CA: 11/14/24 CASOMB Reports have limited information this month

Source: CASOMB, reported by Janice The California Sex Offender Management Board (CASOMB) met on November 14, 2024.  During that meeting, statistics were provided regarding the number of registrants on parole, the number of registrants on parole who are considered high risk as well as the number of registrants in prison.  Additional statistics regarding registrants, including but not limited to the total number of registrants, were not provided today due to the absence of the board member representing the California Department of Justice. Category Current Former Change Total number of registrants…

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TX: Texas Cops Fired for ‘Inappropriate’ Sexual Contact With Massage Workers

Source: reason.com 11/13/24 [ACSOL note: This is posted to show a case of abuse of authority] As a result of the internal affairs investigation, three Lewisville officers were fired, one was demoted, and seven were suspended without pay. Eleven Texas police officers have been disciplined for misconduct related to prostitution stings at massage parlors. Some of the officers are accused of inappropriate physical conduct with alleged sex workers during the stings, while others are accused of failing to stop or report this misconduct. Thirteen officers were investigated, and three wound…

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LA: Louisiana Supreme Court reverses course; child sex abuse ‘lookback’ window ruled constitutional

Source: kadn.com 6/21/24 NEW ORLEANS (KADN) — On review, the Louisiana Supreme Court has determined a 2021 law that created a three-year “lookback” window for child sex abuse victims is in fact constitutional. The law gives victims of child sex abuse a limited timeframe to file civil lawsuits, regardless of when the alleged abuse occurred. Read the full article  

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CA: Bay Area Community Services (BACS) is hiring

Source: bayareacs.org  The California-based Bay Area Community Services (BACS) is looking to expand our services in the Sacramento region. There are several positions open, which including supervisory roles, employment or housing coordinators. Here at BACS, we look for the very best people and then give them meaningful work to do.  We do whatever it takes to stop the cycle of poverty — end homelessness — and help people living with mental illness recover. Our team is filled with smart, creative, socially conscious, and dynamic people who are committed to providing…

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The Law Must Respond When Science Changes

Source: scientificamerican.com 11/4/24 What was once fair under the law may become unfair when science changes. The law must react to uphold due process It’s been an astounding couple of weeks in the world where science and law intersect. Robert Roberson’s execution is delayed because everybody but the highest courts in Texas and the U.S. now realize that the medical theory on which he was convicted—shaken baby syndrome—originally rested on bad science. The life-without-parole sentences for Lyle and Erik Menendez, convicted of killing their parents, are also in question because researchers at the…

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US appeals court rejects sentencing panel’s compassionate release policy

Source: reuters.com 11/1/24 Nov 1 (Reuters) – A federal appeals court on Friday ruled that the U.S. Sentencing Commission lacked authority to enact a policy last year that would allow judges to deem changes in law as “extraordinary and compelling” reasons justifying releasing prisoners early. A three-judge panel of the Philadelphia-based 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reached that conclusion as it rejected, opens new tab a Pennsylvania man’s bid to reduce the nearly 42-1/2 year prison sentence he received for committing two armed robberies in 2003.   The defendant, Daniel Rutherford, had argued…

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Korea: ‘Squid Game 2’ sparks outrage over casting convicted sex offender

Source: jang.com.pk 11/3/24 The most awaited trailer of Netflix’s Squid Game 2 has unveiled on November 1, which featured some old and new characters, trying to navigate the chaotic and lethal game. Although, the trailer fueled exciting among fans, it also sparked outrage due to the inclusion of veteran actor Song Young-chang, who was convicted of underage prostitution in 2000. … Many major Korean broadcast channels banned him but Song continued to work in the entertainment industry, appearing in various K-Dramas and movies in supporting roles Read the full article  

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NY: D.A. Whines That He Can’t Use Abusive “Sexually Violent Offender” Term

Source: Jason Schmidt on observertoday.com 11/2/24 [Jason Schmidt is Chautauqua County district attorney] I write to clarify and correct the public record created by recent reporting and editorial comment on my efforts to obtain “Sexually Violent Offender” designations for certain convicted sex offenders under New York’s Sex Offender Registration Act (“SORA”). … One critical designation under SORA is that of “Sexually Violent Offender,” a classification which recognizes the inherent violent nature of certain sex crimes, many of which concern sexual assaults committed against children, by requiring lifetime registration, increased monitoring by law enforcement, and…

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Read the new 2024 Federal Sentencing Guidelines Manual amendments that are effective Nov 1, 2024

Source: ussc.gov 11/1/24 The U.S. Sentencing Commission, a bipartisan, independent agency located in the judicial branch of government, was created by Congress in 1984 to reduce sentencing disparities and promote transparency and proportionality in sentencing. The Commission collects, analyzes, and distributes a broad array of information on federal sentencing practices.  The Commission also continuously establishes and amends sentencing guidelines for the judicial branch and assists the other branches in developing effective and efficient crime policy. Read the guidelines  

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The War on Halloween

Source: kenklippenstein.com 10/31/24 Halloween is a pretty extraordinary holiday. Think about it. Every year, millions of Americans knock on the doors of total strangers and accept candy from them, almost entirely without incident. For a culture as isolated and mistrustful as ours is, it’s amazing this is even possible. Halloween is a repudiation of the “See Something, Say Something” paranoia fostered by the national security state since 9/11 in particular. Small surprise, then, that these government agencies fearmonger about the holiday, never passing up a chance to ruin the fun. …

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Every Halloween, Cops Brag About Arresting Sex Offenders. Here’s What The Arrests Were Actually For.

