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CDCR – 2012 Outcome Evaluation Report
CA STATE REPORT INCLUDES 1.9 PERCENT RECIDIVISM RATE According to a newly released report of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), the recidivism rate for those convicted of a sex-related offense (“sex offender”) is 1.9 percent. That is, those labeled by CDCR as “sex offenders” have a conviction rate of only 1.9 percent for a “new” sex crime. “The information in this CDCR report demonstrates that those convicted of sex-related offenses are unlikely to repeat their behavior,” stated Janice Bellucci, President of California Reform Sex Offender Laws. “Therefore,…
Read MoreNew study finds federal sex offender law not effective
According to a report released last week by the U.S. Department of Justice, the federal tier-based sex offender registration and management system put in place in 2006 does not predict risk of recidivism by sex offenders and its authors point to the need for a system based on more empirical data. Title 1 of the Adam Walsh Act (called SORNA – Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act), passed by Congress in 2006, sought to improve and standardize sex offender registration and management procedures by requiring all states to implement the…
Read MoreJudges challenge O.C. ban on sex offenders
A panel of Superior Court judges has challenged a controversial 2011 Orange County law that bans sex offenders from parks, beaches and even some roadways and asked the state Court of Appeal to review the measure. On Friday, the district attorney’s office, which has pushed cities across the county to join in adopting a version of the sex offender ban, vowed to continue enforcing it. “I believe that protecting children from sex offenders is one of the highest priorities in law enforcement,” Dist. Atty. Tony Rackauckas said in a statement.…
Read MoreO.C. sex offender law is ruled illegal
A controversial Orange County sex offender law that bans some people from visiting parks and beaches has been ruled illegal by a panel of Superior Court judges, who have asked the state appeals court to now review the get-tough rule. The panel reached the decision after overturning the conviction of a registered sex offender who was ordered to serve 100 days in jail after he was caught attending a Cinco de Mayo party at Mile Square Park in Fountain Valley. Full Article
Read MoreLake Forest Parks Ban Repeal – Dec 04
The City of Lake Forest is expected on December 4 to repeal its existing “sex offender” ordinance which prohibits all registrants from entering the city’s parks. City staff have recommended that the City Council repeal that ordinance in an 11-page report from the city manager which states several reasons for its recommendation, including (1) no supporting evidence that the ordinance has had a measurable effect on public safety, (2) no violations of the ordinance since its passage a year ago, and (3) recent court rulings stating that “this type of…
Read MoreAlabama fan guilty in post-BCS assault, sentenced to 2 years
The Alabama man who rubbed his genitals on a drunken LSU football fan at the Bourbon Street Krystal Burger after the 2012 BCS Championship game was sentenced Thursday to spend two years in prison. _____ _____, 33, pleaded guilty last month to two obscenity counts and agreed to the deal, skirting a trial on his original charge of sexual battery, a possible 10-year sentence and registration as a sex offender. Full Article
Read MoreFacebook Must Remove Page Outing Sex Offenders, Says UK Judge
According to a UK High Court, Facebook is not allowed to host a page that publicly outs convicted sex offenders. A Judge has given Facebook 72 hours to remove a page called Keeping our kids safe from predators, which routinely posts personal information and photos of child predators in Northern Ireland. The decree stems from a suit brought by a convicted sex offender, only referred to as “XY.” XY claims that the Facebook page amounts to harassment, misuse of private info, and a violation of his privacy. He fears that…
Read MoreSex offender suit against Ayer, police chief, gets underway
BOSTON – A civil rights suit launched by a local couple against the Town of Ayer and it’s police chief began Tuesday in U.S. District Court. Level 3 sex offender ____ ____, 39, and his wife ____ ____ , 23, seek to overturn as unconstitutional a new Ayer by-law that restricts where Level 2 and 3 sex offenders may live and loiter, and to stop the Ayer police from enforcing the bylaw against ____ ____ . Full Article
Read MoreOrange County Pervs-in-Parks Ban Violates State Constitution: Judicial Panel
[UPDATED with OCDA Reaction:] See the update at the end of this post with the district attorney’s reaction to the judicial panel’s decision and vow to continue fighting for the ordinance. The County of Orange ordinance that bars registered sex offenders from entering county parks and recreational areas has been ruled unlawful, according to a decision issued Nov. 15 by a panel of three Superior Court judges. The unanimous ruling does not apply to the ordinances several Orange County cities adopted at the urging of county Supervisor Shawn Nelson and…
