Source: ACSOL
The Senate Public Safety Committee today approved two bills — Senate Bill 680 and Senate Bill 286 — that could add up to 30,000 people to the registry as well as deny early discharge from parole for those convicted of certain sex offenses. Both bills were opposed by ACSOL, ACLU, the California Public Defenders Association and other organizations.
“ACSOL showed up, stood up and spoke up against two bills that were based upon emotion and lacked empirical evidence,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci. “We thank everyone who showed up today to speak truth to power.”
During consideration of Senate Bill 680, a victim of sexual abuse as well as the Los Angeles City Attorney spoke in support of the bill stating that anyone who has intercourse with a minor and is more than 10 years older should be required to register. Those opposed to the bill stated that the bill is unnecessary because judges already have authority to require registration in those cases if circumstances warrant it.
If SB 680 becomes law, the law would apply to every person convicted of Penal Code Section 261.5 for the past 80 years, according to the representative from the LA County Public Defenders Union. This could add up to 30,000 people to the registry and would require significant resources to identify those affected.
The committee analysis of SB 680 includes a list of organizations in support of the bill, most of which represent law enforcement as well as the California District Attorneys Association. The bill analysis also includes most of the contents of the ACSOL letter sent in opposition to the bill.
Senator Scott Wiener was the only committee member to speak in opposition to SB 680. He reminded his colleagues that the requirement to register destroys people’s lives. He predicted that the addition of up to 30,000 people to the registry would clog up the registry and demand vast resources that could be better spent in other ways.
Following these discussions, four members of the Senate Public Safety Committee voted in favor SB 680. Senator Wiener voted against the bill and the committee chairman did not vote in favor of or in opposition to the bill. The bill will next be considered by the Senate Appropriations Committee on a date to be determined.
The Senate Public Safety Committee also approved SB 286 which would prohibit individuals convicted of a serious or violent sex offense from early discharge of parole even though they meet the requirements of that program — at least 20 continuous years in custody and at least 50 years of age. All members of the committee voted in favor of this bill. This bill will next be considered by the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Click here to download the bill analysis
If passed, would this apply in sting operation cases where there was no actual victim for an age difference to exist?
and then no surprise here…
Although I’d rather as many people as possible simply not be on the registry at all, my other hope was that this behemoth become so overbloated and unmanageable that it would finally just collapse under its own weight. However, it now appears that no matter how many lives this monstrocity devours, it will just continue to grow, and grow, and grow, with no sign of ever slowing down or stopping. Still, I will remain optimistic that horrible bills like this “SB 680” could, some day, somehow, come back around to bite everyone who supports such vindictive nonsense right in their sanctimonious arses.
Bills and laws based on emotions are going to cause more problems than solutions. Just think when you are emotional you often don’t have the best judgement and are more likely to do something you wouldn’t usually do. I hope these bills die and those who support it wake up to Facts and not fear based on feelings. As some say, ” F your feelings and face the facts.”
Not sure how or why my law in CA won’t impact this. I was convicted of (5) 261-5, the judge gave me 290 statuses for probation, however in the appellate court it was overturned, and I was not required to register and in addition it made it that the state had to prove the compulsion.
This would be the perfect time to re-ask senator Wiener to author ACSOL’S proposal for a pathway off the registry. The original 30 years or better yet 20 years on the registry and not reoffending in those years should be proposed to Wiener for his consideration to support and author without fear of threatening retribution from the public .
Once again, where is the respect for ex post facto laws?? This tier bumping, (or adding), up to 80 years after the fact just screams for a lawsuit! We must change the Supreme Court’s nutty decision that the registry is just like signing up for a driver’s license, so that legislators stop destroying lives, relationships, jobs, and property values!
I’m so disappointed but proud of Scott Weiner and ACSOL for trying. Thank you again, Janice. It seems now that the CASOMB recommendations, including moving my PC violation back to Tier 1, (where it was for 25 years) will fall on deaf ears or not be forwarded out of the Public Safety committee, if — by chance — someone writes up a Bill.
Those poor 30K people! They have no idea what’s coming, unless they’re placed in Tier 1, or even Tier 2.
30.000 Daam that’s a lot of people, if they knew the state of California 290.5 registry was coming for them they’d be running for their dear lives right now and fleeing to Mexico BUT they don’t even know what’s coming.
Unbelievably sad. I wasn’t able to show up yesterday…flights were $500+ for the short notice which is what I’m sure was planned and hoped for by the committee. What is next?
Maybe I am reading things wrong, but it looks like the statutory sex violators — targeted by SB 680 — will be placed in Tier 1?
In any case, maybe the CASOMB rec’s (to remove some registrants) could be justified by pointing out that the removals will help counter the increased costs of the 30K added….
The lawmakers in the committee who voted in favor of this bill should be removed from this committee and then voters should remove them from office either by a recall election or by voting them out in the next election. These people are not making California any safer. Instead, they are wasting taxpayer money by chasing myths and promoting lies.
I was at the hearings. The long lines of angry women and even a huge video camera were designed to make the hearings swing away from common sense toward strong emotions of fear and anger.
Remember that California politicians have made a sharp swing toward “tough on crime” because the public backlash against perceived increase in crime the past few years. That means Democrats have had to go with the flow to get elected.
Everything goes in cycles. We were fortunate to have a cycle that favored creating a tiered registry so that a majority of people can get off the registry.
I’m a level 3 and am trying to be realistic on a timeline for gaining the right to get off the registry someday. In the meantime, I will be glad I don’t have to live with residence restrictions, presence restrictions, Halloween signs, and a number of nightmare bills ACSOL has helped squash over the years.
Well you know the appropriations committee is gonna pass it. This is such BS.
SB 286, known as the Mary-Bella’s Law, is realistically an uphill battle. As my letters to the senators pointed out, applicants for elderly parole are vetted. History shows that very, very few of these people who have had serious convictions actually received early parole due to the age issue after board hearings. Unfortunately, SB 286 will now push those with lower offensives to be subjectively evaluated more intently and rejected for early parole due to age.
Also, why do names always have to be placed on these types of laws?
There is zero logic with passing these bills. It is criminal to have them work backwards in time, along with being cruel. These bill writers have no business doing the work they do cause they are simply uneducated and mean. And refuse to really learn the effects they are have on society.
Makes me wonder when a public official comments we all deserve it.