Public Officials and Accountability

[sosen.org – 7/3/18] What would happen if we would require our government employees to be able to pass a written tests where they had to show proof that they understood the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights, as well as other matters pertaining to citizenship within this country? Then after these people became employees of the government they would be held accountable both civilly and criminally for actions that violated other people’s constitutional protected rights. No more immunity for people in the government, I believe at…

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CT: Lawmakers Missed an Opportunity to Reform Sex-Offender Registry

[law.com – 6/28/18] Two years ago, the Connecticut Legislature held hearings on a variety of bills that would have modified the state’s sex offender registry. Rather than adopt any change, because of the complexities of our sex offender laws the Legislature asked the state Sentencing Commission to study the effectiveness of the current sex offender registration requirements. The commission was to report back by 2018. Under current law, when sex offenders have served their sentences and are released into the community, they must register on a public sex offender registry.…

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ME: Registered sex offender among those honored at ceremony for murdered children

[narsol.org – 6/26/18] y Jackie Mundry . . . In 2006, William Elliot was sought out and shot because he was a registered sex offender. On Sunday, he will be honored by the Maine chapter of Parents of Murdered Children. His mother, Shirley Turner, says he was on this list because he had consensual sex with an underage girlfriend. “But he was 19 when he got involved with a young girl and ended up on the Maine sex offender registry,” she said. Read more  

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How Big Money Stymies S.O. Reform

[narsol.org – 6/30/18] By Michael M . . . When SORNA (Sex Offender Registration Notification Act, aka Title I of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006) required the states to establish comprehensive minimum standards for their state sex offender registries, it created an unfunded mandate that left many states scrambling to comply or lose Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) funding from the federal government. Many states did not have sufficient funds earmarked for the creation of a whole new bureaucracy, especially one that depends so heavily…

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So you want to have a Registry for Community Safety

[sosen.org – 6/30/18] For those of you who believe we have to have a registry to protect our citizens. I have from time to time thought hard on this and I recognize the fact that there are people out there that just aren’t going to change their beliefs and attitudes towards other people and will continue harming others, so here’s my solution. If we have to have a registry, which I believe is unconstitutional, then let’s limit it to the most dangerous people. In order to be legal within the…

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Kenny Omega responds to fan complaints he booked a sex offender on CEO x NJPW show

[cagesideseats.com 6/30/18] While Jim Cornette may find himself upset over the main event of the CEO x NJPW: When Worlds Collide event featuring stuffed animals and what not, other fans of professional wrestling are upset about one wrestler getting booked on the show at all. Chasyn Rance, a registered sex offender, defeated Aaron Epic in the first dark match of the evening. Fans then took to Twitter to question Kenny Omega about the decision to have such a match on the show. His response: Read more  

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OH: Ohio House updates ‘sexting’ law related to minors

[norwalkreflector.com – 6/27/18] COLUMBUS — State Reps. Brian Hill (R-Zanesville) and Jeff Rezabek (R-Clayton) today applauded the House for passing legislation they jointly sponsored that provides another option to Ohio’s courts when dealing with juveniles charged with possessing sexually explicit digital material, or engaging in “sexting” with a minor. It was one of several bills OK’d today by the Ohio House of Representatives. This bill takes into account the growing dilemma of juveniles who engage in “sexting” with other juveniles and the charges that may be filed by prosecutors by…

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Sex Offender, Registrant or Registered Citizen: Does Society Care About The Label?

[womenagainstregistry.org – 6/28/18] First I struggled with the label “sex offender”. The words sit in the mouth like a heavy after-taste. Then “registrant” became the catch-all phrase. It sounded less ominous, not quite as frightening but few outside our circle even knew what it referred to. Now I’m informed that the latest, I guess one could call it “politically correct” term being bandied about is “registered citizen”. I struggled with this term. I don’t know who the originator of the term is, someone said it’s been around for a quite…

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MA: Child Rapist Bill Triggers Debate Over Punishment, Process

[wbur.org – 6/27/18] Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito appealed to lawmakers Tuesday for new sentencing and civil commitment laws targeting repeat child rapists, but opponents of Gov. Charlie Baker’s bill argued the proposal is unnecessary and would be costly and ineffective. Baker’s proposal calls for changes to the civil commitment process under which sexually dangerous people are reviewed for possible release and for a mandatory minimum sentence of life without parole for anyone who uses force to rape two or more children, or uses force to rape a child after being…

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NH: Police Investigate 20 Kids for Sexting, Charge No One (Thankfully)

