Author: R H

WA: Portland man arrested in Clark County sting acquitted of child sex abuse in new trial

R H

Source: columbian.com 10/2/23 A Portland man was acquitted last month after being granted a new trial on appeal, nearly five years after he was convicted in connection with an undercover child sex sting. A Clark County Superior Court jury Sept. 8 acquitted Jace Hambrick, 27, of attempted second-degree rape of a child and communicating with a minor for immoral purposes. He was one of several people arrested in February 2017 after responding to an advertisement posted by an interagency task force posing as minors online. In Hambrick’s case, he responded…

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IN: County to increase fees for out-of-county sex offenders

R H

Source: wkkg.com 10/3/23 Convicted sexual and violent offenders who come in to Bartholomew County to work or for other activities would now pay more to be entered into the county’s sex offender registry under a change being considered by the county commissioners. Under the existing rules those who lived outside Bartholomew County, but travelled here for various activities were only paying $5 annually to be added to the registry, while in-county residents had to pay $50 annually. Read the full article  

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IL: Illinois legislator tells prison agency ‘do your job’ on sex offender notification

R H

Source: thecentersquare.com 10/3/23 A Republican state legislator says she has no interest in the idea of changing the state’s sex offender notification system that was the subject of a recent audit finding with the Illinois Department of Corrections.  The compliance audit released last week looks at IDOC for two years ending June 30, 2022. In total, there were 46 findings and 40 repeat findings. The findings include a failure to notify victims and local law enforcement after releasing sex offenders, including those who committed a predatory criminal sexual assault of a child,…

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FL: County and municipal codes stricter than state’s may not be enforceable

R H

Source: mainstreetdailynews.com 9/26/23 The Newberry City Commission is looking for… … Currently, Newberry’s code does not allow sexual offenders to reside within 1,000 feet, and predators 1,500 feet, of a state-defined “protected place,” defined to be schools, childcare facilities, parks, playgrounds and any other gathering place for children.  The city of Williston limits both to live 2,500 feet away from protected places, while state statute limits both sexual offenders and predators to a minimum of 1,000 feet from protected places.  Courtesy city of Newberry Newberry’s existing code-specified 1,500-foot perimeters around…

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WA: State panel in damage control after confusion about eliminating sex offender notifications

R H

Source: komonews.com 10/2/23 KING COUNTY, Wash. — A state advisory panel is doing damage control after recommendations regarding sex offenders stirred outrage in the community. The recommendations are for community notifications to be eliminated when convicted sex offenders are released from prison and return to society.  … The MPC has found that community notification actually undermines public safety. It also recommends that sex offender registries should be reserved for law enforcement and not be made available to the public. The reasoning is that the attention notifications and registries bring can…

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ACSOL Conference Features Challenge to SORNA Regulations

R H

ACSOL’s conference will feature a presentation on Sunday, October 15, regarding the pending lawsuit challenging SORNA regulations.  The presentation will be made in person by lead attorney Caleb Kruckenberg of the Pacific Legal Foundation. “Significant progress has already been made in the lawsuit that challenges SORNA regulations,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci.  “Attorney Kruckenberg will share with us at the conference the current status of that case as well as his future plans which could lead to a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court.” The SORNA regulations being challenged…

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MT: Montana decision that Sexual or Violent Offender Registration Act (SVORA) is punitive and cannot be applied retroactively

R H

Source: law.justia.com 6/14/23 The THE STATE OF MONTANA Supreme Court reversed the order of the district court denying Defendant’s motion to dismiss the State’s felony charge against him for failure to register as a sexual offender, holding that the Sexual or Violent Offender Registration Act (SVORA), as amended since 2007, was punitive in nature. Defendant was convicted of sexual assault in 1994 and served and discharged his sentence. At the time, SVORA, known then as Montana’s Sexual offender Registration Act, required Defendant to maintain registration for ten years. When the legislature amended…

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MI: Police arrest 2 men in killing of Pontiac man known for fooling sexual predators Kylie Martin Detroit Free Press

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Source: freep.com 9/30/23 Police have arrested two men in the Friday killing of a 40-year-old Pontiac man who often posed as a minor on social media in attempts to catch sexual predators. Robert Wayne Lee, who ran a popular Facebook page with 11,000 followers using the moniker “Boopac Shakur,” confronted two males, ages 17 and 18, seated in a Pontiac restaurant near the corner of North Perry and MLK Boulevard about 10:30 p.m. Friday, according to the Oakland County Sheriff’s office. Lee accused one of the men of being a…

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WA: Washington panel considers outlawing community notification of sex offenders

R H

Source: thecentersquare.com 9/28/23 (The Center Square) – Earlier this year, a decision to house convicted sex offenders in cities such as Enumclaw without notifying the community drew outrage from local residents. Now, the State Sex Offender Policy Board is considering recommendations to the Legislature that could include making it illegal to notify communities when a sex offender moves into the area on the grounds that such policies undermine public safety. Created in 2008, the Sex Offender Policy Board is composed of 13 members appointed by Gov. Jay Inslee. Its role…

