Source: nolo.com 10/24/25 Discover how some states and cities pass legislation—ranging from quirky to serious—designed to ensure a safe Halloween for all. By Ann O’Connell, Attorney UC Berkeley School of Law Updated 10/24/2025 Halloween—the one night a year when it’s socially acceptable to dress as a monster and demand candy from strangers. But before you grab your plastic pumpkin and hit the streets, you might want to check your local laws. Across America, dozens of cities and towns have ordinances that could turn innocent trick-or-treating into a criminal offense. From age restrictions…
Read MoreMonth: October 2025
Civil Commitment and the Criminalization of Homelessness
Source: petrieflom.law.harvard.edu 10/24/25 In July, President Donald Trump issued an Executive Order titled “Ending Crime and Disorder on America’s Streets,” (the Order) to address homelessness — or what his administration called “endemic vagrancy,” disorderly behavior, and violent attacks. By encouraging states to expand civil commitment programs while dismantling initiatives such as “housing first” that provide more holistic support, the Order calls for a blunt solution to the incredibly complex issue of homelessness. Perhaps equally concerning and less publicly discussed is the Order’s quiet reference to the Sexually Violent Predator (SVP) federal program.…
Read MoreHousing
Need some ideas on how to get housing? Over time, we will post more information here. Please comment on ideas you have had to get housing. Residency Screening Search Engine www.safelivingsearch.com is a website designed for any person with living restrictions looking for a place to establish as a permanent or temporary address. Nationwide search feature powered by Google Maps that allows full customization to fit your needs to find a residence that complies with your local residency restrictions. With Safe Living Search, finding a place to live, stay, or…
Read MoreTX: McLennan County sheriff’s deputies arrest members of Oklahoma vigilante group that targets sex offenders
Source: ktre.com 10/21/25 WACO, Texas (KWTX) – Three reported members of the Oklahoma Predators Prevention Group (OPP), an online vigilante group that entraps suspected sex predators, were arrested by the McLennan County Sheriff’s Office after a recent case involving a Central Texas man. Russell Goodwin, Ryan Koch and George Liebsch were all charged with unlawful restraint-exposure to substantial risk of serious bodily injury, a third-degree felony. The sheriff’s office said two of the members have “extensive criminal histories spanning several years.” The investigation began in August when the three OPP members traveled from…
Read MoreNY appeals court reverses sex offender risk ruling
Source: nydailyrecord.com 10/20/25 A state appeals court has rescinded a lower court ruling setting the risk level of a sex offender because the prosecution never requested the determination and the judge failed to explain the basis for his ruling. In Yates County, state Supreme Court Justice Jason L. Cook, in November 2023, determined that defendant Stephanie A. Ridley was a level three risk under the state Sex Offender Registration Act. The Appellate Division of state Supreme Court, Fourth Department, unanimously reversed Cook’s finding “in the interest of justice and on…
Read MoreOH: Former Ohio public defender dies by suicide after arrest
Source: ohiocapitaljournal.com 10/20/25 David Stebbins, a former federal public defender who played a prominent role in many Ohio death-penalty cases, died by suicide on Oct. 2, according to records in the office of Franklin County Coroner Nathaniel Overmire. Stebbins was arrested in late September on charges of pandering child pornography, according to records at the Franklin County Clerk’s office. Stebbins, 77, had represented many clients on Ohio’s death row, and supervised more-junior public defenders doing so. According to a charging document, Stebbins in May transmitted images of a boy engaged in sexual activity. He was…
Read MoreACSOL Online Meeting November 15, 2025
You are invited to join ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci and President attorney Elie Miller to our next meeting. The meeting will be held on Saturday, November 15 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 you can call in using a Zoom phone number. There is no registration needed for this meeting. No government officials are allowed to attend the meetings. This meeting will be recorded and posted within a couple…
Read MoreWebinar: Finding Light in a Difficult Season – Coping with the Holidays (Oct 22 webinar)
Source: restorativeactionalliance.org As the holiday season approaches, many people face unique challenges, including feelings of isolation, loneliness, and trauma triggers. We invite you to join us for an engaging webinar featuring a panel of experienced social workers who specialize in supporting individuals navigating the complexities of the criminal legal system and survivors of harm. In this supportive space, we will explore the emotional and practical struggles associated with navigating the registry, as well as the impact of traumatic events during significant times of the year, such as celebrations, birthdays, anniversaries,…
Read MoreResponding to youth engaged in problematic sexual behavior
Source: childhood-usa.org 2025 [page 48] Improve the response to youth who have engaged in PSB by: • Prohibiting the use of harmful assessment and management approaches—including the use of polygraph tests • Promoting evidence-based, trauma-informed treatment programs designed for youth who have engaged in PSB • Eliminating sex offender registration in all cases of children adjudicated delinquent, without exception When a child or teen has engaged in problematic sexual behavior (PSB) the first instinct might be to reach for the harshest tools—such as invasive assessments, criminal charges and sex offender…
