Comments that are not specific to a certain post should go here, for the month of November 2019. Contributions should relate to the cause and goals of this organization and please, keep it courteous and civil. This section is not intended for posting links to news articles without additional relevant comment.
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It cost $1.5 million for a chance to win a case in the Supreme Court. If we ever want to get the Supreme Court to revisit the constitutionality of the current registry, we need to start collecting funds now. This cost can go higher or lower depending on our path to get to SCOTUS. But we sure don’t want to cut any corners along the way there since one mistake will hurt us for decades.
Washington Post:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/courts_law/an-alaskan-moose-hunter-beat-the-odds-at-the-supreme-court-it-cost-15-million-/2019/11/01/cd17eb4c-de14-11e9-8dc8-498eabc129a0_story.html
ACSOL is already on my When-I-win-the-Lottery list. In the meantime, I will continue my automatic monthly donation. 😊
Please consider doing the same. 👍
Public Service Announcement
Please note that everything I write below, my conclusions and how I handled this may be entirely incorrect…please feel free to disregard this narrative because your situation may be entirely different….and yet I think it important to take the time to post this as a caution to everyone that is a RSO in California. (I have also spoken to other people in other states that have complained of “Bond,” type scams making the rounds in their jurisdictions, but I don’t know enough about them to knowledgeably comment about them).
Be that as it may, I freely admit that I am coward when it comes to any interactions I have with Law Enforcement…I follow the rule repeatedly stated here, Say as little as possible, be polite, but terminate the conversation quickly.
So, I get a phone call:
LASD: Hello, this is Sgt XX, Los Angels Country Sheriff’s Dept….am I speaking with YY?
Me: Yes
LASD: Address, 123 Elm, Any City, CA, and a registered Sex Offender, Correct?
Me: Yes
LASD: There is a problem with your DNA sample and we need a new palm print, there is a recent unsolved crime.
Me: This is not possible, the national database has years of my palm prints as well as a sample of my DNA
LASD; No, you are incorrect there, Sir, a Federal Audit has come up with this being not true for you and you will have to come in, meet with me, go into lockup and this should all be processed within a week.
Me: This is insane, I haven’t got a week to give to anybody, for anything!
LASD: I’m sorry, but clearing things that have been done incorrectly, takes time
Me: The LASD is not even my registering agency, I know that City ZZ does things very professionally, I need to go back through them if there is a problem
LASC: No, they are the problem, Sir, this is a Federal matter and we have been designated as the local agency to fix this problem…you will need to come down to 211 W. Temple to meet with me and be temporarily locked up for hopefully less than a week, there can be posted a performance bond.
Me: (I know that 211 W. Temple is in fact the main Sheriff’s office…and so this throws me quite a bit) What is your “Name, please spell it,” I ask?
LASD: Sgt XX….here is a number where you can verify who I am.
Me: Call me back in 10 minutes.
(So I call and it is a very professional phone answering tree, though sounding a bit AI’ish, Go here for Records, for emergencies call 911, Sex Offenders, number 4….but none of the lines actually work, all just lead you to an answering machine).
So I call Los Angeles Sheriff’`s Department Personal Department where you can verify employment (this is the legit number 323-526-5500…a real person always answers), and after I inquire, Sgt. XX is not a Deputy Sheriff…now it is true they will politely give themselves an out making sure I have the correct spelling or maybe I need a missing middle name…but now I am certain this is a scam…and I am angry, (by now you dear reader are probably certain I am insane for putting up with all of this…but I started off telling you I am a coward, so there you have it).
FakeLASD calls back: You are ready to meet me at 211 W. Temple?
Me: Yes, you’ll be in uniform? Name badge?
FakeLASD: Of course, but I will need an open line to you to make sure that you are actually going to 211 W. Hill.
Me: You mean, like on my cell phone as I drive down there?
LASD: Yes, exactly…all the way, then I can meet you before booking.
