Author: R H

Supreme Court asked to decide the limits of violations of the Fourth Amendment’s prohibition on “unreasonable searches”

R H

Source: usatoday.com 9/5/23 The problem for Nero the police dog began when he put his paws on the door of a car that had been pulled over after the driver swerved across three lanes.  By all accounts, the Belgian Malinois did his job, sniffing out a pill bottle and a plastic bag that contained meth residue – evidence that ultimately allowed police in Idaho to get a warrant and charge the driver, Kirby Dorff, with felony drug possession. But the paws Nero placed on the driver side door as he…

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U.S. Spy Agency Dreams of All-Seeing “SMART ePANTS”

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Source: theintercept.com 9/2/23 The future of wearable technology, beyond now-standard accessories like smartwatches and fitness tracking rings, is ePANTS, according to the intelligence community.  The federal government has shelled out at least $22 million in an effort to develop “smart” clothing that spies on the wearer and its surroundings. Similar to previous moonshot projects funded by military and intelligence agencies, the inspiration may have come from science fiction and superpowers, but the basic applications are on brand for the government: surveillance and data collection. Billed as the “largest single investment…

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TX: Court Blocks Texas Law Aimed at Protecting Children From Online Porn

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Source: theepochtimes.com 9/3/23 A federal judge in Texas has blocked a state law seeking to impose age requirements on adult websites, claiming the bill violates the First Amendment and is a threat to privacy. Texas’ HB 1181 (pdf) requires adult sites to verify the age of visitors to ensure they are 18 years of age or older. It was signed by Republican Governor Greg Abbott on June 12 and was set to come into effect on Sept. 1. On Aug. 4, a lawsuit (pdf) was filed against the legislation, arguing that…

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NC: Nash County father goes to police for help, then they charged his 10-year-old daughter for having nude photos of herself on phone

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Source: wral.com 9/2/23 A Rocky Mount man told WRAL News his 10-year-old daughter was charged with a felony for having nude pictures of herself on her cellphone. The county’s district attorney said it’s a charge he’s never seen brought against a child before. The father said he now has concerns about how the charge will impact his daughter’s future. The father said his now 11-year-old daughter is a normal kid who likes basketball, drawing and spending time with family. Read the full article  

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ACSOL In-Person Meeting November 4, 2023 in Berkeley, CA

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ACSOL will lead an in-person meeting in Berkeley on Saturday, November 4, starting at 10 a.m. The meeting will be held at: The Finnish Hall 1970 Chestnut Street Berkeley, CA The meeting will include discussions regarding topics of interest to both registrants and their loved ones, including the status of proposed changes to the Tiered Registry Law such as the reduction of tier assignment for those convicted of an offense involving child pornography. The meeting is free and will include refreshments. Attendance at the meeting is limited to registrants, their…

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IA: Nowhere to go for CCUSO patients

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Source: chronicletimes.com 8/31/23 Officials with the Iowa Department of Correctional Services have expressed concern over a disproportionate share of sex offenders from the Civil Commitment Unit for Sex Offenders being discharged in Cherokee and surrounding counties. Maureen Hansen, director of the DOCS’s third judicial district, told the Buena Vista County Board of Supervisors last month a “concerning development” is CCUSO patient discharges to the area “where they otherwise wouldn’t be connected.” Hansen acknowledged to the supervisors some of the patients that have either been discharged or nearing discharge from the…

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OH: Sex Offender’s Out-of-State Registration Counts Toward Ohio Sex Offense Reporting Requirement

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Source: courtnewsohio.gov 8/31/23 A man convicted under an Ohio sex offender reporting law completed his 10-year registration requirements while living in Kentucky and did not have to start the reporting period over when he moved to Ohio, the Supreme Court of Ohio ruled today. In a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court rejected the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office contention that Michael Schilling’s Ohio sex offender reporting obligation paused while he was living and registering as a sex offender in Kentucky and then resumed when he moved back to Ohio in 2020.…

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ACSOL Conference Discount Expires August 31

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The “early bird” discount for ACSOL’s annual conference will expire on August 31.  In order to take advantage of that discount, you must sign up before or on that date. It’s easy to sign up for the conference using the link below.  Sign up now The discounted price for the two-day conference is $50, which includes lunch on both days.  The conference price starting September 1 will increase to $75. This year’s in-person conference will be held at Southwestern Law School in downtown Los Angeles starting on Saturday, October 14,…

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OH: From ankle strap to wristband: Warren County pilots ‘smartwatch’ electronic monitoring devices

R H
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Source: wcpo.com 8/23/23 LEBANON, Ohio — Warren County’s judicial system is among the first in the country to pilot a new device that encompasses all the functionality of an ankle monitor in the compatibility of a smartwatch device. The technology, called the VeriWatch, is relatively new but that didn’t give Mike Steele pause. Associate director of electronic monitoring for the Warren County Court of Common Pleas adult probation department, Steele said his team has partnered with Business Intelligence Inc. for roughly 15 years. Whenever they launch new technology, like this…