Read MoreMI: Michigan Sex Offender Registries Performance Audit Report shows problems
Source: audgen.michigan.gov 10/2025 [Sample information:] Inaccuracies in MSOR information for 9 (20%) of 45 samples active registrants and improper cancellation of 7 (16%) of 43 sample registrants Documentation was missing or incomplete for 4 (7%) of 60 sampled out-of-state registrants were no longer domiciled, temporarily residing, working, or attending school in Michigan Potentially 2,742 registrants have address discrepancies Read the report
Read MoreTX: Fort Worth Considers Tougher Sex Offender Residency Rules Near Schools And Parks
Source: dallasexpress.com 10/16/25 [Texas residents: consider taking action with calls, letters, showing up to hearings, etc.] Fort Worth officials are considering new residency limits that would bar certain registered sex offenders from living near schools, parks, and other child-safety zones. The proposal would bar offenders whose victims were under 17 from residing within 1,000 feet of designated areas such as playgrounds, public pools, and youth centers, according to city attorney Trey Qualls. Council member Charles Lauersdorf said he favors a stricter version. “To those currently sitting in prison who…
Read MoreICE Agent Who Took Upskirt Photos of Flight Attendant Says It Wasn’t a Crime Because He Was Sneaky
Source: reason.com 10/16/25 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent Billy Olvera just wanted more cookies—or so he told an American Airlines flight attendant. Meanwhile, he used the ruse to take photos and videos of the attendant’s butt, legs, and feet. A police examination of his phone uncovered 23 photos and 20 videos of the flight attendant, who goes by A.G. in court documents. Olvera’s “clandestine video voyeurism,” as his lawyer would later describe it, took place while Olvera was on duty, working as a deportation officer transporting a detainee on a…
Read MoreCO: Colorado Child Porn Law Didn’t Ban Deepfake Porn Until Recent Amendments, Court Holds
Source: reason.com 10/14/25 From In the Interest of Juvenile: S.G.H., decided yesterday by the Colorado Supreme Court, written by Justice Carlos A. Samour, Jr.: S.G.H., a young teenager, … is accused of using a generative-AI tool to blend authentic images of three classmates’ actual faces and clothed bodies with computer-generated images portraying naked intimate body parts to make it appear as though the classmates are nude…. Every state has laws prohibiting the nonconsensual distribution of authentic intimate images, and the federal government recently enacted a similar measure. But “few laws in the United…
Read MoreCA: Governor Signs Senate Bill 680 That Will Expand Registry
Source: ACSOL Governor Gavin Newsom today signed Senate Bill 680 that will expand the sex offender registry starting on January 1, 2026. That bill will require individuals convicted of Penal 261.5, unlawful intercourse, on or after that date to register. The bill also states that individuals convicted of that offense will be assigned to Tier 1 which requires registration for at least 10 years. “While we regret that this bill has become law today, we are grateful that the original bill was amended to ensure that those previously convicted of Penal…
Read MoreCA: Woman charged in shooting at Fresno sex offender home
Source: yourcentralvalley.com 10/13/25 FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – The woman accused of opening fire in a home for registered sex offenders was in court on Monday. 45-year-old Jennifer Cedano faces four felony charges, including assault with a semi-automatic firearm. Investigators say on Aug. 30, she broke into a home in Fresno’s Old Fig Garden, where several sex offenders live, and opened fire. One man sustained a gunshot wound to his lower body. … Read the full article
Read MorePunishment by Another Name
Source: sentencing.substack.com 10/13/25 This term, the Supreme Court will hear the case of Ellingburg v. United States, which asks whether criminal restitution under the Mandatory Victims Restitution Act (MVRA) constitutes punishment for purposes of the Ex Post Facto Clause. The Clause prohibits retroactive increases of criminal punishments, ensuring that the government cannot change the rules after the fact to impose harsher penalties. Criminal restitution — the money paid by a defendant to a victim — has grown into one of the most troubling, yet least examined, features of modern criminal sentencing. Unlike criminal…
Read MoreYou Paid Your Debt, So Why Are You Still in Prison?
Source: substack.com 10/11/25 Most of us have heard the phrase “paid your debt to society.” It wasn’t just a catchy line — it once meant something real. When prisons were first called penitentiaries, the idea was rooted in penitence — serving your time, reflecting, and then rejoining society with a clean slate. Back then, once you finished your sentence, you were done. Your debt was settled. You went home, got back to work, and reintegrated into your community. You weren’t branded forever by the worst moment of your life. But somewhere along the way, America abandoned…
Read MoreACSOL website maintenance for Oct 11 is finished and the site is ready to use
ACSOL website was down for maintenance Oct 11 from 1 AM 2 AM PST Maintenance work is finished and the site is back in service.
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