Year: 2022

CA: ‘We just keep punishing.’ Californians with criminal records still face housing barriers

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Source newsbreak.com / Los Angeles Times 8/2/22 Cynthia Blake lives cramped in a tiny studio apartment in Long Beach, in a space divided into four units that used to be a church. There is no bathroom inside her home; it’s outside in a different part of the building. Blake, 53, remembers the $1,050 apartment being advertised for a long time, as interest in the odd setup was low. Still, she felt she had to lie to be considered a potential renter: she did not check the box that asked if…

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ACSOL Conference to Feature Distinguished Speakers, Important Panels

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The Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws (ACSOL) will conduct its annual conference on Saturday, October 1.  The cost is just $25. The conference will be virtual on Zoom and feature distinguished speakers including attorney Caleb Kruckenberg of the Pacific Legal Foundation, Ilan Meyer of UCLA, criminal defense attorneys Chance Oberstein and Alex Landon as well as civil rights attorney Janice Bellucci. Mr. Kruckenberg is the lead attorney in the case challenging the SORNA regulations.  At the conference, he will make a presentation about the ongoing litigation and its potential…

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IL: Former B-N piano teacher sentenced to life in 2nd sexual assault case

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https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2022-08-01/former-b-n-piano-teacher-sentenced-to-life-in-2nd-sex-assault-caseSource: wglt.org 8/1/22 A former piano teacher serving 450 years for sexual assault of one of his students was sentenced to life in prison Monday for similar charges related to a second student. Aaron ____ , 41, was convicted in April in connection with an ongoing sexual relationship with a minor girl that lasted years and began when she was a minor. The life term handed down by Judge Casey Costigan is in addition to the 450 years Aaron received in January, also given by Costigan. Read the full article…

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NY: New York Enacts Revival Statutes, Renewing Expired Claims for Sexual Assault

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Source: weil.com 8/2/22 In 2019, the state of New York passed legislation extending the statute of limitations for civil causes of action for certain sex offenses from three years to 20 years. However, that law was prospective only. Now, New York is providing recourse for sexual assault survivors whose civil claims have expired. On May 24, 2022, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed the Adult Survivors Act (ASA) into law. A so-called “revival statute,” the ASA provides a one year window for adult sexual assault survivors to bring otherwise time-barred…

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FL: WESH 2 Investigates allegations of sex offenders being allowed to vote

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Source: wesh.com 8/1/22 Morris ___ lives in Poinciana. Elections office records indicate he’s “eligible to vote in Osceola County.” His status is “active,” meaning he can vote next month and this November in Osceola County and in the 2020 general election, he did vote. Morris is also a registered sex offender. Because of this, he should be ineligible to vote under Florida law. WESH 2 checked online with the executive office of clemency, under Morris’s name and prison ID number. It confirms his civil rights have not been restored. By…

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CA: Appellate Court Rejects Challenge to Tiered Registry Law

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Source: ACSOL The Third District Court of Appeals has rejected a challenge to the Tiered Registry Law that, if granted, would have reassigned individuals convicted of Penal Code Section 288(c) from Tier 3 to Tier 2.  According to the court’s decision, individuals convicted of Penal Code Section 288(c) are not similarly situated to individuals convicted of Penal Code Section 288(a) who are assigned to Tier 2.   In the challenge, attorney Jill Klein argued that individuals convicted of both offenses were based on the same type of conduct and therefore the…

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KS: Kansas Supreme Court Holds Registration Violation is a Strict Liability Crime

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Source: floridaactioncommittee.org 7/31/22 Not knowing you have to register something or not having the mental capacity to understand how to register is not a defense to a registration violation according to the Supreme Court of Kansas. A person required to register in Kansas was convicted of a failure to register offense. He was required to report quarterly, every May, August, November, and February, plus changes.On September 18, he went in to report a change of phone number. He went in again on October 9 to report an address change. But…

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ACSOL Board Votes to Discontinue Support for March 2023 Conference

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The board of directors for the Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws (ACSOL) unanimously voted yesterday to discontinue its support for the March 2023 conference in Washington, D.C.  Prior to that vote, ACSOL had donated $5,000 to the Women Against Registry foundation for that conference. The ACSOL board’s decision yesterday followed a decision made a few weeks ago to withdraw its support for the vigil planned to be held in March 2023 near the U.S. Supreme Court.  The purpose of the vigil was to educate the U.S. Supreme Court regarding…

