San Bernardino County and the city of Victorville have settled lawsuits with a civil rights attorney challenging the constitutionality of both municipalities’ sex offender ordinances.
Victorville has agreed to revise its 8-year-old ordinance to conform with state law, which prohibits registered sex offenders from residing within 2,000 feet of a school or park and bans those on parole and whose victims were under the age of 14 from visiting public parks without the express permission of their parole agent. Full Article
Janice, I don’t know if I completely understanding this, does this mean that The Courts have decided that the 2000ft rule applies to all registered citizens now? Though it don’t mean much since my wife and I continue to search for somewhere to live only to be turned down for one reason or an other, as I believe though California equal housing rules still protect against it (or so I thought), please correct me if I’m wrong about this, and if I’m not I am willing to be a plaintiff against any and all who discriminate for this reason.
“The crusading civil rights attorney???” How about one of the few attorneys in the state willing to fight injustice, lies and things that are just plain wrong? And while I’m at it; the city of Carson is rather foolish with their declaration of “war” on Janice. They will have to conform weather they like it or not. And when they are put in check by state law it will be all the sweeter because of their knee-jerk obstinacy. Councilman Kennedy of Victorville can suck eggs too! He and his city lost in their bid to function outside of the state law. I live in unincorporated San Bernardino County so I’m watching this with much interest. Either way, they will have to conform to state law, so I already consider their case a lost cause. 🙂 Go Janice! You rock!
I would like to make a suggestion. Every time Janice walks into a courtroom she should have a theme song playing in the background. Just like boxers, MMA fighters, and professional wrestlers before they enter the ring. The song I feel would be most appropriate would be Queen’s song “Another one bites the dust”.
“…And another one gone, and another one gone, Another one bites the dust. Hey, Janice is gonna get you, too. Another one bites the dust…”
All kidding aside, thank you Janice for everything you do for the registrant community.
Assuming that a stranger who is intent on harming a child in a park would NOT DO SO because the county has an ordinance forbidding him from being present in the vicinity is as absurd a piece of logic as I ever heard. Why would Council members think that an ordinance threatening a misdemeanor charge would EVER deter someone who is determined to commit a serious felony? The ordinance banning registered citizens from being present in a park is nothing but feel-good legislation. It does not provide any ACTUAL safety from a person who has decided to harm a child and is simply a way to generate votes for a politician at the expense of another’s civil rights.
I wish the people of San Bernardino and Victorville could recognize that 98% of children who are molested are victimized by people who ALREADY have access to their children and who are NOT registered sex offenders. Are they keeping a close enough eye on them? The bottom line is this: Monitor and protect your OWN children – don’t depend on the government to do it for you, even as much as politicians would like you to believe they can do just that.
“Anybody who has to register as a sex offender in California can be a plaintiff, and there are 105,000 potential plaintiffs.”
So, if all 105,000 file lawsuits tomorrow. This will be a nightmare for the city.
Do the math 105,000 time $5,000 ? Im not that good in math..
The collateral damage done to families and children of registrants over the eight years this unconstitutional mechanism has been in place, is difficult – if not impossible – to determine.
We know there will never be just compensation for the emotional and societal damage that is imposed – implicitly and explicitly – upon registrants and their families.
Thank you Janice for taking this on and prevailing as it helps thousands feel a sense of justice.