[reason.com – 6/26/18] Let’s hear it for an unusually sensible police response to a case of high school sexting. The Nashua, New Hampshire, police received word in May that 10 or 20 students at Bishop Guertin High School had been snapping and swapping sexts. But then, rather than arresting these kids for making child porn, or threatening to register them as sex offenders, the police did something outrageously reasonable. They opted not to charge any of them. As Nashua’s Lieutenant Robert Page told WMUR TV: “To begin with, the laws…

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Emotional Support Group Meeting – June 23, Los Angeles

ACSOL will host an Emotional Support Group for registrants and their loved ones on Saturday June 23, 10 a.m. at: ACLU Building 1313 W. 8th Street Los Angeles Free parking is available under the building and there is no charge to attend the meeting. The meeting, which is based upon 12 Step principles, will provide registrants and their loved ones with an opportunity to discuss personal challenges.

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VA: Police: Scammers targeting elderly, sex offenders by demanding money with person info

[wset.com – 6/21/18] LYNCHBURG, Va. (WSET) — Virginia State Police said they have been alerted to an alarming increase in phone scams targeting seniors and convicted sex offenders. Police said scammers are threatening people into paying hundreds of dollars in gift cards. One popular scam making the rounds across the state is where the caller tells the person, most of the time an elderly person, on the phone that a relative has been arrested and incarcerated so they need money in order to be released from jail. Police said the…

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Sex offenders need not apply

[narsol.org – 6/22/18] By Mike W . . . At our core we cherish opportunity and equality as key American values. They define us. They make us who we are. Any obstacle that inhibits opportunity and equality is not only a major barrier; it is discrimination when it limits people unnecessarily. When discrimination is a barrier to opportunity, we have a responsibility to eliminate it. We must not tolerate discrimination in any form. One of these barriers to opportunity and equality is the sex offender registry. The registry is a…

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OH: Reagan Tokes Act passes Ohio House

[10tv.com – 6/21/18] A bill named after murdered Ohio State student Reagan Tokes cleared a major legislative hurdle. The Ohio House version of the Reagan Tokes Act was passed 83-3 during a floor vote Wednesday afternoon. “This is huge day, certainly thrilled that this received such bi-partisan support,” Rep. Kristin Boggs, D – District 18 one of the primary sponsors of the bill. … House Bill 365 would dramatically change how violent felons are sentenced to prison and how they are watched once they are released. The legislation followed a…

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NY: Ortt criticizes Cuomo’s parolee voting plan – does not bar sex offenders from entering schools to vote

[niagara-gazette.com – 6/20/18] The restoration of voting rights for more than 24,000 paroled felons has triggered concerns that dangerous sex offenders will be entering schools to cast their ballots on election day. Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat seeking a third term this year, issued an executive order in April that made parolees eligible for conditional pardons for the intention of allowing them to participate in elections. By using his executive powers, the governor was able to bypass the Legislature. State Sen. Rob Ortt, R-North Tonawanda, argued Wednesday that Cuomo’s move…

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CA: California moving to “evidenced based” policies for Sex Offenders

[UPDATED LINKS 6/23/18] [floridaactioncommittee.org – 6/21/18] California, which has the largest sex offender registry in the US, has been taking steps in the right direction over the past couple of years. The State recently migrated towards a “tiered” system that would allow some registrants (those deemed “lower” risk to re-offend) to be removed from the registry eventually. While the plan wasn’t perfect, because it tiered people based on offenses rather than actual risk, California is now seeking to enact a new bill to help them introduce empirical evidence into their…

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FL: Face Scans for International Travelers at Florida Airport

[voanews.com – 6/21/18] ORLANDO, FLA. — Florida’s busiest airport is becoming the first in the nation to require a face scan of passengers on all arriving and departing international flights, including U.S. citizens, according to officials there. The expected announcement Thursday at Orlando International Airport alarms some privacy advocates who say there are no formal rules in place for handling data gleaned from the scans, nor formal guidelines on what should happen if a passenger is wrongly prevented from boarding. Airports in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Las Vegas, Miami, New…

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Victims’ advocate wants unlimited Facebook access — does that apply to all?

[narsol.org 6/21/18] By Sandy . . . I read with interest “Facebook block riles advocates of sex crime survivors.” Racheal Gonzales of Albuquerque, New Mexico, has posited an interesting position: Governmental officials and representatives should not be able to block constituents who disagree with them on their Facebook pages because it prohibits the critics’ ability to make their positions known and exercise their right to free speech. Emboldened by a ruling that said our president could not do that, Ms. Gonzales says she wants this policy extended to all. NARSOL…

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