The Pacific Legal Foundation (PLF) this week filed two motions in the pending federal lawsuit challenging SORNA regulations that became effective earlier this year. One of those motions asked the court to approve the use of pseudonyms for four individuals identified as John Doe #1, John Doe #2, John Doe #3 and John Doe #4. The court granted that motion one day after it was filed. The second motion is a request for preliminary injunction which would, if granted, stop enforcement of some SORNA regulations. A hearing for this motion…
Read MoreMonth: October 2022
MN: YouTube vigilante on mission to expose sexual predators faces his own sex assault charges
Source: postbulletin.com 10/21/22 Chase Johnston’s YouTube channel has thousands of views from videos in which he confronts people he views as sexual predators. One county has declined to follow up on his reports. Another has decided to pursue charges. In all of this, Johnston has been charged with multiple crimes against two of the men he’s accused, including one accusation of sexual assault. ROCHESTER, MN — Chase Johnston began his crusade to hunt down alleged child predators earlier this year. The Rochester man, 28, taking a cue from the now-defunct…
Read MoreWI: Wisconsin Supreme Court considers dispute over ‘repeat offender’ law
Source: captimes.com 10/20/22 The Wisconsin Supreme Court heard oral arguments last week in a case challenging the state’s interpretation of its repeat offender law as it pertains to crimes including sex offenses. At issue is whether multiple convictions stemming from the same criminal complaint warrant classifying someone as a repeat offender. The state argues that should be the case. Its argument relies heavily on a 2017 legal interpretation, issued by then-Attorney General Brad Schimel, of a 2006 state law requiring the state Department of Corrections to place certain sex offenders…
Read MoreFL: Jacksonville won’t require sex offenders to post ‘no candy’ signs outside home for Halloween
Source: news.yahoo.com 10/19/22 A warning to parents planning trick-or-treating routes: The City of Jacksonville will not require registered sex offenders or predators to post a sign outside their home indicating no trick-or-treaters allowed. Typically, on Halloween, registered sex offenders and predators have to post a sign saying “no candy.” The requirement is being challenged by two registered sex offenders who filed a lawsuit against the city, saying the ordinance violates their constitutional rights. Some neighbors Action News Jax spoke with said, they agree. “I think the sign — it’d be…
Read MoreCA: ‘Superfly’ Actor-Rapper Sentenced to 50 Years to Life in Prison for Sexual Assaults
Source: nbclosangeles.com 10/18/22 A rapper-actor who appeared in the 2018 film “SuperFly” was sentenced on Monday to 50 years to life in state prison for sex-related charges involving three teens and four young women in attacks dating back to 2013. Superior Court Judge Joseph Brandolino also ordered Kaalan Walker, 27, to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life, according to Deputy District Attorney Cynthia Wallace, who told City News Service that she believes the defendant is “truly a predator.” A Van Nuys jury convicted Walker on…
Read MoreFederal Prisons Are Discounting Inmates’ Sexual Assault Allegations Against Officers
Source: govexec.com 10/13/22 The federal Bureau of Prisons is regularly excluding credible inmate testimony making or corroborating allegations of sexual assault and misconduct against agency employees, according to a new report, which found the informal policy could embolden bad actors to continue their inapprorpiate behavior. The bureau’s Office of Internal Affairs will only consider inmate testimony when a case is accepted for criminal prosecution or if it is substantiated by video, conclusive forensic evidence or a confession. If a sexual assault allegation against an employee depends on an inmate’s account,…
Read MoreFL: Police cameras show confusion, anger over DeSantis’ voter fraud arrests
Source: tampabay.com 10/18/22 TALLAHASSEE — When police went to arrest Tony Patterson outside his Tampa home in August, he couldn’t believe the reason. “What is wrong with this state, man?” Patterson protested as he was being escorted to a police car in handcuffs. “Voter fraud? Y’all said anybody with a felony could vote, man.” Body-worn camera footage recorded by local police captured the confusion and outrage of Hillsborough County residents who found themselves in handcuffs for casting a ballot following investigations by Gov. Ron DeSantis’ new Office of Election Crimes…
Read MoreUT: Utah Court of Appeals reverses sex offender’s conviction, claiming state failed to prosecute case for 2 years
Source: fox13now.com 10/17/22 SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Court of Appeals has reversed a sex offender’s conviction after they say prosecutors failed to notify him they’d charged him or were prosecuting him. In to a 74-page document filed by the Utah Court of Appeals on Friday, Judge Ryan Harris said the appellant, Chad Hintze, wasn’t made aware of a charge against him for two years. The charge, according to the documents, stemmed from an incident in June of 2016 in which Hintze and a teenage girl were eating and…
Read MoreCanada will accede to U.S. request to share travel information on convicted child predators
Source: headtopics.com 10/17/22 Canada will accede to U.S. request to share travel information on convicted child predators Ottawa plans to introduce legislation that would allow the federal government to routinely notify Washington when Canadians convicted of sexual offences against children travel to the U.S. Read the full article
Read MoreACSOL November 19, 2022 Meeting
Please join ACSOL Executive Director and civil rights attorney Janice Bellucci as well as ACSOL President and criminal defense attorney Chance Oberstein for our next meeting. The meeting will be held on Saturday, November 19, online on Zoom beginning at 10 a.m. Pacific time, 1:00 PM Eastern, and will last at least two hours. You can use the Zoom app or call in using a Zoom phone number. There is no registration needed for this meeting. You can use the Zoom app to see Janice and Chance and choose to…
Read MoreALL ACSOL 2022 Conference videos are ready for attendees to watch!
