Last year the European Union’s highest court ruled that European citizens have a “right to be forgotten” when it comes to search links to unfavorable Internet posts that are harmful and irrelevant. The court ruled in favor of a Spanish citizen who complained that Google’s links to an old notice about his house being repossessed violated his privacy rights because the issue was now irrelevant. The court ruled that search engines must have a mechanism to allow people to request the removal of links to negative stories, even if the…
Read MoreAuthor: Admin
Report a sex offender on Craigslist, win cash prize (SLO PD)
The San Luis Obispo Police Department and SLO County nonprofit Crime Stoppers have issued a cash reward to a tipster who reported a Craigslist post containing a photograph of a man’s genitalia and a message soliciting “young girls” for sexual acts. Full Article
Read MoreIA: Break up Iowa’s sex-offender clusters (Opinion)
Three previously convicted sex offenders living in a west Davenport mobile home park are heading back to prison for abusing more kids. Full Op-Ed Article
Read MoreRuling in sex assault case: Doe vs. Regents of UC San Diego
This is believed to be the first judicial ruling in recent years to find that a university failed to provide a fair trial in a sexual misconduct case. Some legal experts say the finding could have a broad national impact. Full Article
Read MoreSenate Committee Passes SB 448 after Author Promises to Amend
The Senate Public Safety Committee passed Senate Bill 448 in a vote of 7 to 0 after the bill’s author, Senator Ben Hueso (Democrat, San Diego), promised to amend it. According to Committee Chair Loni Hancock, the amendments are to include a narrowing of those to whom the bill would apply and a tiering so that the scope of the bill would be limited to high risk offenders. “The Senate Public Safety Committee acted recklessly in approving a bill based upon mere promises,” stated CA RSOL President Janice Bellucci. “The…
Read MoreCORONA: Sex offender ordinance may change
Long-standing housing restrictions for convicted sex offenders in Corona could be amended Wednesday, July 15, bringing the city into compliance with a state law passed in March. Full Article What: The Corona City Council may change city rules to allow sex offenders to live within 2,000 feet of a school or park. When: 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 15 Where: City Council chambers, 400 S. Vicentia Ave., Corona
Read MoreHere’s an IUD–but wait! You can’t have sex yet! [Opinion]
By now virtually everyone in the “sex offender laws reform” camp knows the story of Zack Anderson, the 19 year old Indiana youth who faces imprisonment and sex offender registration for a sexual liaison with a 14 year old who pretended to be 17. His parents have pushed and pushed for publicity on this—good for them!—and they have it. The story made the New York Times, quoting RSOL’s executive director Brenda Jones saying that the public registry was “a conviction on steroids.” Lenore Skenazy wrote a wonderful piece for reason.com…
Read MoreAnother State Senator Chooses to Ignore Court Decisions
In my personal opinion, We have another state senator who has no concept of the Constitution and the fact that it is designed to protect individual rights , not the rights of the majority and not the rights of the popular or powerful people and most definitely not the rights of the government. The Declaration of Independence the Constitution and the Bill of Rights are designed to protect individuals, and this includes people that others distrust of or dislike. Apparently this senator has no concept of Voltaire’s comment on freedom…
Read MoreStatutory Rape Laws [Letter to the Editor]
“Teenager’s Jailing Brings a Call to Fix Sex Offender Registries” (front page, July 5), about statutory rape, raises important issues. In a recent review of a decade of statutory rape cases, I found that both the apparatus to police sexual violence against minors, as well as its application against consenting minors, creates legally untenable results that frequently impose legal and extralegal burdens on minors. … In many states, sex with a minor is a felony. Ironically, in most of the cases I’ve researched, the teenagers have admitted that their sexual…
Read MoreThe Sex-Offender Test
How a computerized assessment can help determine the fate of men who’ve been accused of sexually abusing children. Full Article
Read MoreIL: Sex offender rule unconstitutional
BLOOMINGTON — A requirement that Illinois sex offenders report all Internet sites they use to police is unconstitutional because it violates the offenders’ free speech rights, according to a ruling by a McLean County judge. Judge Robert Freitag agreed with arguments from the defense lawyer for _____ ____, 22, of Normal, that state law is overly broad in its mandate that all email addresses and sites a sex offender uses or plans to use, including Facebook, must be registered with police. Full Article Related Internet Identifier Bill to be Heard…
Read MoreHave Sex-Offender Registries Gone Too Far?
Some 800,000 registered sex offenders can’t live near parks or schools — or sometimes even in the homes of their own parents. Is it time to re-visit sex-offender registries that cast a wide net and often treat juvenile offenders as if they were adults? Full Article
Read MoreSex offender sues city of Grover Beach
A Grover Beach man is suing the city, claiming its restrictions limiting where registered sex offenders can live are unconstitutional. The city attorney says the city will fight the lawsuit. … Bellucci and Lindsay filed the lawsuit against the city of Grover Beach on June 16. The city originally had until Thursday to file its official response to the suit but requested and was granted an extension to July 23. Full Article
Read MoreThe heat is turned up (one hopes) against sex offender registry statutes
As I’ve noted a number of times here on the VC (most recently here) I’ve gotten involved over the last few years in a series of constitutional challenges to various State “sex offender registry” statutes, which typically impose a series of reporting requirements (e.g., tell your probation officer of every address change, or email address you use) and disabilities (on owning property near a school, say, or on using the Internet) on persons who have been convicted of certain sex-related crimes. Full Article
Read MoreCA RSOL Meeting August 29 in Berkeley
The last California RSOL meeting of the summer will take place in Berkeley on August 29, 2015. Please join us for networking, support and an update about CA RSOL’s effort to restore the Civil Rights for those required to register pursuant to PC 290. We welcome registrants, friends, family, supporters and pertinent service providers. Media and law enforcement are not invited in an effort to secure everyone’s privacy. The meeting will start at 10 am and is free of charge. The address is Berkeley Finnish Hall 1970 Chestnut Street 510-845-5352…
Read MoreSex Offender Registries And Calls For Reform
For more than 20 years, states have been keeping public lists of convicted sex offenders. These registries are intended to help police and communities monitor the whereabouts of nearly 800,000 pedophiles and others found guilty of sexual crimes. Many people are listed for crimes committed when they were minors and not all are egregious: Sending a lewd text or public urination, for instance, can lead to sex offense charges. We look at sex offense registries, the restrictions for those on the lists and the protections these restrictions can offer communities.…
Read MoreVA: Devoy – Has Virginia’s sex offender registry kept us safe?
Recently, Gov. Terry McAuliffe set up an independent commission to look at the 20 years since parole was abolished and determine whether it should be revived. “It’s time to review whether that makes sense,” he said during a radio appearance. “Is it keeping our citizens safe? Is it a reasonable, good, cost-effective way? Are we rehabilitating folks?” he asked. “Are sentences too long for nonviolent offenses? Are we keeping people in prison too long?” All great questions! Full Editorial
Read MoreGeneral Comments July 2015
Comments that are not specific to a certain post should go here, for the month of July 2015. Contributions should relate to the cause and goals of this organization and please, keep it courteous and civil.
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