Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel filed amicus briefs in the Michigan Supreme Court today in Michigan v Snyder (Case number 153696) and People v Betts (Case number 148981), arguing that Michigan’s sex offender registration and notification requirements are punishment because they are so burdensome and fail to distinguish between dangerous offenders and those who are not a threat to the community. Full Announcement BRIEF OF AMICUS CURIAE – Betts BRIEF OF AMICUS CURIAE – Snyder Related Attorney General: Michigan Sex Offender Registry too broad, lost effectiveness
Read MoreYear: 2019
CA: Sex Offender Seeks Access to Son’s School to Enhance His Learning
An admitted registered sex offender is suing the Lancaster School District, alleging he is being wrongfully denied access to his child’s school and to be involved in his son’s education in defiance of the law. The man, identified only as John Doe in the Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit filed Monday, is asking a judge to declare that the state Penal Code does not deny the plaintiff and other registrants access to school grounds for “lawful business.” Full Article
Read MoreTN: Charges dropped against youth football coach who was accused of violating Sex Offender Registry Act
[fox13memphis.com – 2/8/19] Charges were dismissed against a Memphis Youth football coach. He was wrongfully accused of violating the state’s sexual offender registration laws. Police had arrested and charged Mykal Madision with Sexual Offender Registration and tracking on Wednesday. It happened after a parent of one of Madison’s players said he was a registered sex offender. Madison is currently listed on the Texas sex offender registry Read more
Read MoreThe Number of Men in Federal Prison for Viewing or Sharing Child Pornography Has Nearly Septupled Since 2004
The number of child pornography offenders in federal prison has nearly septupled since 2004, and most are serving mandatory sentences of five years or more, generally for crimes that did not involve assault or sexual abuse. In fiscal year 2016, for example, 1,565 people were sentenced for possessing, receiving, or distributing child pornography, but only 80 (5 percent) were also convicted of production or another form of sexual abuse. The average sentence was more than eight years. Download the report: JacobSullum_Number-imprisoned-septupled
Read MorePA: Reaching back in time to charge adults for youth offenses
James is a registered sex offender. He was convicted in 2016 of felony statutory sexual assault when he was 23 years old for sexually abusing a 7-year-old girl, according to court records. His name will appear on the Pennsylvania sex offender registry for nearly another decade and he will carry a felony conviction for the rest of his life. Anytime James applies for a job, housing or school that requires a background check, his potential employer, landlord or college will know that he carries a child sexual assault conviction. If…
Read MoreWA: Sheriff’s Seeking Input on Proposed Domestic Offender Registry [House Bill 1080 and Senate Bill 5244]
[newstalk870.am Washington State] The Franklin County Sheriff’s office posted some comments on their Facebook page, seeking public input on two companion bills (one in House, one in Senate) being debated in Olympia. :House Bill 1080 and Senate Bill 5244 would create a database for domestic violence offenders, similar to that which has been out for years for sex offenders. The Sheriff’s Department clarifies what the bills would do. Here’s part of that commentary: “House Bill 1080 and companion Bill SB 5244 would mandate the registry of persons convicted of a…
Read MoreEngland: Headteacher banned after ‘she didn’t disclose relationship with sex offender’
[birminghammail.co.uk – 2/6/19] A headteacher has been banned from the country’s classrooms after she failed to disclose her relationship with a sex offender. Caroline Riley, 54, dishonestly failed to reveal the courtship while she was head teacher at George Betts Primary School in Smethwick. She took over as head in 2009 and a Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) disciplinary panel found that the following year, despite advice to the contrary, she failed to disclose the relationship. The disciplinary panel also heard she misled an investigation into the situation by saying she…
Read MoreTrinidad AG: Child sex offenders will have passports marked
[stlucianewsonline.com – 2/6/19] The marking of convicted child sex offenders’ passports is one of the amendments in new sexual offences legislation, reported Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi. He was piloting the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill in the Senate today. He said borrowing from the Australian and US laws, the passports will say “child sex offender.” He added the individual will have the ability to possibly have the record expunged. Al-Rawi explained with the Sexual Offenders Registry, there will be a public database with limited information such as photo, name and address,…