Dear Conference attendees – We just posted all ACSOL 2022 conference videos! They are ready for you to view privately on YouTube whenever you like! You should have just received an email today (Oct 16) containing the link to these videos. If you did not receive it, look in your spam/junk folder. If you still don’t see it, send an email to conference@all4consolaws.org If you did not attend you still have time to register to see the videos. Just click here to sign up We look forward to seeing you…
Read MoreMS: George, Greene counties recognized for keeping sex offenders 100% compliant
Source: wkrg.com 10/14/22 GEORGE COUNTY, Miss. (WKRG) – Employees from the Sheriff’s offices in both George and Greene counties were recently recognized for their work to keep all registered sex offenders in their jurisdictions compliant with state law. “[Citizens] should definitely be proud of these counties. They are really working hard to ensure that their communities are as safe as possible and everyone is aware of the registered offenders in their area,” said registry director Megan Costilow. Most sex offenders must re-register and update their address every three months. Each…
Read MoreCA: California convicted rapist arrested for murder just weeks after early release from life sentence: ‘senseless’
Source: foxnews.com 10/12/22 A convicted rapist in California whose sentencing judge argued he should “never get out of prison” was arrested in the murder of a Sacramento man just weeks after his release, officials said. Michael Xavier Bell, 36, was arrested this past Sunday for murdering a 60-year-old Sacramento care facility employee just 73 days after he was released early from a decades-long sentence, according to the Association of Los Angeles Deputy District Attorneys. Association President Michele Hanisee called his early release “tragically predictable” and said it resulted in “another…
Read MoreUK: Lincolnshire Police: Dozens of sex offenders removed from register
Source: bbc.com 10/13/22 Lincolnshire Police have removed 72 people from the Sex Offenders Register in the last five years. Those sentenced to more than 30 months for a sex-related crime can be required to register with police for life. But in 2010 the Supreme Court ruled offenders should have the opportunity to prove they had reformed and could apply to get their name removed. Lincolnshire Police said its policies were in line with all forces around the country. A Freedom of Information request revealed the force received 82 applications between…
Read MoreWA: U Washington students defend themselves from potential sex offender threat following assaults near campus
Source: foxnews 10/13/22 Students at the University of Washington are sounding the alarm on the handful of registered sex offenders who live near the Seattle campus, which has recently been plagued by crime. “I ordered two things of pepper spray, and my parents keep texting me asking about how my individual room locks, and if there is bars on my basement window,” student Jacqueline Niles told Fox 13. The University District of Seattle, which surrounds UW’s campus, has seen repeated instances of crime in recent weeks, including a shooting…
Read MoreNY: No jail time for Cuba Gooding Jr. in forcible touching case
Source: nbcnews.com 10/13/22 Actor Cuba Gooding Jr. resolved his New York City forcible touching case Thursday with a guilty plea to a lesser charge and no jail time after complying with the terms of a conditional plea agreement reached in April. Prosecutor Coleen Balbert said Gooding has stayed out of trouble and completed six months of alcohol and behavior modification counseling, allowing him to withdraw his misdemeanor plea and plead guilty to a harassment violation. Balbert said she has received “positive reports for the last six months” from Gooding’s therapist. The actor…
Read MoreCanada: Small Yukon First Nation bans sex offender using its COVID emergency law
Source: ctvnews.ca 10/11/22 WHITEHORSE — A First Nation of fewer than 300 people in Yukon’s north has used a law it created during the COVID-19 pandemic to bar a convicted sex offender from being sent to its community. The Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation in Old Crow issued a declaration under its Community Emergency Act banning Christopher Schafer from the fly-in community nearly 800 kilometres north of Whitehorse for at least the next 90 days. Chief Dana Tizya-Tramm said Yukon’s territorial court decision to allow Schafer to live in Old Crow…
Read MoreMI: Jury Convicts Man For Vile Act With Elmo Doll
Source: thesmokinggun.com 10/12/22 A jury yesterday convicted a Michigan man of aggravated indecent exposure for using a Tickle Me Elmo doll to masturbate while he was inspecting a residence on behalf of a potential purchaser. Kevin ____, 60, was found guilty of the misdemeanor following a one-day trial in Oakland County Circuit Court. The jury acquitted ____ of malicious destruction of property, also a misdemeanor. Judge Phyllis McMillen scheduled ____’s sentencing for December 2. The indecent exposure count carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison and a $2000…
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