[Updated] With Halloween right around the corner, Grovetown is rounding up registered sex offenders to make the night a little less frightening for parents and children out trick-or-treating. Full Article Jones for Mayor Facebook Page Related Media Washington Post Article 10/24 http://metrospirit.com/beware-sex-offenders-grovetown/ 10/24 https://www.theblaze.com/news/2018/10/27/mayor-causes-stir-over-what-he-declared-will-happen-to-sex-offenders-on-halloween-night 10/27
Read MoreAuthor: Admin
NE: Federal judge pulls stay that kept juveniles off sex offender registry
A federal judge Monday lifted the stay he issued last month that had kept the Nebraska State Patrol from putting juveniles on its sex offender registry if they weren’t tried as adults. Full Article
Read MoreNY: Post-Release Placement of Sex Offenders Complicated by Residence Limits
The Court of Appeals heard arguments on Tuesday in a case brought by a sex offender who alleged the state did not do enough to help him find appropriate housing before his release from prison, which caused him to be held in state custody for several months after his scheduled release. Full Article
Read MoreOverseas Registrant Wins Battle with Angel Watch Center
A registrant who has lived overseas for more than two years recently won a battle with the Angel Watch Center after the Center falsely notified the State Department that he was currently required to register as a sex offender. As a result of that notification, the registrant’s U.S. passport was revoked because it lacked a “unique identifier”. The registrant, who was traveling on business, learned that his passport had been revoked after a letter was sent to the home of a relative where he had previously resided prior to departing…
Read MorePatch Publishes Completely Unnecessary Sex Offender Maps to Keep Kids Safe on Halloween
Every year around Halloween time, Patch, the news website specializing in local coverage around the country, publishes maps that show where sex offenders live. Patch claims this is some kind of public service, even though a thorough study of 67,000 cases of child molestation found zero increase in sex crimes against children on Halloween. Full Article
Read MoreStates Can’t Make Up New Laws to Punish Old Conduct Just Because They Call Them “Civil”
Article I, Section 10 of the Constitution provides that “[n]o State shall … pass any … Ex Post Facto law.” The Ex Post Facto Clause was incorporated into the Constitution to prohibit states from enacting retrospective legislation, which the Framers believed to be inherently unfair and contrary to the principles of limited, constitutional government. Despite the Framers’ clear aversion to retrospective lawmaking, the Supreme Court has since adopted the view that states are uninhibited from enacting retroactive civil penalties. So long as a retrospective law contains a discernable legislative purpose…
Read MoreJanice’s Journal: How Many Dead Registrants is Enough?
Today a registrant in Orange County, California, is dead. He may have died at the hands of another or he may have taken his own life. This brings the total number of known dead registrants, killed by the hands of another or themselves, in California to 18 since 2005. How many dead registrants is enough? How many dead registrants will it take to persuade the public, elected officials and even the U.S. Supreme Court that registration is punishment….and not the same as being a member of Price Club. How dare…
Read MoreCA: Think sex offenders can’t live next to parks and schools? That’s not always the case
When an Atascadero sex offender listed on the state’s Megan Law website was charged last month with committing sex crimes against a child, it wasn’t just the disturbing nature of the allegations that stood out. It was the man’s address. ____ ____, who previously served prison time for lewd acts against a child under 14, was registered as living directly across the street from Colony Park and one block from the Fine Arts Academy. Atascadero police records indicate that the most recent allegations against ____ are not related to his…
Read MoreFL: Ex Post Facto Lawsuit Filed (FAC)
A lawsuit was filed in Federal Court challenging the Florida Sex Offender registry. The suit is a facial challenge, filed on behalf of persons required to register in the State of Florida. It argues that the registry violates the Ex Post Facto clause of the constitution, constitutes Cruel and Unusual Punishment, violates Procedural Due Process, violates Substantive Due Process, is unconstitutionally Vague, has no rational relationship to its purpose and asks the Court to permanently restrain and enjoin the FDLE from enforcing the registration statute. More from Florida Action Committee
Read MoreJustice Department awards $13 million to help jurisdictions register and track sex offenders
The Office of Justice Programs’ Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering and Tracking (SMART) today announced awards of approximately $13 million to improve the registration and tracking of sex offenders. The grants are being awarded to states, U.S. territories and tribal communities. Full Announcement
Read MoreWA: DEFAMATION? Website Names Men Anonymously Accused Of Sexual Assault
A website created by University of Washington students allows users to anonymously post the names of men who have allegedly committed sexual assault — an act that could land the site’s administrators in legal hot water. Full Article
Read MoreTX: Texas Supreme Court to hear sex offender law challenge
The Texas Supreme Court will consider a challenge to the state’s retroactive sex offender laws that some say unfairly stack new punishments on those convicted in plea deals. Full Article Related TX: For some sex offenders, their deal with the state wasn’t really a deal
Read More‘There was a lot of shame’: meet the sex offender ‘who is not a sex offender’
____ ____ was labeled a sex offender under a New York law for kidnapping a 14-year-old boy, even though no sex crime was committed – and now his case may go to the supreme court. Full Article
Read MoreWA: On McNeil Island, the only residents are 214 dangerous sex offenders
Civil commitment centers, which exist in less than half of US states, are meant as a community safeguard, but they’re riddled with controversies. Full Article
Read MoreSex offender registry sparks Supreme Court debate over congressional powers
Supreme Court justices on Tuesday grappled with how much power Congress can pass on to federal agencies in a case that could change the way Capitol Hill legislates. Full Article Transcript of oral argument
Read MoreGeneral Comments October 2018
Comments that are not specific to a certain post should go here, for the month of October 2018. Contributions should relate to the cause and goals of this organization and please, keep it courteous and civil.
Read MoreMO: The sex offender next door – 1,300 missing Missouri criminals must be found quickly
Jackson County remains at the center of a scandalous problem with unregistered sex offenders in Missouri. According to an audit released Monday, 439 sex criminals in Jackson County have failed to register as required by law — more than 20 percent of all the known sex offenders in the county. Statewide, roughly 1,300 sex offenders have failed to register, and “their locations are unknown,” according to the report. The problem threatens neighborhoods and public safety. Jackson County officials and the sheriff’s office should commit whatever resources are needed to find…
Read MoreCA: Lawsuit Challenges Kern County Residency Restrictions
A lawsuit has been filed in Kern County Superior Court which challenges the residency and presence restrictions in that county. According to those restrictions, registrants — including those convicted as juveniles — are prohibited from living within 2,000 feet of schools, parks, day care centers and other locations where children regularly gather. In addition, registrants may not visit a day care center for any reason. According to the lawsuit, the impact of the residency restrictions is that it eliminates the possibility of a registrant living in about 97 percent of Kern County. The…
Read More