Read MoreTrinidad and Tobago: Senator objects to public naming of sex convicts
[guardian.co.tt – 2/5/19] At least one Independent Senator is not in support of the names of sexual offenders going public. Sophia Chote, SC, said that this has the potential of opening the floodgates for vigilante justice in T&T. Chote made the comment in the Senate on Tuesday during her contribution on the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill to create a sexual offenders registry. She said making the names of sexual offenders public will also stigmatise the name of the convicted person. “So if the T&T Police Service has a list of…
Read MoreACSOL Leads Lobby Day 2019 in State Capitol
ACSOL led about 40 registrants, family members and supporters in Lobby Day 2019 in the CA State Capitol. The participants were organized into 6 teams led by Team Leaders experienced in lobbying the state legislature. Lobby Day 2019 included twenty-eight scheduled meetings in the offices of newly elected and Public Safety Committee members in both the Assembly and the Senate as well as at least a dozen unscheduled meetings in the offices of elected officials who represent districts in which the participants reside. “The two primary purposes of Lobby Day 2019…
Read MoreCO: Hundreds of sex offenders get their names taken off the sex offender registry every year
A Contact7 investigation found that in the state of Colorado, hundreds of sex offenders are getting off the sex offender registry every year. In one case, a felony sex offender’s motion was granted even after his victim pleaded against it. Full Article
Read MoreGeneral Comments February 2019
Comments that are not specific to a certain post should go here, for the month of February 2019. Contributions should relate to the cause and goals of this organization and please, keep it courteous and civil.
Read MoreAntigua & Barbuda To Implement Sex Offenders’ Registry
[stluciatimes.com – 2/2/19] Antigua Observer:- Residents will soon be alerted when a sex offender moves into their neighborhood. Attorney General and Public Safety Minister Steadroy “Cutie” Benjamin made that disclosure in Parliament this week. Once convicted, the names of all sexual offenders will be placed on a public registry. This news follows the establishment hereof a Sexual Offences Model Court last month. Benjamin, the Parliamentary representative for St. John’s City South, issued a direct warning to the offenders. “Leave the children alone. I am going to make sure that that…
Read MoreKat’s Blog: Rest in Peace My Friends
Was a homeless registrant who was found dead in the Michigan snow this week a victim of the frigid polar vortex that swept through half the country? (Autopsy report pending.) Or, was he the victim of Michigan’s state sex offender laws which deny emergency shelter to “sex offenders” even during the most brutal weather? What about the homeless registrant found frozen to death behind a Waffle House in Springfield, Missouri? The man’s snow covered body was found by other homeless people seeking shelter from the frigid weather. How many registrants…
Read MoreTN: Tennessee bill would give life in prison to those guilty of aggravated rape of a child
[thehill.com – 1/30/19] A new bill proposed in Tennessee would, if passed, sentence those found guilty of aggravated rape of a child to life in prison. Under the state’s current laws, those convicted of the crime can be sentenced to anywhere between 15 to 60 years in prison and receive a fine of up to $50,000. ADVERTISEMENT The new bill, also known as HB283, would increase the punishment for the crime, which would be classified as a Class A felony under state law, to life in prison without possibility for…
Read MoreAK: Effort to force out-of-state sex offenders to register excludes juvenile crimes
A sex offender from Iowa said he chose to move to Alaska believing he wouldn’t have to register as a sex offender. He was right — and it’s a reality that would continue, even if the governor’s crime bills become law. Full Article
Read MoreAR: Bill to ban sex offenders from some Halloween activities dealt setback in committee vote
Senate Bill 10 — sponsored by Sen. Trent Garner, R-El Dorado, and Rep. Rebecca Petty, R-Rogers — was knocked down by the committee after a lengthy discussion, but the vote was expunged, allowing its sponsors an opportunity to present it again later. SB10 would bar a person required to register under the Sex Offender Registration Act of 1997 and who is assessed as a level 3 or level 4 offender from distributing treats to a child or from wearing a mask or other costume as part of a Halloween-related event.…
Read MoreFL: Comprehensive ‘Florida First Step Act’ Excludes Registrants
Sen. Jeff Brandes is spearheading the state’s criminal justice reform initiative. SB 642 is his 10th justice reform-related bill pre-filed for the upcoming Florida session. Full Article
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