MO: Missouri AG outlines Halloween rules for sex offenders [no signs required thanks to ACSOL!]

Source: kttn.com 10/29/25 As Halloween nears, Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway is reminding residents about the state’s strict safety measures designed to protect children during trick-or-treating. Missouri law establishes specific restrictions for registered sex offenders on October 31. These regulations are intended to ensure the safety of children and maintain community peace. Under state law, offenders must adhere to the following requirements: No contact with children during Halloween-related activities. Offenders are prohibited from hosting, participating in, or attending any event involving minors. Turn off all outdoor lights and decorations by 5…

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CO: Colorado Supreme Court weighs whether lifetime sex offender registration amounts to ‘punishment’

Source: coloradopolitics.com 10/31/25 Members of the Colorado Supreme Court appeared wary last week of deeming lifetime sex offender registration “punishment,” even as they heard about the inescapable consequences for a person’s liberty and privacy. Under Colorado law, “sexually violent predators” are subject to lifetime sex offender registration. To qualify, they must be 18 years or older, convicted of certain offenses, commit the offense against certain types of people and, finally, be “likely to subsequently commit one or more” sexual offenses. Although the legislature has not deemed lifetime registration to be “punishment,” Colorado’s…

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FL: Florida cases seeking death penalty for child sex abuse could test precedent in Supreme Court

Source: abajournal.com 10/30/25 Two Florida prosecutions could test the U.S. Supreme Court’s 5-4 ruling in 2008 that held that the death penalty for child rape is unconstitutional. Prosecutors in Palm Beach County, Florida, filed notice earlier this month that they intend to seek the death penalty for Josue Mendez-Sales, and his roommate, Pablo Cobon-Mendez, who are accused of repeatedly sexually abusing a 6-year-old girl, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports in a story published by the Tampa Bay Times. And in Putnam County, Florida, prosecutors indicated in June that they will…

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You are invited to Restorative Action Alliance’s Virtual Gallery Opening on November 1st, 2025 (Zoom)

Source: restorativeactionalliance.org JOIN Restorative Action Alliance for a SPECIAL CELEBRATION as we mark the conclusion of our Many Truths: Breaking Down False Dichotomies program! This initiative is dedicated to empowering individuals affected by cycles of harm and the criminal legal system. Crime survivors, family members, and system-impacted individuals come together to share their unique experiences and creative expressions.  WHEN: November 1st, 4:30 – 6:00 pm PDT, 7:30 – 9:00 pm ED WHERE: Zoom (we will email you a link) Please share this invite with anyone you feel might benefit. You do not…

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FL: 181 people arrested in human trafficking operation [Registry crime prevention failure–no registrants mentioned arrested!]

Source: tampabay28.com 10/30/25 TAMPA, Fla. — Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office arrests 181 people in human trafficking operation, including a high school instructor. Sheriff Chad Cronister held a press conference on Thursday to discuss the details of their most recent human trafficking operation. In total, 181 people were arrested, and one 17-year-old victim was rescued. Read the full article  

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FL Action Alert! Florida bill banning registrants from residing near pools, beaches, lakes, rivers

Source: floridaactioncommittee.org 10/30/25 [Janice’s note: Florida residents, please click here to take action now] House Bill 45 and Senate Bill 212 seek to add to the 1,000 ft residency restrictions of childcare facilities, schools, parks and playgrounds by including “public swimming pools” and “public bathing places”. These residency restrictions result in 80% or more of Florida being off limits for registrant housing. Registrants who have committed one of the enumerated offenses; involving a victim under 16 years of age; and after 2004 for a Florida offense or 2010 for an…

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AR: Man Accused of Soliciting Teen Girl Walks Because of Federal Overreach

Source: reason.com 10/29/25 The DOJ tried to claim jurisdiction because he drove on a road.   In its zeal to ratchet up more sex trafficking prosecutions, the Department of Justice (DOJ) overreached—and it backfired. Now, a seeming sexual predator may escape conviction because the feds couldn’t just leave local crime to local authorities. The DOJ tried to invoke jurisdiction because the potential predator—an adult man who tried to pay his friend’s teen daughter for sex on multiple occasions—used money, used a car that was made out of state, and drove…

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NJ: Former N.J. cop facing child sex abuse charges found dead from self-inflicted wound

Source: yahoo.com 10/28/25 A former Hamilton police officer charged with recording child sexual abuse was found dead early Tuesday in a state park in Hopewell Township, authorities said. Brian DiBiasi, 40, died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound in the southern area of Washington Crossing State Park, near the Delaware River, the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office confirmed. DiBiasi and his wife, Elizabeth DiBiasi, 43, were arrested in… Read the full article  

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VA: Virginia Court Reverses $1M Libel Judgment for School Board Chair Called “Sexual Predator/Harasser” by Activist

Source: reason.com 10/28/25 The speaker’s comments, the Virginia Court of Appeals held, “comments constitute non-actionable opinions based on fully disclosed facts.” Eugene Volokh | 10.28.2025 3:02 PM From Pestrak v. Sawyers, decided last week by the Virginia Court of Appeals (Judge Vernida Chaney, joined by Judges Frank Friedman and Stuart Raphael): In December 2017, Petrak, who led the “Prince William Committee (PWC) for Quality Education” and had previously pursued recall efforts to oust Sawyers from his Chairman position, publicly responded to a prior 2014 comment made by Sawyers on Facebook. Sawyers had commented…

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PA: Stuck in 1995 Rally Marks 30 Years of Failed Policies

Source: parsol.org 10/28/25 HARRISBURG, PA – October 28, 2025 – The Pennsylvania Association for Rational Sexual Offense Laws (PARSOL) Advocates gathered at the Pennsylvania Capitol Rotunda today to mark thirty years since the enactment of Pennsylvania’s Megan’s Law and to call for modernization of the state’s sexual offense laws which were signed into law by then- Governor Tom Ridge on October 21, 1995. “Our lives have changed since 1995. You’ll all recognize Microsoft’s groundbreaking system, Windows 95. But is anyone still using that? Pennsylvania’s registry laws are stuck in 1995 while everything else…

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Janice’s Journal: We Miss You!

ACSOL conducted annual conferences from the year 2017 through the year 2024.  ACSOL chose not to conduct a conference this year for several reasons, including indirect threats of violence and deference to NARSOL’s rescheduled conference. ACSOL is happy to announce that its annual conference will return in 2026.  Why?  Because we miss you!  We miss the opportunities to network with you and to listen to what you have to say. ACSOL’s 2026 conference will be conducted in person at a hotel in Los Angeles, near the LAX airport.  The date…

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Trick-or-Treating Laws: Age Limits, Curfews, and Other Restrictions You Need to Know

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…

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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.…

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Housing

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…

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TX: 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…

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NY 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…

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OH: 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…

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