Read MoreCOURT DETERMINES ORANGE COUNTY SEX OFFENDER ORDINANCE UNLAWFUL
The ordinance passed by Orange County which prohibits all registrants from entering public parks, beaches, harbors and other recreational areas is unlawful, according to a panel of three Superior Court judges. The unanimous decision was issued on November 15. According to this decision, the county ordinance violates the constitution of the State of California because it preempts existing state law which prohibits registrants from entering public parks but only if the registrant is on parole and offended against a child who is less than 14 years old. That law is…
Read MoreCalifornia Law Isn’t Unfair to Sex Offenders, AG Says
A new California law that imposes harsh penalties on human trafficking is not unconstitutional toward sex offenders, the state attorney general told a federal judge. Californians Against Sexual Exploitation Act, or CASE, enacted by voters on Nov. 6, will require sex offenders to give police a complete list of their user names, screen names, email addresses and Internet service providers. Noting that sex offenders will be reluctant to participate in Internet forums if their identities will not remain anonymous, the American Civil Liberties Union and Electronic Frontier Foundation say the…
Read MoreWasserman Schultz’ child-porn bill passes Congress
A bill designed to protect children from sexual predators has cleared Congress and is headed to the White House to be signed into law. “With President Obama’s signature, this law will help to rescue the thousands of children suffering from unthinkable abuse,” said Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Democrat from Weston, who sponsored the bill along with House Judiciary Chairman Lamar Smith, a Texas Republican. The bill’s passage is one sign that Congress can still get something done, especially when leaders from each party push a non-controversial measure. The bill…
Read MoreMI: Lifetime sex-offender registry for 14-year-old who sexually assaulted, robbed GVSU student
GRAND RAPIDS, MI — A 14-year-old Grand Rapids boy who joined another teen in a September sexual assault and robbery of a college student near John Ball Park is expected to be on the sex-offender registry for life. ____ ____, who turns 15 in January, pleaded guilty Tuesday, Nov. 27 to first-degree criminal sexual conduct and being an accessory after the fact in the Sept. 10 assault. Full Article
Read MoreUpdate: Simi Valley Halloween Ordinance Law Suit
California RSOL scored two victories this week in federal district court when Judge Anderson both granted a motion to protect the identities of the plaintiffs in the Simi Valley case and denied the city’s motion to dismiss the entire case. As a result of the motion being granted, the identities of the plaintiffs will not be revealed and they will continue to be referred to us as either John or Jane Doe. The judge’s denial of the city’s motion to dismiss means that the challenge to the lawsuit can continue. The…
Read MoreExonerating the Friedmans
Sometimes, after the credits roll, another—more important—story begins. In 2003, Andrew Jarecki and Marc Smerling released Capturing the Friedmans, the story of an average middle-class Jewish family destroyed by sex abuse charges against their then 18-year-old son, Jesse, and his father, Arnold. The film was nominated for an Academy Award, won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, and graced the tops of countless lists of best documentaries of all time. Amid all the praise, though, was a nagging sense—lobbed by some—that the filmmakers were ultimately too ambiguous about their main…
Read MoreCA RSOL Meeting in Bakersfield Feb 9, 2013
California RSOL will hold its first meeting in Bakersfield on February 9th, 2013. The meeting will focus upon issues of importance to registrants, such as residency restrictions and conditions of parole/probation, as well as family members. The meeting will be held at 925 17th Street, Bakersfield (please note address change on Nov 27) beginning at 10 a.m. There will be no media or government officials at the meeting. Attendance at the meeting is free. Hope to see you there!
Read MoreSuit Contests Limits on Online Activities of Sex Offenders
The ACLU and EFF argue that new law’s requirements violate the First Amendment. California’s sex offender registry, the nation’s oldest and largest, lists more than 74,000 living Californians convicted of sex crimes since 1947. Like sex offenders elsewhere in the nation, they have been increasingly restricted in recent years as communities have barred them from not only schoolyards and playgrounds but also beaches, libraries, harbors and other public places. Now, under a ballot initiative that California endorsed on Election Day, sex offenders’ movements will also be monitored in the digital…
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