[caller.com – 10/1/20] AUSTIN – Beeville optometrist Elizabeth Perez Aliseda has been appointed to the Texas Council on Sex Offender Treatment by Gov. Greg Abbott. Aliseda owns Mira Vision Boutique in Beeville. She is also a member of the Texas Optometric Association and the American Optometric Association and a former president of the Coastal Bend College Foundation and the Beeville Rotary Club. Read more about this appointment of an optometrist who will manage sex offender treatment
Read MoreAuthor: R H
Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers (ATSA) Report concludes SORNA does not achieve its goals
[atsa.com – 10/1/20] PURPOSE OF THIS PAPER [from the web page]: Registration and community notification with international adoption of these policies expanding to other countries in subsequent years. Federal and local laws in the U.S. and other Western countries require persons who have been convicted of a sexual crime to register their living location and other personal information with a local law enforcement agency on a regular basis. This requirement varies in its duration, but in many cases can continue for the rest of the registrant’s life. For the majority…
Read MoreFAC: Have sex offense laws ‘jumped the shark’?
[floridaactioncommittee.org – 9/30/20] The phrase “jump the shark”, according to the Urban Dictionary, is the point at which something loses its touch and begins to grasp at straws. It was coined by Jon Hein, who wrote a book citing examples of television shows that reached a peak and then began to go downhill. It refers to an episode of “Happy Days” in which Fonzie jumped a shark on water skiis. From that point on, the show ran out of story lines and came up with ridiculousness to keep it on…
Read MoreID: Idaho man sues over state’s anti-sodomy law
[ap.org – 9/24/20] BOISE, Idaho (AP) — An Idaho man represented by a coalition of civil rights attorneys is suing the state’s attorney general over Idaho’s so-called “infamous crime against nature” law, which makes it illegal to have oral or anal sex. The man, who uses the pseudonym “John Doe,” filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court on Wednesday, saying his constitutional rights were violated when he was forced to register as a sex offender earlier this year because he was convicted in another state more than two decades ago…
Read MoreMaxwell Monty: The List
When I was growing up and misbehaving, my grandmother used to say, “Watch it! You’re extremely close to being put on my ‘S&*T List.’” That warning was always enough to curtail my objectionable activity and to keep me from finding my name on my grandmother’s unenviable ledger. I was not exactly sure what would have happened had my name been inked in my grandmother’s register, but it was clear from her tone that shame, fear, and regret would have been part of the torment. Her cautioning emphasized that a list…
Read MoreThe Deskovic Foundation Virtual Summit Oct 9: Pathways to a New Culture of Accountability in Criminal Justice
[deskovicfoundation.org] On Friday, October 9 at 9:am Pacific Time join us virtually for a day of workshops featuring special guest exonerees and panelists who will participate in discussions on: – Prosecutorial Misconduct in the State of California – Term Limits for California District Attorneys – Raising the Age of Adult Incarceration – Journalism and Media in the Advocating for Justice Reform – Eliminating Executions in California – Voices of Mothers of the Wrongfully Incarcerated Read more about the event and register
Read MoreFL: Wakulla County to pay $160,000 to settle lawsuit with City Walk Urban Mission
[wtxl.com – 9/22/20] WAKULLA COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) — A federal court in Tallahassee has ruled that City Walk Urban Mission can again operate in Wakulla County and can open up three other transition homes within the county. Tuesday, the court approved a settlement between the organization and the county. The county agreed to settle the case for $160,000. In addition to the $160,000 Wakulla County agreed to pay to settle, the county also agreed to allow City Walk to establish up to three other transition homes in the county. City…
Read MoreTX: Proposal to Bar Ex-criminals from Affordable Housing in Texas Called Unfair
[reformaustin.org – 9/22/20] Under draft rules being considered by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, anyone on the sex offender registry or those with drug manufacturing convictions would be permanently barred from state-supported housing. Others with violent felony convictions would be banned for three years, nonviolent felony offenders would be excluded for two years, and Class A misdemeanor offenses would result in a one-year ban. The possible new rules first reported on by the Houston Chronicle are opposed by fair housing advocates. “This will have a disastrous impact…
Read MoreNew Jersey Dem Under Fire for Lobbying Against Sex Offender Registry
[freebeacon.com – 9/22/20] New Jersey congressman Tom Malinowski (D.), who is locked in a close reelection battle, is under fire for his role lobbying against the creation of a sex offender registry. The fresh scrutiny comes in the wake of a Washington Free Beacon report last month detailing Malinowski’s role as the top lobbyist for Human Rights Watch when the organization opposed the 2006 Omnibus Crime Bill that enhanced the national sex offender registry originally created in 1994. After a television advertisement seized on his role lobbying against the bill, and his Republican opponent,…