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The Evolving Landscape of Administrative Law [including SORNA]

R H

Source: jdsupra.com 9/25/23 Shay Dvoretzky, Emily Kennedy Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP+ Follow Contact Key Points The U.S. Supreme Court’s October 2023 term may bring fundamental changes to administrative law, including by possibly overruling Chevron. Decisions in recent years demonstrate the Court’s skepticism of administrative power and increasing willingness to question government regulation. New limits on agency power may create opportunities for businesses to challenge unfavorable regulations, but they also may open the door to attacks on long-standing rules that businesses find helpful and predictable. One of the…

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FL: Death penalty in child rapes among new Florida laws soon to take effect

R H

Source: orlandosentinel.com 9/26/23 A new law that could lead to imposing the death penalty on people who rape children under age 12 will take effect Sunday, along with other laws passed during the 2023 legislative session. Other measures taking effect could lead to putting local governments on the hook for attorney fees when ordinances are deemed “arbitrary or unreasonable;” increase penalties on fans who interfere with sporting events; and require teens to at least have learner’s permits to drive golf carts on public roads. The laws passed during the legislative…

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Janice’s Journal: The Glass Is Half Full

R H

Is the glass half empty or is the glass half full?  It’s a question many have asked when they believe not all of their needs or desires have been met.  The answer to that question often depends upon whether the person who asked it is an optimist or a pessimist. I am an optimist and I declare that the glass is half full.  That is, the California Sex Offender Management Board (CASOMB) has approved two proposed changes identified by the Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws (ACSOL) and CASOMB plans…

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CASOMB Recommends Tier Reductions!

R H

The California Sex Offender Management Board (CASOMB) today approved two tier reductions that would benefit thousands of individuals convicted of either felony possession of child pornography or lewd or lascivious acts with a person 14 or 15 years old.  CASOMB is expected to share the news of its approvals with the state legislature later this calendar year.  The changes will not become law, however, until the legislature passes a bill that includes CASOMB’s approvals. Specifically, CASOMB today approved the reduction from Tier 3, the highest tier, to Tier 1, the…

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OH: 2 police officers being investigated after telling a father his 11-year-old daughter could face child porn charges for sending images to a man online

R H

Source: cnn.com 9/21/23 The police chief in Columbus, Ohio, is condemning an incident in which two officers told a father his 11-year-old daughter could face child porn charges for sending images to a man online. Chief Elaine Bryant said as soon as the department learned of the incident, captured on doorbell camera video, it “immediately reached out to the father to apologize, and to assure him that this matter was being fully investigated – both the actions of this officer, and more importantly, any crime committed against his child.” Bryant…

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VA: Parents demand removal of Chesapeake PTA president, citing sex-offender spouse

R H

Source: 13newsnow.com 9/20/23 CHESAPEAKE, Va. — Concerned parents in Chesapeake are sounding the alarm about a registered sex offender they say is married to a local PTA president and has attended at least one school-related event. In an email sent to 13News Now and an online petition signed by more than 200 people, parents of students at Greenbrier primary and intermediate schools are lobbying for the removal of their Parent Teacher Association president. The petition, which was created on Change.org September 12, alleges the PTA president is married to a…

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CA: Gavin Newsom Can Sign a Bill to End Price-Gouging in California Prisons

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Source: theappeal.org 9/18/23 California prison canteens currently sell essential items—such as snacks and medication—at a markup of between 65 and 200 percent.   With just one signature, California Governor Gavin Newsom can significantly curtail the state’s long-standing practice of price-gouging imprisoned people for vital items like toothbrushes or deodorant. Last week, the Basic Affordable Supplies for Incarcerated Californians Act, or the BASIC Act, overwhelmingly passed the state Senate and Assembly. The bill is now with the governor, who has until October 14 to sign it. If signed into law, the…

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ID: Predictable hysteria when three registered sex offenders are given permission to drop off and pick up their own children

R H

Source: magicvalley.com 9/19/23 The Cassia County School District amended a 15-year-old board policy over the summer to create a ‘community’ committee with an eye on opening its governing process to parents, among others. It didn’t last the summer, and here’s why. The Cassia County School District, following a 15-year-old board policy and Idaho Code, voted last month to approve applications from three registered sex offenders who requested permission to drop off and pick up their own children, and attend academic conferences and extracurricular activities involving their own children. It’s a…

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FL: City voted to prevent any sex offender prospectively from living in the City of Crestview

R H

Source: Florida Action Committee 9/17 23 City voted to prevent any sex offender prospectively from living in the City of Crestview. This was done via a 1500 feet ordinance. The comment from city council member Ryan Bullard is one of the most ignorant and shocking comments we’ve ever heard in a public meeting. Watch the video    

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