On February 8, President Obama signed an unnecessary, cruel, and dangerous law. Passed by a unanimous Congress, International Megan’s Law requires the State Department to mark with a “unique identifier” the passport of anyone ever convicted in the United States of a sex crime against a minor. The offense could be sexting or consensual teen lovemaking. It could have happened decades ago or even have been expunged from the person’s record. Full Article Related HR 515 Article Collection
Read MoreYear: 2016
FL: Pushing sex offenders into the next back yard (Editorial)
A question for our local elected officials: Who wants to be seen as pro-sex offender? Anyone?Anyone? Here’s the latest politicized push that could accomplish little and maybe even do some harm: local governments looking to all but ban sex offenders from living in our midst. And no, this doesn’t sound like a bad idea, until you consider the actual and practical facts. Full Editorial
Read MoreConfined at Coalinga: California sex offenders face indefinite detention
____ _____ ____, 54, is a pedophile; no one disputes that, not even his lawyer. Since the 1980s, he has been convicted three times of molesting very young girls — including his 4-year-old daughter. His crimes resulted in three years in prison. He finished serving the last of those years in 2000. But that wasn’t the end of his incarceration. Under California law, there are two sets of punishments for sex offenders: one for the crimes they are known to have committed and one for the people the legal system…
Read MoreLiving with 290: Did I sneak in?
i went to cabo for 5 days in october 2015. i am a life registerant in CA from a misdemeanor charge of 288a(b)(1). i wonder if i went into the country undetected? was it because it was only a misdemeanor? i dont know but i was never stopped in mexico. on the way back into the usa at immigration i was pulled aside. waited 20-30 minutes and was free to go because they just needed to see if “everything was in order.” that was it…
Read MoreLiving with 290: Professional Licensing
I was charged with Lewd Acts with a Child Under Age 16 in 2005, the alleged events took place in 1988. After $50,000 in legal fees and facing another $30,000 to start a trial I accepted a plea bargain. 18 month and lifetime registration (the word bargain is not what I would call it) For what it’s worth, the charges were false… but the “victim” got a $5 million settlement from my insurance. I have managed to be self employed and started building a new career, but I need to…
Read MoreFL: Pahokee church opens its doors to sex offenders
PAHOKEE, Fla. – If you stop by First United Methodist Church in Pahokee, you’ll hear a united voice to the beat of 24-year old ____ ____. “I was going to be in a band,” he says. Inside this sanctuary, he’s a member of this congregation. Outside of it, in the eyes of the law, he’s a convicted sex offender. “I can’t live next to a park, playground, school, daycare, anywhere children congregate,” ____ says. Full Article
Read MoreCA RSOL to Conduct Monthly Meeting on March 12 in San Diego
California RSOL will conduct a monthly meeting of registrants, family members and supporters in San Diego on March 12. The meeting will begin at 10 a.m. and be held at California Western Law School, 225 Cedar Street, in downtown San Diego. Janice Bellucci will lead the meeting and discuss the ongoing legal challenge to the International Megan’s Law which requires the addition of a “unique identifier” to the passports of some registrants and notifications to be sent to foreign countries when more registrants plan to travel internationally. Other topics to…
Read MoreEmotional Support Group to Meet on March 5 in L.A.
The Emotional Support Group will meet on Saturday, March 5, starting at 10 a.m. in Los Angeles. The meeting will be held at the ACLU building, 1313 W. 8th Street, and free underground parking is available. Registrants and family members are welcome to participate in this meeting. There is no cost to attend this meeting.
