[thinkprogress.org] An overhaul of Capitol Hill’s workplace misconduct system is in jeopardy and likely won’t be attached to a government spending bill this week, diminishing the likelihood of reform before the midterm elections, according to Politico. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), who introduced the bipartisan Congressional Harassment Reform Act last December, said on Monday that House and Senate leadership “stripped” provisions from the language from the spending bill at the eleventh hour. “I am appalled that House and Senate leadership removed provisions from the omnibus bill at the last minute that…
Read MoreMonth: March 2018
Operation “Southern Impact II” – what the numbers don’t tell
[floridaactioncommittee.org] Parents nationwide have been fed misleading headlines touting the results of operation “Southern Impact II” which purportedly “nabbed 76 child-sex predators” and in which “13 children were rescued or identified as victims”. Without more, those are some scary numbers and what appears to be a very successful “operation”, but if you dig below the surface, it’s not so successful after all… For example; the phrase, “rescued or identified as victims”. Which is is? Were they rescued or did they merely “identify” them as victims? That makes a big difference.…
Read MoreSome are just ‘the Wrong Sort of Victims’
[thewarrzone.blogspot.co.uk] Recently, I’ve been reflecting on the whole issue of ‘victimhood’ and one thing is clear – there are different types of victims. While there are some who attract widespread popular support, both from agents of the state and from the public at large – particularly those adults who claim to have been abused in childhood – there are others who are deemed merely worthy of being swatted away, like irritating flies or gnats. It seems to me that victims of false allegations are usually slotted into this latter category.…
Read MoreMI: Felony charges dropped against Clinton Township sex offender in Ferndale
[macombdaily.com] Felony charges have been dismissed in Ferndale against a convicted sex offender accused of failing to give his correct address and vehicle information under the state’s Sex Offender Registration law. Joshua Owens, 26, of Clinton Township was arraigned on the two felonies in Ferndale 43rd District Court earlier this month. Owens was convicted in Macomb County Circuit Court in 2006 when he was a minor for third-degree criminal sexual penetration with a person under 16, and second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a person under 13. His attorney, Steve Lynch,…
Read MoreTX: Texas’ anti-gay sex-ed laws hurt kids
[dailytexanonline.com] Texas Health and Safety Code Section 163.002 lays out the guidelines regarding the instructional elements related to sexual education and STDs in public schools within the state. Hidden under points regarding an emphasis on abstinence-based sex ed is a restriction profoundly damaging to LGBTQ kids throughout the state of Texas. Specifically, this law states that sex ed instruction should include an emphasis “ … that homosexuality is not a lifestyle acceptable to the general public and that homosexual conduct is a criminal offense.” Read more
Read MoreCA: Root and Rebound Free Legal Clinics
[rootandrebound.org] Part of Root & Rebound’s mission is to conduct free legal clinics in California for those in the process of reentry to society. For a list of legal clinics and other services, view the Public Education Team Newsletter: Go to http://www.rootandrebound.org/community-trainings Click on the long “Click here” button. Click on “Join our mailing list” at the top of that list. The emails contain recent additions (see below) that have not yet been added to the newsletter. Below are recently-added upcoming legal services clinics in Santa Rosa, Fresno, and Contra…
Read MoreWV: State Supreme Court Rules Probation Internet Restrictions Violate First Amendment
[UPDATED LINKS 3/20/18] [floridaactioncommittee.org] The West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals has ruled that completely restricting a person’s access to the internet as a condition of their parole from prison is a violation of the First Amendment. “Like the statute in Packingham, Mr. Ross’s condition of parole ‘bars access to…sources for knowing current events, checking ads for employment, speaking and listening in the modern public square, and otherwise exploring the vast realms of human thought and knowledge,’” the decision states. Read more RELATED LINKS: Supreme Court says restricting internet access…
Read MoreNY: Gov. Cuomo’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Plan to Protect Your Kids
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo recently unveiled a legislative proposal packaged as part of a budget amendment to expand already onerous residency and presence restrictions for some sex offenders in New York. Full Article
Read MoreMA: The New Sex Ed: What Young People Need to Know About Sex Laws
[Keren Goldenberg at kgdefenselaw.com] Like everyone else living in New England, I could not avoid the exhaustive media coverage of the St. Paul School rape trial. From a legal perspective, there was nothing sensational about this case: a 15 year old student claimed that she had been forcibly raped by a senior at her school. The senior claimed that they fooled around but never had sex and the jury ultimately ruled that statutory rape (but not forcible rape) had been committed. The media frenzy was due to the fact that…