Me: Well, that’s not possible, I will not keep an open line, but I will meet you there at exactly 4PM today, at the Sheriff’s check in window, you have my picture, so you will know me. I’ll see you there at exactly 4PM.
*****
I know 211 W. Temple fairly well…I am terrified I am going to be locked up over the weekend, but I also know that if Sgt. XX shows up and doesn’t have impeccable credentials, it will be fairly easy for me to have Him arrested, this is the main criminal courts building and there are few unguarded exits…he will have me, or I will have him.
My sense is that I have a duty to all the RSO’s in California to bring these scams to a close, if possible…I may be a coward, but I am high on doing my duty, and having arrived early, telling the Sheriff I am a RSO, difficult for me to do in all instances, let alone to LEO…but I do it, and I wait.
…and I wait.
And I wait.
Fake Sgt. XX is a no show.
Now all of the above may have just been blind luck for me….every situation is different, everyone has to make their own way…but be careful…these thieves that try to prey on us are very good and getting better all the time.
All of this ruined most of a week for me and left me emotionally exhausted. But if you get a call, be sure to check out who is on the line.
Good Luck, James I
@James I
As far as scams go it was odd that there was no demand for money or anything tangible that this Sgt. Stedenko could make off with.
Could be he just wanted to prank you or harrass you for his sick fun. Like he could just video you showing up and waiting like a sucker.
Or…maybe he just wanted you out of the house so he can plant something there…
Okay the last one is ridiculous. Anyway, thanks for sharing your experience to our collective knowledge of the Registry.
I’ve been giving a significant amount of money to F.A.C. but I’ve stopped for now. Their moderation of comments is just way too random and I feel like very often they are just censoring views that they don’t like. It’s their right to control discussions and have the image that they want for their organization. But I can’t support the censoring/warping of reality to the extent they want.
I was reading several of the decisions that have to do with ex post facto as it’s been a major issue here in Michigan. In reading one scotus opinion I saw that they mentioned that in smith v Alaska. The case they always use to say the registry is not punishing people so it can be used retroactively.,,, the opinion mentioned that the court had not factored in technology and how far it might come….as a reason for no longer relying on the Alaska ruling. I thought about that. Im not 100% but I think now have an app for your phone here that can alert you by GPS like as you move about to the proximity to the home/work of a registered sex offender. So like if someone comes into your work,,, or drives by your house,,, blam,,, there is your photo. It’s just a matter of data/gps,,,, and a phone. Before you know it I’m sure they will have the ability to include it in callerID,,,, or what about even being able to identify your cell phones location as being that of a RC???? As tech advances,;, the entire registry becomes the same as putting a sign in your front yard in my opinion,,,, some sort or form of compelled speech which is illegal from the Halloween sign ruling. Like as we advance I could see them passing laws that you have to allow them to use your location if you have a cell phone turned on,,,, Idk. Just a thought and something I’d suggest including in future arguments???? To me it certainly makes being on the list more dangerous as well as more of a disability career/stable home wise. Hopefully someone smarter then me who matters sees this and is able to use the idea….. good luck. Hope to see the lists go away!!!
SEX OFFENDERS ON HALLOWEEN?! Let’s Talk About It
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1RayBKe57w
https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-government/attorney-general-dana-nessel-takes-hard-line-juvenile-inmate-rape-cases
looks like nessel is changing up on alot of things.
Hey everybody I just thought I’d share this great news article from Canada with you. And god bless Justin Trudeau! lol. https://www.thespec.com/news-story/9224529-supreme-court-of-canada-rules-belief-requirement-in-child-luring-law-is-unconstitutional/. (The conservatives there are the ones that raise the Age of consent to 16 under the harper administration, so we know how they’d feel about this)
Another newspaper article to stir up fear (Let’s play a game – How many suspicious inconsistencies and omissions can you find in this recent newspaper article?). You may want to read it a few times in order to grab all that makes no sense. The article is only about six short paragraphs in length.
