UPDATED May 1, 2018:
The May 8 press conference and filing of lawsuit has been postponed. Future date to be determined and announced.
Correspondingly, ACSOL will not be meeting as an organization at the hearing.
Original (obsolete) March 16 posting:
ACSOL members are encouraged to attend a court hearing on May 8 in Los Angeles County that will feature four men charged with the brutal murder of a registrant in late November 2017. The hearing is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. in Courtroom 4 of the Los Angeles Superior Courthouse, 825 Maple Avenue, Torrance.
“Although the man who was murdered in this case was a registrant, the District Attorney refuses to add charges to reflect that fact,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice. “Instead, the District Attorney has characterized this terrible crime merely as a home invasion.”
According to media reports, the defendants in the case went to a hardware store and purchased tools which they later used to break down the registrant’s locked apartment door. It is reported that the same tools were used to both torture and kill the registrant.
“The government has blood on its hands because they publicly listed the registrant’s name, home address and other personal information on the Megan’s Law website, which is available to the public,” stated Bellucci. “The Megan’s Law website has become a shopping list for vigilantes who harm registrants solely because they are on the registry. The public listing of registrants’ names, home addresses and other information must be stopped.”
In addition to this brutal murder, several registrants have been killed by vigilantes in both California and the nation due to information published on Megan’s List. In some of those vigilante attacks, spouses and children have also been harmed.
Absolutely the government has blood on their hands. Our f**king government is such a scam.
Wait, there must be some mistake here. I’m sure it’s all just a big misunderstanding. Our elected “officials” have clearly stated, numerous times, that the registry is not punishment, and that its requirements are no more of an issue than getting a membership at a warehouse store. We must have bad information here! I have one question: Who in LA County is leading the charge to have the DA fired/recalled, disbarred, and prosecuted?
Well stated. I completely concur Janice! This man paid his debt and obviously moved on! How many more times does this have to happen? I’ve read so many articles where a registrant is murdered, spouse murdered, children murdered and I’ve even read where a neighbor etc is mistakenly identified and hurt or murdered! This has to stop! I think this is a wonderful article and I think it’s an opportunity for the victims family to file a lawsuit against the state! If he hadn’t been listed online, this clearly wouldn’t have happened!!!!
Our california government is PURE F***** EVIL, no doubt about it, just look at jerry brown ! Making up illegal laws ! the registry… we should be able to speak on this as we are ALL at risk ! Hopefully the deceased family SUE the government, just heard in LA the police paid millions for claiming a STORY was made up about her kidnapping ! When these aholes have to start paying millions over and over they will change ! Since im not legally allowed to own a gun im thinking a good crossbow ! :)…at a minimum :L)
the california government is 100% at fault here for publishing details here of a 290, the DA in the case typical loser that doesnt want to admit it is CA’s fault, which this DA should be put on notice.
Maybe we can start our OWN news channel to get the word out there bigger than a webpage 🙂
Because many of us are convicted felons, we cannot own a gun. By posting our addresses on a public website, the government might just as well require us to post a sign in the front yard that reads, “Attention: Thieves and violent attackers! This house is a safe target for you. They have no way of defending themselves and you will have free reign to do whatever you fancy.”
Honestly, tell me how appearing in the gallery is going to help the cause or anyone individually.
1. You can’t comment on proceedings, only view.
2. If you do appear opposed to the path the D.A. is taking in the case, you open yourself up for retaliation from others present.
3. The anxiety of walking into a court room again under these conditions would deter so many of us.
Just my own opinion.
I sent a detailed email to the D.A. voicing my concerns in reading about her intentions regarding charging of defendants.
Can anyone refresh my memory if these four assailants actually stated that
a) they stated they used the registry to find this guy
b) they stated because the guy was on the registry is why they tortured him
c) they stated because the guy was on the registry is why they killed him
If all four are recorded on their confession records, then the act was not against any other type of person.
Why is it that a registrant who is killed by accident in a train or is murdered that the public at large states that person is a sex offender, present tense. But here, where justice is supposed to be blind, the DA wants to negate on record a crime against a registrant.