Read MoreTX: Registered sex offenders targets of latest phone scam
[ktsm.com] EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office says a telephone scam is targeting registered sex offenders in the county, trying to scam them out of money According to EPCSO, registered people around the county have gotten calls from someone identifying themselves as employees of the Sheriff’s Office. The scammers tell the registered sex offender that they are non-compliant with their registration and have warrants which will result in their arrest if they don’t pay a specific fine. The victim is then told to buy Money…
Read MoreCA: California Lawmaker Banned From Hugging After Investigation
[usnews.com] SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A California state senator has been told to stop hugging people after an investigation concluded that his trademark embraces made multiple female colleagues uncomfortable. However, the investigation released Thursday found Sen. Bob Hertzberg’s frequent hugs are not intended to be sexual and more often than not are not unwelcome. Hertzberg, a Democrat from the Los Angeles area, has earned nicknames such as “Hugsberg” and “Huggy Bear” for greeting men and women alike with giant hugs. The Senate Rules Committee formally reprimanded him on Tuesday and…
Read MoreNY: State police: Sex offender’s death accidental at Central New York Psychiatric Center
[lohud.com] State police have ruled that a sex offender’s death inside Central New York Psychiatric Center in Marcy was accidental. Investigators determined Philip Barbato, 47, accidentally hanged himself with string while alone inside a shower room, Trooper Jack Kelly said. Barbato had been locked up under the state’s Sex Offender Treatment Program, part of the civil-commitment law that allows for confining sex offenders who completed their criminal sentence, according to Kelly. Nursing staff tried to resuscitate Barbato and an ambulance responded Monday at 3:05 a.m. He was pronounced dead at…
Read MoreNew book dispels myths about sex offenders
[UPDATED LINKS 4/19/18] [salemweeklynews.com] Even amid the national outcry about sex abuse and sexual harassment, very little is known about sex offenders or the treatments that best help them. Arguably the least understood population of the criminal justice system, sex offenders are subject to some of the country’s most punitive sentencing laws and their incarceration, life after prison and rehabilitation efforts are often misguided. Two Salem people with decades of experience with offenders in professional and prison settings have written a riveting new book , SO, The New Scarlett Letters…
Read MoreNJ: Opposition to Blanket Community Notification in New Jersey
[sexlawandpolicy.org] Today, SLAP Center delivered a letter to Assemblywoman Amy Handlin and Senator Christopher Bateman outlining our opposition to their proposal to allow for community notification of New Jersey’s Tier 1 registrants. New Jersey has three tiers of registrants, with only Tiers 2 and 3 currently available to the public. Tier 1 registrants are assessed as having little to no risk of re-offense and are not included on the publicly accessible registry, as such; the public is not notified of their registration information. Tier 1 registrants include people who were…
Read MoreYou’ve Got A Friend, But It’s Not U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions!
[blog.womenagainstregistry.org] U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions spoke at a conference for the International Association of Chiefs of Police in Nashville, TN on Thursday, his focus, increasing the prison population! You would think that government would be more interested in decreasing prison population, wouldn’t you? The federal prison population has decreased from 220,000 to 180,000 over the past few years. To me, that would seem like a good thing, we’re getting a handle on crime and fairer sentencing. What part of that doesn’t Mr. Sessions get? He wants to pursue “longer”…
Read MoreNJ: How the new ‘child erotica’ law might help stop sex predators
[nj.com] A new law that further defines child pornography and more heavily prosecutes those who distribute and possess it went into effect recently, and law enforcers are hoping it’ll help keep offenders behind bars. The legislation effectively closes a gap where possessors of “child erotica” — photos or videos of children who are being portrayed sexually or exploited — but aren’t necessarily nude, wasn’t considered child pornography. They are now. The law was signed by Gov. Chris Christie in July 2017 and went into effect Feb. 1. Officials say it’ll…
Read MoreACSOL CA Action CANCELLATION Alert for May 8 LA Court Murder Hearing
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…
Read MoreCA: Vidak authors measure to prevent sex offenders from secretly moving in next door to schools, parks and child care centers
State Senator Andy Vidak (R-Hanford) today announced he is amending his Senate Bill 1143 to prevent sex offenders from secretly moving in next door to schools, parks, and child care centers. Click here (pdf) to view the bill’s amended language. … “Given the Court’s and Brown administration’s reluctance to keep sex offenders from living near children, we looked into other possible solutions,” said Vidak. “Our SB 1143 will force these sex offenders to at least, before they attempt to buy or rent near a school, park or child care center, notify the…
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