Article Titled –
“Man charged with luring 3-year-old girl into van”
Here is the link –> https://local21news.com/news/local/man-charged-with-luring-3-year-old-girl-into-van
#1
“According to the caller, a black male driver in a silver ford Van with New Jersey registration had just asked a mother and her 3-year-old daughter if they wanted to come inside the van and pet their puppy” Title does not mention the mother. Also later in the article the driver of the van asked the daughter if she wanted to get into the van to pet the puppy; no mention of asking the mother.
#2
“a black male driver in a silver ford Van”
Later in the article the van mysteriously changed into a car “Two passengers in the car were also identified.”
#3
“Two passengers in the car were also identified.”
The van which turned into a car had two additional passengers in it. The driver of the van I guess decided prior to attempting to lure the 3 year old said to himself – “Let me be sure I bring two witnesses with me who can testify against me in court that I did commit this crime”. Maybe Udeke was with his family members waiting on someone in the store to come back to the van. I know I have sat in parking lots while someone with me ran into the store for something.
#4
“She reported that she and her two daughters and husband had pulled into a parking spot next to the silver van. ”
Can some one please tell me where her other daughter and husband disappeared to during all this?
#5
“As she got out of her vehicle, the van’s window rolled down, and Udeke asked her for a cigarette. She gave him one.”
Ah, maybe Udeke was just having a friendly casual conversation with the mother as she was removing her child from the van. I know I have made conversation with people near me in parking lots. Maybe I will give that a second thought in the future.
#6
“As she was getting her 3-year-old daughter out of their car, Udeke asked the daughter if she wanted to see the puppy in the back of his van, according to police. ”
Something just does not strike me as truthful here. Again where was the husband and the other daughter at this moment? He asked the daughter if she wanted to see the puppy in the back of the van? I don’t think he said “do you want to come into the back of the van and see the puppy”.
#7
“The reported victim and her mother then went to an area store, where York County 911 was called.”
So either it did not dawn on the mother that there was an attempted luring of her child at that moment but then later gave it some thought and said maybe there was? Why didn’t she just pull out her cell phone and call 911 right at the scene since her daughter was in so much danger of abduction and so that the van had no time to get away. Also, I thought the mother and daughter were in the parking lot of the retail store, so what other retail store did they go to?
#8
“An officer conducted a traffic stop at the scene.”
If this guy Udeke had just knowingly attempted to lure this child and or mother into his van way in the world would he stick around waiting for the police to arrive? And I am sure the mother must have made some type of stink to Udeke when he asked her daughter to come in the van. Wait but Udeke did not ask the child to come into the van just to the back of the van.
#9
“Udeke was arrested. He is charged with luring a child into a motor vehicle or structure.”
This is a strong lesson to all adults out there – “Don’t talk to strangers!!”
#10
“The mother was able to positively identify Udeke as the driver of the van and the person who asked her daughter to come inside the van.” How could the mother give a positive identification of the driver of the van if she was so inconsistent with the rest of what took place.
If you were a judge presiding over this case and were given these facts how would you respond to it? If you were the prosecutor in this area would you even take on this case for fear of embarrassment?
I am sure some of you can pick out even more inaccuracies or inconsistencies than I listed but I am only on my first cup of coffee this morning and not quite awake yet.
I wonder when the IML got passed, if there really was any danger of child sex trafficking and sex tourism that’s so great that the IML needed to be passed. It seems that when the law took effect, that there would be posters about sex trafficking prevention at any airport international arrival areas trying to raise awareness to everyone. When a traveler is identified as a registrant at immigrations from the alerts sent out by our government, they are detained and questioned as if they fit the description of the suspect they’ve been searching for, then processed on a return flight, calling it a victory. The denial of entry into a foreign country from the alerts being sent out by our government is the result from the notification process that registrants have to do by federal law if they plan to travel internationally. Foreign governments have their own laws that can deal with the matter of trafficking and other crimes, what makes our government so special that other countries like in Latin America will comply with the US?, if that person is traveling for the purpose to commit a crime they’re gonna get caught, and if not in most cases, even if a person has a criminal record who is traveling legitimately, will stay out of trouble and be safe in whatever country they are in.