Janice does have some beef here because this is exactly the same thing that has happened to Frank Lindsay, IIRC, that the courts did not want to include the fact that Frank was on the registry and that was the reason for the attack. These omissions wipe clean to the fact that Registrants are being targeted.
So not only are we second class citizens, but we don’t exists as victims for being on the registry. That skews reality if it’s not being recorded correctly and affects any argument that registrants are being targeted with respect to recorded data, intent, and conviction for murdering a registrant.
We need to stand together and let the world know this is not right. We will try to be there.
I have issues with this. First, there is nothing in even the post here that says the reason they killed this guy was because he was a registrant. If that is the reason, state that, but don’t PRESUME anything.
Second, I have an issue with we, of all people, to be pushing for harsh criminal punishment! We should be calling for 40-year sentences even for child molestation to be reduce to something a LOT closer to maybe five years, not going to court demanding harsher punishment for any crime, even this one.
Also, what charges do you want added? They are charged with a capital murder, there is no enhancement in the law for killing a registrant. Is this demand just misdirected, should be taken to the legislature instead?
Still, maybe we should march OUTSIDE the courthouse to call attention to the danger of posting not he Internet, not to call for harsher punishment. That is not what is being said here. When you mob into the courtroom, the message sent is to demand harsher punishment, ;which only serves to bolster all the people demanding WE be treated more harshly, you feed the beast — and you will not get an opportunity to say anything differently. To my mind, it is kind of hypocritical to demand harsher punishment while demanding less punishment — for ourselves.
And it baffles me to see this anger at the DA here — the very DA the leaders of this group were insisting just a few months ago was our wonderful savior, telling us all to cheerlead that awful, manipulative, less-than-meets-the-eyes, fake tier proposal, which was nothing but renamed CORs doing nothing but extending to relief via COR — IF you can among to get it — to some of the people in Tier 2 (many or most of those in Tier 1 already could get relief from registration via a COR. And in fact, that tier plan EXTENDED the time for that relief from 7 to 10 years for three offenses — offenses that instead should have been taken out of 290 altogether, just mere misdemeanors, but we REFUSED to argue that, instead we cheerleaded that longer time frame.)
So, is wonderful Jackie Lacey now the devil? Which version of the story we are being told about her should we believe? I believe may version, if anything, this only proves it, which means the people here were misled on the tier proposal.
Third, yes, the state has blood on its hand for posting this guy, and all registrants, on the Internet. Well, lawyers run this group, why are we calling for harsher punishment rather than filing a major lawsuit for a huge amount of damages against the state over this — that would get a lot more news coverage than registrants at the Torrance courthouse for a trial no one even knows about and isn’t going to get much coverage if any. (A basic murder story will get a story, especially in the local newspaper, and then you might never hear anything more, no trial news, lucky if you ever hear about a sentence. Its how news media operates.)
Maybe there could be a march at the courthouse, and use that for a scheduled news conference to announce a major lawsuit. But other than that news conference of a major lawsuit, the news media isn’t going to even realize you marched, must less worry about covering it — the basic trial is not of high interest, the media isn’t going to it.
In the end, this trial is not likely to make news other than in the local paper, the South Bay Daily Breeze, which itself will not be covering the trial in person as their staff has been cut back to nearly nothing, they have no one to sit around in a trial, at most will probably not do anything more than report the sentence at the end.
Also, the lawyers here, of all people, should know that the May date is not necessarily when anything will happen, delays happen all the time, especially in a capital case. You might gather us at the courthouse that day only to have everyone show up and learn the matter has been rescheduled for a month down the line. This is not an appellate hearing, where you can be pretty sure it will really happen when scheduled.
Still, I am offended that we seem tone demanding harsher punishment for anyone.
The article makes the victim look like an terrible all over again.
These men murdered this guy!
To me they tracked him like prey from the website. Broke into his house like a prowler and a home invader and there crime of passion, theft and murder is no different than rape.
They held this man against his will, took items from him that he did not want to give up, and they murdered him because he faught back.
What is the difference from these 4 men and a sex offender, absolutely nothing!
They both committed a crime!
In this case these 4 men committed a hate crime and no one is calling it that because that would mean that they used the Sex Offender Registry as a HIT LIST!
And the comments from people, the murder victim is a human being he did not deserve to die!
