Dear Gay

Ryan is the hardest part of my story to explain. We have never met, nor will we, and yet he radically changed the course of my life. The path that I’ve walked since law school was not one that I intended. I did not go to law school advocate for sex offenders. I went to hide. I went for lack of better ideas. I went because it interested me. I went because, while I was fortunate to have parents who put up money to retain counsel, I saw many who did…

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The Criminal History of Federal Offenders

[ussc.gov 5/17/18] (Published May 17, 2018) The publication The Criminal History of Federal Offenders provides for the first time complete information on the number of convictions and types of offenses in the criminal histories of federal offenders sentenced in a fiscal year. While the Commission has collected the criminal history points and Criminal History Category (CHC) as determined under the guidelines, it has not collected complete information on the number of convictions or the types of offenses in the criminal histories of federal offenders until now. The Commission is now…

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WA: Probationer Wins Washington Supreme Court Case on Pornography

[floridaactioncommittee.org 5/17/18] A convicted sex offender in Washington challenged a provision of his probation that prevented him from “possessing or accessing pornographic materials” and won! The definition of “pornographic materials”, he argued, is unconstitutionally vague. It could mean watching the film Titanic, or having a Victoria’s Secret catalogue. The Court agreed, finding, “the statute must “give the person of ordinary intelligence a reasonable opportunity to know what [behavior] is prohibited.” Grayned, 408 U.S. at 108. Second, the law must provide explicit standards to those charged with enforcing the law in…

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FL: Ron Books Lobbying Firm Rakes in the Cash from Private Prison Companies

[floridaactioncommittee.org 5/17/18] Florida’s lobby firms filed their first quarter results this week and the three-person firm of Ronald L. Book, P.A. came in as one of the highest paid lobbying firms in the State, behind much larger firms Ballard and 200-person firm, Southern Strategy Group. According to the firm’s first quarter report, filed Tuesday, Ron Book’s firm took in $3.4Million for lobbying legislators during the period of January 01, 2018 – March 31, 2018, (source: https://floridalobbyist.gov) Among his top clients… private, for-profit, prison companies GEO Group and Correct Care Solutions,…

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Use copyright law to battle mugshot extortion

[abajournal.com 3/27/18] After her DUI charge was dropped, Julie Cantu thought her nightmare was over. Then, she went on a date. Over dinner, Cantu’s would-be-suitor was asking questions anyone asks on a first date. Then he asked about her criminal record. Caught off-guard by the question, she thought about the dropped charge. Her blood alcohol had been 0.021, well below the legal limit of 0.08, and she had no other contact with the law. How did her date know? After getting home, the Florida resident and retired nurse went online…

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FL: New Encampment, “Bookville V”, already has 75 “residents”

[floridaactioncommittee.org 5/16/18] As Legal Services of Greater Miami attorney Jeffrey Hearne cautioned the Judge and the media less than one week ago; unless something is done (about the 2500 foot exclusion zone) new encampments will pop up and “the cycle will continue.” It took less than a week after hundreds of registrants were evicted from a warehouse district along the railroad tracks near Hialeah for a new encampment to emerge; “Bookville V”, is named after lobbyist Ron Book, the man who not only created the laws that force sex offenders…

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CA: Posting mugshots on internet draws criminal charges from California attorney general

[sacbee.com 5/16/18] California Attorney General Xavier Becerra on Thursday filed extortion and money laundering charges against the owners of a website that publishes mugshot photos and charges a fee to remove them. His office is targeting Mugshots.com, which pulls photos and identifying information about criminal suspects from law enforcement departments around the country. The site charges a “de-publishing fee” to remove someone from its archives, according to Becerra’s office. Becerra said it has frustrated people who were accused of crimes they did not commit. “This pay-for-removal scheme attempts to profit…

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After-School Baby-Sitter Requirements: “Must Have FBI Background Check”

[letgrow.org 5/14/18] What does it take to qualify as a babysitter these days? Dear Let Grow: My 15 year-old daughter joined an online babysitter’s group to get more summer work gigs. It has been an eye opening experience as to parental expectations. She has multiple family references, straight A’s, and is WONDERFUL with children, especially keeping the kids active. She also cooks and does chores during naps, like laundry and cleaning. I will NOT be paying for an FBI background check. Whatever happened to “Must love kids”? Here is one…

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PA: Sex offender: ‘I am not a monster’