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The Artifice Girl: A movie showing how an AI program could bait and trap predators

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Source: imdb.com  Movie description (fiction): “A team of special agents discovers a revolutionary new computer program to bait and trap online predators. After teaming up with the program’s troubled developer, they soon find that the AI is rapidly advancing beyond its original purpose.” Read the full article Related reality articles: AI Generated Images Are Being Used To Catch Online Sexual Predators [sydneycriminallawyers.com.au 5/27/23] Utah company uses AI to catch online predators [ksl.com 6/20/23] D.I.G. AI system used to find sex traffickers [computer.org] Predicting a predator: Purdue AI tool identifies online…

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SC: Deputies warn of arrest warrant-issued scam targeting residents on sex offender registry

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Source: foxcarolina.com 8/25/23 ANDERSON COUNTY, S.C. (FOX Carolina) – The Anderson County Sheriff’s said deputies are investigating a scam targeting residents on the sex offender registry. Deputies said the scammers are calling victims, telling them they have not appeared in court and there is an active warrant for their arrest because they are violating their sex offender registry. According to deputies, the scammers then text the victims a copy of a fake arrest warrant and tell them to get a gift card to pay a fine to clear up the…

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USSC Votes to Allow Retroactive Sentence Reductions and Announces Its Next Set of Policy Priorities

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Source: ussc.gov via govdelivery.com 8/24/23  Vote Authorizes Judges to Reduce Sentences for Eligible Incarcerated Persons Beginning February 1, 2024 Should Guidelines Become Effective WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 24, 2023) — Today the Commission, by a majority vote, allowed for delayed retroactive application of Amendment 821 relating to criminal history—meaning that certain currently incarcerated individuals could be eligible for reduced sentences made effective beginning on February 1, 2024 (unofficial text).  The Commission also adopted its next set of policy priorities that include, among other things, reviewing and potentially amending how the guidelines treat acquitted…

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CO: Sex offender registry meant to inform public, not target offenders, officials say

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Source: durangoherald.com 8/24/23 ‘When we make them a pariah, we drive them underground,’ says district attorney A Durango man accused of breaking into another man’s house in the middle of the night and attempting to fatally shoot him may have been carrying out an act of vigilantism directed toward a registered sex offender, according to the victim and an arrest affidavit. Several details of the Aug. 9 shooting remain unknown or have not yet been made public by law enforcement. For example, it is unknown if the suspect, Troy Allen…

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Please Join ACSOL in Placer County Protest on September 1

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The Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws (ACSOL) will protest ongoing efforts by Placer County, California, to block the release of a registrant in that county.  The protest will be held on September 1 at 7:30 a.m. in front of Placer County Superior Court, 10820 Justice Center Drive, in Roseville, CA.  The protest will move inside the court to Department 23, if possible, where the District Attorney has scheduled a meeting of those who support the county’s efforts. “We must take a stand on the important issue of where a…

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GA: Georgia sheriff pleads guilty to groping TV Judge Hatchett

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Source: yahoo.com 8/21/23 A Georgia sheriff pleaded guilty Monday to groping TV Judge Glenda Hatchett, who recalled being so stunned that she froze when the lawman grabbed and squeezed her breast at a hotel bar last year during a law enforcement conference. Bleckley County Sheriff Kristopher Coody pleaded guilty in Cobb County State Court to a misdemeanor charge of sexual battery and was sentenced to a year on probation, news outlets reported. He also resigned from the office he had held since 2017. “He so violated me, and at that…

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Janice’s Journal: Where Should They Live?

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Officials in Placer County, California, are up in arms and complaining mightily that a 66-year-old registrant who has been designated a Sexually Violent Predator is about to be released in that county.  Never mind that he was convicted more than 30 years ago and has completed many years of treatment.  Never mind that experts have determined he no longer poses a current risk. Instead of relying upon these facts, Placer County officials and other government representatives are crying “not in my back yard”, otherwise known as NIMBY.  And they appear…

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Early Bird Discount for ACSOL Conference Expires on August 31

R H

The early bird discount for ACSOL’s conference is about to expire.  Those who sign up for the conference during on or before August 31 will pay only $50 to attend the two-day conference.  However, the conference price will increase to $75 on September 1.  Conference fees include lunch on both days.  Scholarships are available upon request. Click here to sign up The conference will be held on Saturday, October 14, and Sunday, October 15, at Southwestern Law School in downtown Los Angeles.  The conference will begin on Saturday at 9…

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CA: Placer County officials push back on transient release of sexually violent predator

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Source: kcra.com 8/21/23 Placer County and state leaders on Monday heard from people worried about the release and relocation of 66-year-old William ________, a sexually violent predator (SVP). County leaders spoke after the Department of State Hospitals (DSH) and Liberty Health Care held a meeting to talk about possible locations to place ________. He’s the man set to be released as a transient in the county, meaning he’ll live without a permanent address. While this doesn’t mean he gets dropped off at a bus stop, concerned officials are fighting the…

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