Tonight I ordered food via Door dash. The delivery man delivered my order. He had no clue what awaited him (yeah, it could have been a she as it has before).
He knocked.
I answered
Here’s your order.
Thank you. (tip/delivery fee already paid mind you)
He seemed like a nice guy, so I asked him… “Hey, what’s the 1st amendment. I got money in my pocket if you can answer that.”
He stumbled about a bit and got 3 of the 5. Speech, press, assembly, religion, petition.
I gave him all the cash in my pocket…. he got 3 of the 5 1st amendment issues right….. that’s more than 99% of the carbon breathing morons digging holes on this soil can fathom.
I invited him back for future chats. Let’s see if he returns.
Thought you all might be interested in this, especially the chart which points out the number of child offenses among police officers-
Here is the link——>https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/11/10/californias-criminal-cops-convicted-but-stay-on-the-job/
There was an article on mercury news that talked about criminal cops who were still on the job, and yet some in our community have a hard time finding or keeping jobs. It was called California’s Criminal Cops on mercury news. Might be worth a look if you’re interested. You can search by department.
I would like to send a “Thank you and thinking of you” on this day to all the Veterans that suffered through so much defending those who now spit on your names. You protected their right to do so, not knowing it would be your downfall. I did the same. If I had the choice to do it again, I would. Because the people I worked and fought beside were, and are, the best people America could ask for to give their lives. To the families of the fallen, stand proud!
Also scammed.
Sorry I’m a late with this, but I also fell for a scam very similar to that reported by James I about a week ago.
The caller claimed to be an officer with the Fresno County Sheriff’s department (which is my reporting agency).
Instead of a DNA problem, this officer claimed that I had failed to appear to testify as I had promised, and a warrant had been issued for my arrest. Of course, I had no clue what he was talking about, but he sounded very official. He said that if I would meet him at the Sheriff’s office (he gave me the correct address), he would accept a bond payment to squash the arrest warrant. I set out for the Sheriff’s department (he insisted that I be in constant cell phone contact during my trip). About 2/3s of the way there (25 minute drive for me), he said that he now needed to meet me at another location near the Sheriff’s office. This finally raised my suspicions that something was fishy, so I told him I was going to the Sheriff’s office, and he could meet me there. He said that this would cause problems for me, and I said that I would have to deal with that when it happened. I was almost there by now, so I said “I’ll see you there” and hung up on him. As with James I, he never showed up, though I still was in a state of concern for a few days. Also, like James I, I am fairly cowardly when dealing with law enforcement.
Note: The caller ID on the call said “Fresno County Sheriff” (otherwise I wouldn’t have answered it), and the number was the correct number for the department. The caller sounded confident, convincing, and believable right to the end.
Note 2: About two weeks after the call, I received another similar call. As soon as he got to the part about a warrant had been issued, I said “So come and get me!”, and then hung up on him. I didn’t lose much sleep after that one.
I have a school aged children, one has ASD. As I fight for my child against the school system authorities are being called on us by anonymous callers coincidentally within a week after a heated school meeting as I hold them accountable for not doing their job and dropping the ball. First, CPS was called on us and recently someone had made an anonymous call and reported my husband to the authorities as he waiting across the street from the school yard to pick up our children. My fear is that if someone had made this anonymous call from the school, it is possible for this to spread and affect our children, and our child who has ASD to be discriminated. My gut tells me that someone is not happy with how I’m fighting for our child and in retaliation committing horrible things to our family. I don’t know what to do, please help. What are my legal rights? How can we protect our children from discrimination, harassment, and bullies?
Has anyone here ever thought about contacting someone like John Oliver or Adam from Adam ruins everything to see if they’d do a segment on the truth about Registries and all that jazz?
Or written an OpEd and submitted it to the big news papers like NY Times, LA times etc?
Just heard on NPR that a federal judge ruled that having your digital devices searched at ports of entry is illegal without reasonable suspicion. Though she didn’t rule to have it stop (probably because she expects and appeal).