Read MoreMotion Filed to Stop Implementation of International Megan’s Law [updated with Motion for Preliminary Injunction]
A Motion for Preliminary Injunction was filed on February 19 asking the U.S. District Court to stop implementation of International Megan’s Law (formerly HR 515 and now Public Law 114-119). If granted, the motion would temporarily prohibit the federal government from both adding a conspicuous, unique identifier to the passports of registrants and notifying foreign countries of registrants’ plans to travel internationally. Six declarations were Included with the Motion, including declarations from the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers (ATSA), Dr. Tom Tobin of Sharper Future and criminal defense…
Read MoreOtay Mesa border crossing uses facial scanners for screening departing foreigners
High-tech equipment capable of scanning faces and reading irises for the first time is being used at a U.S. land border to verify the identities of foreigners leaving the country. U.S. Customs and Border Protection inspectors are now screening pedestrians crossing into Mexico at Otay Mesa. “We want to know when a person comes into the country, and we want to know when they leave,” said Charmaine Rodriguez, assistant port director at Otay Mesa. Full Article
Read MoreNY: Sex Offender Can Press Case Against NIMBYs
BROOKLYN (CN) – A convicted sex offender can continue his federal civil rights case against a Long Island-based advocacy group he says repeatedly dogged him at his home in a campaign to rid the county of sex offenders, a federal judge ruled. The plaintiff, identified only as “John Jones,” sued the group Parents for Megan’s Law in federal court in Central Islip in January 2015, claiming it was hired by Suffolk County officials to monitor sex offenders and run them out of town in violation of their Constitutional rights. Full…
Read MoreI Married a Sex Offender
In 2001, about six months before Gretchen met her husband, David, he was charged with sexual assault. After a night of drinking, police found him and a friend drunk and half-dressed on the side of the road; she was passed out, and he fled when the cops arrived. Gretchen (names have been changed) says that initially, David thought he would be getting a DUI. In fact, he was ultimately charged with “sexual penetration by foreign object/victim unconscious” — the “foreign object” being HIS HAND1. Full Article
Read MoreLaw and Disorder: A minister, sex offender and advocate
Ten years ago videographer/photographer Max Schulte and I did a project about sex offenders in Monroe County. … While reporting, we met the Rev. David Hess, the minister at West Henrietta Baptist Church. Hess was a Level 1 sex offender — considered the least dangerous — who advocated for thoughtful laws. I did not know much of his story; he was instead a conduit to others whom we interviewed. Full Article
Read MoreWe’re Rethinking Prisons. Is It Time to Rethink Sex Offender Registries?
“Despite their failure to prevent or interrupt injury to children, registries are resilient. People want to feel safe, and policy makers are invested in delivering these feelings.” When police arrived at her house to arrest her on May 8, 2013, Tammy Bond turned to her niece and said: “Aunt Tammy did something wrong.” At age 45, she had a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old. She was convicted of aggravated criminal sexual abuse and, like 26,000 others in Illinois, required to register as a sex offender for the rest of her…
Read MoreTX: Defending Sex Offenders One City at a Time
Richard Gladden might be considered a superhero among civil rights activists if he weren’t representing one of the most despised segments of the population: sex offenders. The 55-year-old attorney has been defending them in court for more than a decade, fighting for their rights in a society hell-bent on taking them away. Full Article Texas Voices for Justice and Reason
Read MoreWI: Senate passes residence restrictions for sex offenders
The Wisconsin Senate has passed a bill creating uniform restrictions on where violent sex offenders can live. Municipalities currently use local ordinances to create zones where sex offenders can’t live. The bill would create statewide regulations barring violent sex offenders from living with 1,500 feet of any school, day care, youth center, church or public park. Full Article Related http://www.startribune.com/wisconsin-lawmaker-seeks-to-change-state-s-sex-offender-law/326659501/ https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2015/related/proposals/ab290 http://legis.wisconsin.gov/senate/lazich/Pages/pa-show.aspx?id=The+State+Should+Leave+Local+Sex+Offender+Ordinances+Alone
Read MoreCASOMB Letter Regarding Residence Restrictions (AB 201)
The following document presents a written statement provided to the Assembly Public Safety Committee regarding Assembly Bill 201, a proposed Bill which addresses local regulation of sex offender residence restrictions and exclusion zones. CASOMB Letter Regarding Residence Restrictions (AB 201)
Read MoreCollateral damage: hearth and home and dreams of Paris
In spite of strong opposition on the part of advocacy groups and from a significant number of very credible journalists and media outlets, the legislation known as International Megan’s Law passed and was signed by the President. For all who have ever been convicted of a sexually based offense, this has serious implications for any future plans regarding an overseas business trip or a far away beach vacation. Full Article or National RSOL
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