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Janice’s Journal: A Difficult Decision

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The vigil planned for Washington, D.C., in March 2023 was my idea.  My idea was a vigil that would take place near the date of the 20th anniversary of a terrible mistake made by the U.S. Supreme Court.  A mistake that has led to significant harm experienced by at least one million families.  A mistake that had led to unemployment, homelessness, vigilante violence and even suicide. The purpose of the vigil was to educate the U.S. Supreme Court and the public regarding the tragedies that have flowed from this decision. …

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CA: Ex-Clovis teacher sentenced for sex with student. Victim’s family wanted harsher penalty

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Source: yahoo.com/Fresno Bee 7/27/22 A former Clovis music teacher won’t serve jail time for having sex with a minor. Fresno County Superior Court Judge Jonathan Skiles on Wednesday sentenced Amanda ___to two years of probation. She also must register as a sex offender for at least 10 years. Amanda previously pleaded no contest to one count of unlawful sexual intercourse and one count of oral copulation of a person under 18, both felonies. In sentencing her, Skiles told Amanda that she violated her position of trust as a teacher and…

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RealPage incorrect sex offender data $9.73M class action lawsuit settlement

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Source: topclassactions.com 7/28/22 RealPage agreed to pay over $9.73 million to resolve claims that it violated the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) by allowing incorrect sex offender registry data on tenant screening reports. The class action lawsuit settlement benefits individuals who were subject to a RealPage report between June 14, 2017, and March 2, 2021, where the report included a record from a sex offender registry with the record matching the report subject based on the birth date range, but where further review shows a differing birth date. RealPage…

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IN: VCSO: Man says he shot a sex offender

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Source: tristatehomepage.com 7/28/22 VANDERBURGH CO., Ind. (WEHT) – The man accused of shooting and killing another man on Maggie Valley Drive in Vanderburgh County apparently did so because he thought the man he shot was a sex offender. Ricky Allen Kiper Jr. was arrested Wednesday and charged with the murder of James Christopher McClernon.  An autopsy shows McClernon died of multiple gunshot wounds. According to court documents Kiper showed up at a home where McClernon was staying around 3:00 Wednesday afternoon.  The documents go on to say Kiper, McClernon and…

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FL: CALL TO ACTION: Brevard County Commission Meeting

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Source: floridaactioncommittee.org 7/27/22 The agenda for the forthcoming Brevard County Commission meeting has been posted and they WILL be discussing the amendment to their sexual offender/sexual predator ordinance. We are calling upon members to appear at the Commission meeting to speak against the ordinance and show support for the other members who will speak against it. The meeting will take place on August 2, 2022, 5:00 PM, at 2725 Judge Fran Jamieson Way, Viera, FL 32940 This is our opportunity to show up and speak out, please, please, please do…

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House overwhelmingly passes Smith’s newest legislation to combat human trafficking

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Source: insidernj.com 7/26/22 WASHINGTON—Ahead of this Saturday’s World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, the House of Representatives today overwhelmingly passed critical anti-trafficking legislation—the Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act of 2022—authored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) together with Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA) in a strong bipartisan vote of 401-20. … “Today’s legislation will also reauthorize the amazing work being done by Homeland Security’s Angel Watch Center—a project mandated by my International Megan’s Law (IML) enacted in 2016,” said Smith, Co-chair of the Human Trafficking Caucus, which he…

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ACSOL August 20, 2022 Meeting

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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, August 20, 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 show…

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TN: Former Rutherford County Sheriff’s colonel charged with sex offender registry violation

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Source: dnj.com 7/22/22 A former Rutherford County Sheriff’s Department colonel has been charged with a felony for sexual offender registration form violation.  Edward “Eddie” T. ___, 63, of Murfreesboro, was taken into custody Thursday by Murfreesboro Police Department officers and U.S. Marshals. Eddie, who was fired from RCSO in 2005, was booked into the Rutherford County Detention Center Thursday and released on a $5,000 bond. Read the full article  

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