It’ll be interesting if this actually changes the law and how it’ll apply to RC’s. I’m guessing we’ll be exempt from this ruling, but I see that as a positive as it’ll add another thing to the list to fight against the registry.
While recently reviewing some RC cases and case law, I stumbled across something that seems quite off. In Doe v. Tilley (E.D. Ky. 2017; https://mitchellhamline.edu/sex-offense-litigation-policy/wp-content/uploads/sites/61/2017/10/doe-v-tilley-opinion.pdf) the Order starts out by saying:
*****
John Doe is a registered sex offender. As such, he is bound by the numerous requirements set forth in Kentucky’s Sex Offender Registration Act, which seeks to govern where Doe lives, works, recreates, and more.
*****
While none of that is exactly new to anyone on here, let’s take a look at Smith v. Doe (538 US 84, 87 (2003)):
*****
The holding that the registration system is parallel to probation or supervised release is rejected because, in contrast to probationers and supervised releasees, offenders subject to the Act are free to move
where they wish and to live and work as other citizens, with no supervision.
*****
Hmmm….SCOTUS says we’re free to “live and work as other citizens” and yet the District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky says the Commonwealth’s law “govern[s] where [RCs] live[], work[], recreate[], and more.” (I wonder just what “and more” entails.)
I sure wish SOME courts other than the 6th CCoA and PA SC would see how far off Smith the laws have gone. I also wish those courts would take heed of the parenthetical in Packingham where SCOTUS mentioned “the troubling fact that [NC’s] law imposes severe restrictions on persons who already have served their sentence and are no longer subject to the supervision of the criminal justice system[.]”
This just seems so ripe for attack. Hopefully there’s an unknown case out there wending its way through on this basis.
Little update on my case regarding the registry fees.
The State argued that it was not personally served, so service was ineffective, moved to quash the summons. They provided a signed statement and copy of the envelope in which I mailed the Summons and Complaint indicating receipt.
I responded by highlighting the section of the Utah Rules of Civil Procedure that state service of Complaint and Summon by mail to the state is acceptable as long as the recipient, “signs a document indicating receipt.” The sworn statement of that state’s counsel does just that.
——— this one has upset me ———–
They filed an Opposition to my request to proceed under pseudonym, and didn’t serve me with it, then asked for a decision. I responded with an Objection with a copy of the envelop I received the day they indicated, which only included an Appearance of Counsel on part of the state (postage was $0.50 their opposition would have required more postage).
I put a lot into the Motion, but these are debt collection attorneys for the state, so they play dirty. I have legal custody of the child born on my crimes and my “victim” and I are very close friends and spend a lot of time together (been 15 years since). If they unmask me I would likely lose my job and my son, a relative victim, could be subject to the abuses of the public. Not to mention the public spot light that will be put on my victim. We have many friends and acquaintances who do not know about the past, it is our family business, and any mention of my name will tie directly to her as being a victim of sexual abuse.
So, I have requested a hearing and raised an Objection. In the two lawsuits from 10 years ago none of the State’s attorneys tried to unmask my identity in the lawsuits, but this one is a piece of work. Nothing like debt collection attorneys.
The Vigilante Media in full force. Newest claim: 99% of RSO’s (child sex offenders) REOFFEND!!
Source: https://www.kyma.com/news/released-to-reoffend-news-11-investigates-the-sex-offender-next-door-1/1142360703
The rest of the newscast is just as problematic.
Lookin’ for shared housing in San Jose. I make enough to afford my own place, But this ordeal has destryed my credit due to job(s) loss. If anyone has or knows, I will monitor here and you can leave a message. No longer on probation,( been off for 2 yrs) so no POs banging the door!
Thx
Does anybody know if you move to a state where you no longer have to register if you are still required to abide by IML with the 21 day travel notice?
rape increass how is the hit list helping that?
new FBI DATA
https://www.themarshallproject.org/2019/09/30/new-fbi-data-violent-crime-still-falling