We need a documented compilation of these attacks and a class action needs to be filed against the state for the death or physical harm caused by the hit list. That is the only way anybody will take notice. I understand the conversation on a site like this is important and helps those affected by the registry but all this talking does nothing. Action is called for. What is it going to take a friggin layman going pro se to save their lives or those of others?????????????? This is ridiculous, this is exactly what the civil rights communities are supposed to do. I guess our lives are less important.
I can’t believe that the DA would characterize this murder as merely as a home invasion. Personally, I’m tired of never seeing prosecutors and police held to a higher standard. In fact, DA’s and prosecutors are held to an even lower standard than citizens (and most certainly, registered citizens).
In addition to Jackie Lacey, Shawn King, a notable Twitter activist, tweeted in regards to DA Nancy O’Malley. DA O’Malley, as you may already know, is CASOMB’s leader. Not more than two weeks ago, it was reported that O’Malley received a $10,000 donation from a police union. O’Malley then refused to prosecute several officers who murdered a pregnant teenager. The officers, of course, were members of that same police union that donated $10k to O’Malley.
This is CASOMB’s leader, Nancy O’Malley:
https://twitter.com/davidminpdx/status/975758668774785025
https://twitter.com/ShaunKing/status/979048182280851456
Why are registered citizens held to even higher standards than DA’s and police? When DA’s and police make “mistakes” (i.e. murder and/or take bribes), their behavior is excused by our corrupt system. Yet as registrants, if we even enter a school to vote on election day, we are at risk for prosecution, incarceration, fines, etc.
This is a corrupt, dirty, slimy “American” system.
As far as holding people accountable there is probably no better way than showing up. Janice, Roger along with almost any civil rights group will agree, that having a body show up is much more powerful than words on a screen. Hope many will take the time to show up at the court hearing. Gwen and I have three so far signed up sharing rides from San Diego and Orange counties. We have room for a few more if driving yourself makes it too difficult.
I will make every effort to be there, in Torrance…Courtroom 4
By writing the above, it is like I am making a commitment to actually do something, to be there. As long as it is just in my head as a promise to myself, it is not real.
So, I also now will be there. (Short of something extraordinary intervening)
Best Wishes, James
Janice,
May I ask what is the purpose of this hearing? Is it a preliminary hearing or a motion hearing? A bail hearing or reconsideration of bail? I pray this is not a hearing wherein any potential jurors may be present (impaneling of the jury, voir dire, etc.).
In my experience, I believe it would be grave error for a large contingency of RC’s to be present during any hearing or trial wherein jurors may be present. In fact, it would be very problematic if any contingency of RC’s (large or small) are present on any days wherein potential jurors may be present at or near the courthouse (i.e., for purposes of voir dire, impaneling a jury, etc). I have had numerous cases as a criminal defense professional/team member (not as a lawyer or paralegal) wherein jurors have complained to the judge/bailiffs that they feel harassed, intimidated, made to feel afraid, anxious, etc. etc. due to the MERE PRESENCE of ‘supporters’ of one side or the other. Judges are VERY sensitive to the feedback of jurors and ANY suggestion that they are being made to feel unduly influenced, uncomfortable, anxious, afraid, intimidated, etc . I have witnessed the outcomes of many trials being effected due to the unintentional consequences of well-meaning and principled members of the community who, while exercising their constitutional rights to express their views, unwittingly and unknowingly cause harm to their cause.
I would suggest that we consider moving the site of any demonstration(s) of our positions in this matter (that is, the improper charging of the defendants by the District Attorney’s office, and our insistence that these defendants, if guilty, receive a sentence commensurate with the heinous nature of their crimes) from the courthouse to the DA’s offices, wherever that may be. That is where the problem truly resides, in my opinion. I believe this would be not only a more effective tactic, but a more appropriate site given the various factors previously discussed in many posts in this thread, including this post.
As a RC myself, my allegiance is to our cause and I say all this with the best of intentions, and not because I seek to take air out of our balloons or cause any of us not to actively and fully participate in any efforts to improve our conditions, and our safety. I will be more than happy to further explain my view point to anyone in the event that if I have not been clear, or if anyone would care to further discuss.