Read MoreACSOL President Chance Oberstein and Law Firm Lauded for Excellence
ACSOL President Chance Oberstein and the Law Office of Chance Oberstein have been recognized for their excellence by multiple legal organizations. Recognition for Oberstein includes “Top Ranking Attorney” for the year 2020 by the American Association of Attorney Advocates, “10 Best Attorneys” for the years 2018 through 2020 by the American Institute of Criminal Law Attorneys, “Top 10 Criminal Defense Attorney” for the year 2020 by Attorney & Practice Magazine and “Top Tier Lawyer” by the American Trial Academy for 2020. The Law Office of Chance Oberstein has been recognized…
Read MoreProposed SORNA Regulations Would Add Uncertainty to Registrants’ Lives
[ACSOL] The federal government issued proposed regulations to the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) last month that, if adopted, would create uncertainty in the lives of registrants throughout the country. That is due, in part, to requirements upon individuals that require state action which states may or may not be willing to take. For example, individuals in many states are currently required to register only once a year, however, the proposed regulations would require some of the same individuals to register four times a year. If a state…
Read MoreRestorative Action Alliance Officially Launches – Join us on Sept 23 for our first meeting
[restorativeactionalliance.org – 9/22/20] My name is Amber Vlangas, Executive Director for the Restorative Action Alliance (RAA). As both a survivor of sexual harm, and part of a family who has been severely impacted by both the criminal legal system and public registries, I am uniquely immersed in the challenges we all face. I am excited to announce that New York Action Alliance and other northeast regional groups from CT and NJ have combined their collective efforts to become the Restorative Action Alliance, made up of volunteer leaders from varied backgrounds and…
Read MoreWomen Against Registry: We Saved the Best for Last – Registry impact demonstration – YouTube livestream on Sept 24
[womenagainstregistry.org – 9/21/20] We will live stream the peaceful demonstration beginning Thursday at 8 AM Mountain time. We invite you to get your cup of coffee and by all means get dressed then join us remotely. This will be on the innocentvictims1 YouTube channel. Here is the direct link to the live stream. Be sure to check the description on the live stream page to learn the latest about any last minute changes such as a different start time or different URL for the live stream, if necessary. Read the full…
Read MoreSeventh Circuit Examines Lifetime GPS Tracking of Sex Offenders
[courthousenews.com – 9/18/20] CHICAGO (CN) — The Seventh Circuit on Friday weighed the intrusiveness of a Wisconsin statute that institutes lifetime GPS monitoring of certain convicted sex offenders against the necessity of preventing further offenses from that particular class of criminals. The underlying suit was first filed as a federal class action by eight registered sex offenders in March 2019. They argued that a 2017 statutory interpretation by former Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel that broadened the class of sex offenders subjected to lifetime GPS monitoring after the completion of…
Read MoreSacramento In-Person Emotional Support Meeting Resumes Sept 24
The in-person support group meeting in Sacramento resumes 9/24. The group is from 6:30 to 8 pm every Thursday. Please email [email protected] for more information.
Read MoreFAC: WI: Homeless person required to register as a sex offender killed
[floridaactioncommittee.org – 9/17/20] A 54 year old person required to register as a sex offender was found dead with “suspicious head injuries” according to the Madison Wisconsin Police, A local alderman is calling for the closure of these “homeless encampments”, but fails to recognize that persons forced to register are generally not allowed in most shelters, are subject to restrictions on housing and are chronically unemployed or unemployed because of the stigma of being registered. Homeless encampments are their only option. Read the full article
Read MoreCA Supreme Court Schedules Prop. 57 Oral Arguments on Oct. 7
The California Supreme Court has scheduled oral arguments in the case, In re Gadlin (S254599), for October 7 starting at 9 a.m. The Gadlin case is the first in a series of cases challenging regulations issued by the California Department of Corrections (CDC) that implement Proposition 57. At issue in this case is whether CDC can deny early consideration for parole to individuals who were previously convicted of a sex offense but are currently in custody for a non-sex offense. CDC requested review of the case after an appellate court decided that…
Read MoreKat’s Blog: Nevada’s “Self-Pay” Ruling
With every state having its own registry, its own frequently amended and expanded rules, it’s difficult enough for registrants to keep up with what’s going on in their own state, never mind other states. In case you missed it, here’s a gem of a ruling from Nevada that became effective on 6/5/19, that once again reaches into the wallet of registrants and also appears to give sole power over whose wallet is emptied, to the Chief of the State Board of Parole Commissioners. Nevada Senate Bill 8: The State Board…
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