have passed, Mr. ____ still is forced to navigate a series of onerous and cumbersome requirements under the State’s Sex Offender Registration Act (SORA). Full Article
Read MoreAL: Pastor wins round in freedom of religion lawsuit
A Chilton County pastor has won a round in his federal lawsuit challenging a state law that ended his residential ministry for sex offenders. U.S. District Judge Keith Watkins on Wednesday denied the state’s requests to dismiss the claims by Ricky Martin, who sued in 2014. Full Article
Read MoreEmotional Support Group to Meet on April 15 [cancelled]
UPDATE: This meeting has been cancelled. Please check this web site for new date. The Emotional Support Group will meet at a different time and at a difference place in April. The meeting, which supports both registrants and their loved ones, will be held on Friday, April 15, beginning at 7 p.m. The new meeting place is 2001 Barrington Avenue, Suite 211, Los Angeles 90025. CA RSOL board member Alex Gittinger will lead the meeting as he has all prior Emotional Support Group meetings. The Emotional Support Group meetings began…
Read MoreAZ: Ducey signs bill ending some sex offender registration
PHOENIX – Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey has signed legislation allowing some offenders convicted of sexual conduct with a minor to ask a judge to end their need to register as a sex offender. Ducey signed House Bill 2539 by Republican Rep. Rusty Bowers on Tuesday. The legislation only applies to people convicted for an offense committed when they were 21 or younger, where the victim was between 15 and 17 years old and the sex was consensual. Full Article
Read MoreChallenge to “Scarlet Letter” travel law moves forward
Last week a federal judge heard the first arguments in a lawsuit challenging certain provisions of the recently-enacted International Megan’s Law (IML),* including one mandating that the passport of any American required to register for a sex offense involving a minor be marked in “a conspicuous location” with a “unique identifier” of their sex offender status. Other challenged provisions of the law authorize the Departments of Homeland Security and Justice to notify destination nations of forthcoming visits from those individuals. On Wednesday the court heard a motion for a preliminary…
Read MoreCO: New teen sexting crime falls short in Colorado House
DENVER – A proposal to ratchet back criminal penalties for teens exchanging nude images of themselves has failed in the state Legislature. Democrats voted against the bill in a House committee Tuesday, and it failed by a single vote. Opponents worried that making the crime less serious would mean that some teen couples swapping consensual nude photos could be charged with the less serious crime. Full Article Related Why These Proposed Sexting Laws for Teens Are Totally Missing the Point
Read MoreHow a federal spy case turned into a child pornography prosecution
RIVERSIDE, Calif. — FBI agents entered ____ ____’s home in Southern California while he and his wife were visiting her relatives in Shanghai. Agents wearing gloves went through boxes, snapped pictures of documents and made copies of three computer hard drives before leaving as quietly as they had entered. Full Article
Read MoreTrinidad establishes sex offender’s registry
Trinidad and Tobago has established a registry for sex offenders, but National Security Minister Edmund Dillon said it would only be available to the police. Full Article
Read MoreMN: Vindictive Sex Offender Policies Do Little Good
In Minnesota lawmakers are considering a bill which would expand restrictions on where people listed as sex offenders can live, and allow local communities to add even more restrictions. According to this report, the restrictions are so severe that in some of Minnesota’s largest communities there would be essentially no place for these people to live at all. Full Opinion Piece
Read MoreTeenage Sexting Is Not Child Porn (Op-Ed)
TEENAGERS who sext are in a precarious legal position. Though in most states teenagers who are close in age can legally have consensual sex, if they create and share sexually explicit images of themselves, they are technically producing, distributing or possessing child pornography. The laws that cover this situation, passed decades ago, were meant to apply to adults who exploited children and require those convicted under them to register as sex offenders. Full Opinion Piece
Read MoreSCOTUS: No registration update required after moving out of the country (Nichols)
The Court issued two opinions on Monday morning. In Nichols v. United States, in an opinion by Justice Samuel Alito, the Court unanimously ruled that the Sex Offender Notification and Registration Act did not require Nichols, a registered sex offender, to update his registration in Kansas once he left the state. Opinion Oral Argument (Mar 1) Transcript Related SCOTUS: Justices weigh whether sex offenders should be tracked worldwide (CA RSOL) Argument preview: When a sex offender moves out of the country, does he have to tell anyone? [UPDATED] (CA RSOL) The Supreme…
Read MoreTX: On the cost-benefit analysis of enforcing sex-offender registry conditions vs. investigating violent crime
Dallas PD has shut down its monitoring unit charged with driving around to make home checks for people on the sex-offender registry, reported WFAA’s Tanya Eiserer in somewhat breathless tones. The story quickly devolved into Chief David Brown’s critics taking pot shots at him for being soft on sex offenders, or whatever. Full Article
Read MoreGeneral Comments April 2016
Comments that are not specific to a certain post should go here, for the month of April 2016. Contributions should relate to the cause and goals of this organization and please, keep it courteous and civil.
Read MoreLA: Senate agrees to ban sex offenders from door-to-door sales
Convicted sex offenders in Louisiana would be unable to work in door-to-door sales, if the state House of Representatives agrees to a measure that won unanimous support from the Senate. Full Article
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