[abc27.com 5/15/18] HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) – A man we will call “Tony” first sat down with ABC27 News in November to talk about what it’s like being a registered sex offender. “There were many times I tried to commit suicide,” Tony said. “I am not a monster like people portray.” The former combat medic and EMT says being on the registry for his child pornography conviction only prevents him, and others like him, from moving on with life and becoming productive citizens. “When I first got on [the list], I…

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KS: Gov. Jeff Colyer signs bill to compensate wrongfully convicted in Kansas

[hutchnews.com 5/15/18] KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Gov. Jeff Colyer stood on Tuesday in the modest sanctuary of Mount Zion Church of God in Christ to belatedly draw the hands of justice closer to Lamonte McIntyre, Richard Jones, Floyd Bledsoe and any other Kansan wrongfully convicted of a crime. Bledsoe, of Burrton, along with the other men spent a minimum of 16 years in institutions operated by the Kansas Department of Corrections for serious offenses they didn’t commit. Each was part of a coordinated effort to build bipartisan support in the…

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Response to the Recent Time Magazine Article, ‘Bad Men’

[UPDATED LINKS 5/16/18] sosen.org 5/15/18] This was written by Vicki Henry of W.A.R. I thought it was a good reply to Time magazines one-sided journalism ,So I ask if could pass it on. This was in response to the recent Time magazine article that just scares people even more. This is a great response to anyone who thinks the registry is a good idea. Ms. Dockterman and Editor, I know the title ‘Bad Men’ was a media ploy to garner readership and invoke fear amongst the readers. I get that,…

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A Silenced Minority

[dsdaughtry.wordpress.com 5/15/18] Educators usually say the most essential pillars of successful outcomes are a caring community of learners, enhancement of the learning objective, and reciprocal relationships and transparency to facilitate both sides of an issue. When it comes to an understanding, sexual offenses or those impacted by the registry, there is only one side because those that can contribute meaningful dialog are conveniently excluded or not allowed to voice objections or grievances. I recently watched an interview with Derek Logue of the oncefallen.com website. During that CNN interview, the host…

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The Uncivil War On Sexuality

[dsdaughtry.wordpress.com 5/14/18] The sex offender registry and draconian laws aimed at offenders has destroyed lives of individuals and families. Today a new form of offender registration has transpired. This new offender registry creates life sentences using the internet as its delivery method carefully skirting libel and slander policies under the blanket of free speech. Naturally, this is not a registry, but social movements are utilizing social media platforms to quasi-create a public registry with no hopes of being removed or deleted, and it’s creating more harm than good. A recent…

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FL: Sex Offender Homeless Camps in Miami-Dade County

[UPDATED LINKS 5/15/18] [cbslocal.com 5/13/18] Ron Book, the chairman of the Homeless Trust joins Jim DeFede to debate the ongoing problem in Miami Dade County where sex offenders are living in homeless camps Watch the video Related links: FAC Letter to Jim DeFede and CBS [floridaactioncommittee.org 5/14/18] A Heartless Man Without A Soul [blog.womenagainstregistry.org 5/16/18]      

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OR: Let ________ live his life: Letter to the editor

[oregonlive.com 5/11/12] _______ should be given the opportunity to live his life (“Oregon State’s _______ denies molesting girl, says ‘nothing ever happened,’ ” May 7). The accusations and subsequent punishment he received is enough. This story has received national attention and there seems to be a vicious campaign by the accuser’s mother to make him pay for this transgression for the rest of his life. This is brutally unfair and begs the question, “Why does she hold onto so much hatred?” Read more  

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FL: Police Move Remaining Homeless Sex Offenders Out Of Encampment

[nbcmiami.com 5/12/18] All of the homeless sex offenders living in a make-shift encampment in northwest Miami-Dade have been moved out of the area, police say. Dozens of sex offenders and predators were residing in tents near NW 71st Street and 36th Avenue due to a Miami-Dade ordinance that required registered sex offenders to live about 2500 feet away from schools and child-care centers. The make-shift homes are within those parameters, but the Florida Department of Health determined the homes were a health hazard and unsanitary living spaces. “At night, there’s…

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MS: Some People to Be Removed From Mississippi Sex Offender List

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — About 30 people will be removed from Mississippi’s sex offender list after the state agreed that people convicted under a Louisiana law no longer have to register. However, the legal challenge continues for at least one man who’s on the registry because of convictions under Mississippi’s own statute banning consensual oral and anal sex. Full Article

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