Source: huffpost.com 10/31/24 HuffPost obtained 37 arrest reports, the overwhelming majority of which show law enforcement officers arresting people for minor technical parole violations.   Every year on Halloween, law enforcement agencies throughout the country conduct thousands of random checks on people who are required to register as sex offenders. The sweeps, called “Operation Boo,” typically result in a handful of arrests, which cops tout as evidence of their utility in protecting children from would-be predators. The press has dutifully spread this message: “For the 26th year, ‘Operation Boo’ Keeps…

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FL: ‘Let Parents Decide’ What Kids Can Do Online, Argue Tech Groups in New Lawsuit

Source: reason.com 10/30/24 The groups are challenging a Florida law that bans some teens from social media. The Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA) and NetChoice, two prominent tech-industry trade groups, have filed a lawsuit against a Florida statute barring younger teens from social media. Their suit—filed Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida—cites First Amendment concerns with Florida House Bill 3, which the groups also portray as an imposition on parents’ rights. “Florida House Bill 3 is the latest attempt in a long line of…

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MO: Janice interviewed on TV news about Missouri sex offenders no longer having to put signs out on Halloween

Source: ksdk.com 10/29/24 ST. LOUIS — This Halloween, Missouri sex offenders won’t have to put a sign on their front door turning people away after a court decision earlier this month. Since August of 2008, registered sex offenders had to put signs on their doors on Halloween saying “No candy or treats at this residence.” Attorney Janice Bellucci represented a Hazelwood man challenging the law.   “All the laws have one thing in common, which is they’re based on a myth or misunderstanding that people on the registry actually pose…

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CA: CDCR Kicks Off ‘Operation Boo’ Halloween Safety Campaign

Source: cdcr.ca.gov 10/28/24 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Halloween is fast approaching, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) is helping to keep kids and families safe. Throughout the week, CDCR parole agents will be providing safety tips for trick-or-treaters via social media and as part of a comprehensive parents’ guide on our 2024 Operation Boo webpage. (Follow us on the following social media platforms: Facebook, Instagram, X)  THE BIGGER PICTURE: Hundreds of parole agents across the state, in collaboration with local law enforcement partners, will conduct compliance checks on sex offender supervised…

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Janice’s Journal: Answers to Questions are Only Stop Gap Measures

About a month ago we identified three cases for which we had not yet received an answer.  As of today, we have answers to those questions, however, some of those answers have resulted in more questions. First, a federal district court in Missouri has issued its decision regarding Halloween signs.  That decision was strong and clear: Halloween signs are unconstitutional.  The court even granted a permanent statewide injunction that in essence prohibits law enforcement in the state of Missouri from enforcing the state law that required the Halloween signs. While…

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Are you the parent of someone forced to register? Please take this survey

Source: Illinois State University Are you the parent of someone forced to register? If so, please participate in a research study conducted by Morgan Zornow under the supervision of Dr. Jessie L. Krienert in the Criminal Justice Sciences Department at Illinois State University. The study examines the stigma faced by parents of those convicted of a sexual offense. The survey takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. You must have a child/relative convicted of a sex offense at least three months ago to participate, and you must be 18 years of…

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IL: How do scores of Chicagoans arrested for sex crimes stay off the sex offender registry once convicted?

Source: nbcchicago.com 10/22/24 When John heard the news on a recent Friday, it hit him hard: Elliott ____, a former Chicago public schoolteacher and John’s former colleague, had been arrested and charged with three counts of child exploitation, after allegedly exposing himself to three girls – ages 10, 9, and 7. Eight years ago, John – who does not want to be identified by his real name – was one of more than two dozen victims recorded by Elliott after he hid a motion-activated camera in an employee bathroom at…

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MT: Montana’s Porn Age Verification Law Is Headed to Court

Source: reason.com 10/23/24 “Invoking the innocence of children is not…a magic incantation sufficient for legislatures to run roughshod over the First Amendment rights of adults.”   It seems that a puritanical wave is sweeping the country as state governments increasingly try to make it more difficult to access pornography from within their borders. A lawsuit is challenging one of those laws, and this week, a federal judge allowed it to continue. Montana is one of multiple states in recent years to pass a law requiring pornographic websites to verify users’ ages. Under Senate…

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