The Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws (ACSOL) filed a third lawsuit today challenging a city’s requirement that all registrants, including those with high risk COVID-19 factors, register in person. The defendant in the lawsuit is the City of Sacramento and the lawsuit was filed in Sacramento Superior Court.
Today’s lawsuit alleges that the requirement to register in person during a pandemic and in contravention of state and local orders, is an abuse of discretion and therefore unlawful. The lawsuit requests that the court issue a writ of mandamus that requires the City of Sacramento to adopt an alternative method for registration.
“The City of Sacramento is placing the public at great risk by requiring all registrants, including those with high risk COVID-19 factors, to register in person,” stated ACSOL President Chance Oberstein. “Every registrant who becomes infected during registration could infect several more people, including the law enforcement officials who register them.”
Although the lawsuit does not demand a specific alternate method for registration, it highlights the fact that the Los Angeles Police Department has successfully stopped in-person registration and replaced it with telephonic registration. The City of Los Angeles has more than 3,900 registrants as compared to only 1,800 registrants in the City of Sacramento.
“ACSOL will continue to identify cities and counties that require in-person registration and challenge their dangerous acts in court,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci.
Awesome work, Janice and the rest of the ACSOL team! This is making a life-or-death difference in the lives of all of us persecuted registrants, our families, and our supporters!
Everyone, help ACSOL increase the fight by donating sacrificially. Any size is very appreciated.
We also appreciate major donations by those who are able, and a special thanks to those who include ACSOL in their estate planning.
The more resources we have, the greater the battles we can make!
Once again, Janice et al, thank you for helping to restore and preserve our civil and human rights! May all of these lawsuits be a success!
Thank you for continuing to do this vital work!
I’m in the elderly group (65) and live with an older (81) partner with COPD so we have been isolating at home since March 15th. Fortunately I had already registered in Sacramento mid February and was in and out in under 30 minutes because I had last years’ form scanned, filled-out and printed ahead of time.
Registration in Sacramento is actually done through Sacramento County, so you might want to update or amend the lawsuit if you haven’t already included the county. Either way, thank you again!
Thanks so much Janice for your hard work!
I’m high risk, but I don’t register until September. If this insanity isn’t over by then, I might ask to do something about Fresno County…
Janice, have you heard from anyone in Fresno County? How they are handling registration in this crisis?
Thank you Janice ~ What about the weekly mandated group counseling meetings? I just talked to a friend of ours who is still required to attend group every week. Is that not against the governor’s order? Even schools are closed, so I find it hard to believe that these meetings are deemed essential.
I always love ACSOL lawsuits! Hold these corrupt government officials and “public servants” accountable!
Filling a suit during a pandemic hmm interesting. I’m justing wanting to file an appeal to have a second chance under a duress tactics due to strern and false impression by deceit. Wish dad was still around he knew something about law but it is what it is when it is what it ain’t. Course I’ve waited so long one might as well hang in their.
Dad was always for true justice and being an account you had to be working with a lot of companies. This sex offender game is no spilt milk shake in many respects.
Janice, in these difficult times, it is heartening that you do so much to help us. I am very glad that you are on our side and looking out for those of us you may be severely impacted by the foolish and dangerous policies of law enforcement.
It is interesting about law suits and yes there were several law suits going on during the buffalo creek disaster in the coal field area of WV at that time and sure Janice and her team are right in many area’s in many of these sex offender issues we all face.
Relief is what many seek and putting things in prospective is always good. One can talk about American Government, Make America Great, the stance on the sex offender, or putting a world crisis back together but who puts a human life back together at times of dispair. So its not always about the sex offender.
Was the intent to make America Great for American’s or just leave some groups out in the cold. How about relationships with other. I would believe the whole country is being cold with this lockdown of a mother nature type.
We’ve always had governmentr enslavement in one form or another in America now this act of nature seems to want to send a message to America and the world. Sure nobody can predict whats going to happen as some of you have said but who is being enslaved now or being in terror of a government stand still.
Some never look or think about prison conditions as many of you all brought up. Some people even love to be a work-acolic or try to keep busy, feed a family, try and seek work and just try and fit in society, but for many on the registry they are discriminated.
Is this nation going backwards into the French Revolution days or can a quick fix understand all this. What about the young people going thru all this ordeal we face in many different ways. Sure we all can make a difference and be responsible for his or her actions but when government overstepps than something has to jog to a balance.
We’ve have many epidemic’s but a pandemic with this contravirus -19 label is a bit different in this rush to judgement world today. Even governments seem to be a bit greedy today in judgements of mankind and yes jail populations are not slowing down. I’m sure no one ever thought something like this would hit a nation.
Bravo, but are some / many / most courts not shut down because of the virus? If they are suspending the trials of people languishing in jail – will anyone be available to process a brand new lawsuit?
Joe. TS got a point. My dad use to hate to drive to Charleston, WV for the gas company about rights, this that and the other, or even property rights and yes their many mine wars in WV and those area’s. Even Coal Mine bosses were on the take if thats any history.
Sure people can say it takes two to tango or three but where is truth today or where is that 17 boy I met today that killed his mother and father while on a dope rage so what does one ssay about justice today or true values or should we all go back to the hanging judge days.
““It is important to note that state law does not require most registrants to register in person,” stated ACSOL President Chance Oberstein.”
But it does. I find it hard to believe Mr. Oberstein is not familiar with PC 290.
PC 290.015 specifically and explicitly requires, within 5 days of the person’s birthday, among many other things
PC 290.015(a)(1) A statement in writing signed by the person… (which I understand contains information that changes all the time)
PC 290.015(a)(2) The fingerprints and a current photograph of the person taken by the registering official.
all of which the registering agency must forward to the DoJ within 3 days (PC 290.015(b))
Failure to produce anything in sub-section (a) is grounds for arrest and prosecution. (PC 290.015(c)(1)). No extenuating circumstances provided.
Most information can indeed be emailed or called in. The (current) statement can be downloaded, signed and mailed hard copy, along with the information provided by telephone or email – though that makes the 3-day deadline (as required by state law) to the DoJ more than tight.
But fingerprints and current photograph require personal interaction between registrant and registering official. They simply do. True, this need not take place at the (crowded) Police or Sheriff’s offices / station. It can be at your home or office or in the Walmart parking lot. But in-person, conducted by a registering official, it must be.
As required by state law. It is not a city requirement.
It’s not like I don’t appreciate the effort, but why would one file suit against a local Police Department for enforcing current and valid state law? Isn’t that their job?
On that note I would be interested on what authority the LAPD is actively and knowingly violating state law. How refreshing it would be if law enforcement were to enforce the law, and all laws that are nonsensical and downright dangerous to enforce would be eliminated post-haste. Or, even better, never allowed to exist in the first place.
@USA seems to make more since than any of us and I even feel ashamed, should we call in the National Guard. Yes I worked right beside them in buffalo creek. They asked a group from Hight School if they wanted to vollunteer and I stepped up and it was a warm experience.
Now with this issue that has comes up today with this pandemic wanting you all to go in person to registar which presents a hardship. Listen to Chance and Janice and the teams advice is good and what you all understand from the many comments on here from past advice
In government, one might say, went by the book their would be less people in prison today. Sometimes one has to wonder if we are fighting man or the elements or do we all need theological understanding or where is justice or any type of understanding today.
What about all the people on probation who have to attend mandatory counseling? I was in group sessions sometimes with 15 to 20 people.
@Joe
Specificity, even in the specific thread, avoids issues and provides clarity when one wants all to understand the court in the discussion. If this one court is all that matters, then ask why about others as you did?