Comments that are not specific to a certain post should go here, for the month of April 2020. Contributions should relate to the cause and goals of this organization and please, keep it courteous and civil. This section is not intended for posting links to news articles without additional relevant comment.
Read MoreAuthor: Admin
Probation and Parole Officers Are Rethinking Their Rules As Coronavirus Spreads
Social distancing is pressing officials across the country to skip traditional methods such as jailing people for “technical violations” like missing check-ins. Full Article
Read MoreACSOL Requests CA Supreme Court Review of In-Person Registration Requirement
The Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws (ACSOL) is requesting review by the California Supreme Court of the requirement that individuals register in person at local law enforcement agencies during the COVID-19 pandemic. The request was submitted earlier today, however, the Court has not yet formally acknowledged receipt of that request. “Because it is impossible to obtain relief from the state’s Superior Courts, which are closed or operating at a minimal level, ACSOL is requesting relief from the state’s Supreme Court,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci. “If it chooses…
Read MoreNARSOL / ACSOL Phone Meeting March 29
NARSOL and ACSOL will once again join forces for a special Action News Alert phone meeting on the afternoon of Sunday, March 29, from 1 to 3 p.m. Pacific Time, 4 to 6 p.m. Eastern Time. A week ago, NARSOL issued a press release calling for all in-person verification checks of registrants to be suspended during the Coronavirus health crisis. On its blog, NARSOL is providing daily updates of where this is being done and where in-person visits are still required. During the phone meeting, ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci…
Read MoreCA: Ballot Initiative Would Expand Definition of Violent Felony
The November 2020 ballot in California will include an initiative that would significantly weaken three recent criminal justice reform measures — AB 109, Prop. 47 and Prop. 57. Included in the ballot initiative is a major change to the definition of the term “violent felony,” which is used for sentencing and other purposes. Specifically, the California Criminal Sentencing, Parole and DNA Collection Initiative would expand the total number of violent felonies from 27 to 51. In addition, the ballot initiative would expand the definition of violent felony to include any…
Read MoreGeneral Comments March 2020
Comments that are not specific to a certain post should go here, for the month of March 2020. Contributions should relate to the cause and goals of this organization and please, keep it courteous and civil. This section is not intended for posting links to news articles without additional relevant comment.
Read MoreCA: CDCR to Request CA Supreme Court Review of Prop. 57 Case
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) will request review by the California Supreme Court of their most recent loss in a Proposition 57 case, ACSOL v. CDCR. That loss took place on Feb. 13 when the Third Appellate District Court of Appeal affirmed the trial court’s decision that determined CDCR’s regulations implementing Prop. 57 were unlawful. CDCR’s deadline for requesting the Court’s review is March 24 and it is likely that the Court will grant review of that case. Thus far, the CA Supreme Court has granted review…
Read MoreThe Truth Could Set Them Free
Why did California destroy research into a group of people it says are dangerous enough to be locked up indefinitely? In late 2006, a public defender went before a Napa County judge to argue for his client’s freedom. ____ _____, a 49-year-old man, had been detained for seven years at Atascadero State Hospital under a 1995 California law authorizing “civil commitment” of people who have been convicted of sex offenses, a practice that keeps them confined long after they have completed their sentences. Full Article
Read MoreConference Call to Discuss Three Important Cases
NARSOL and ACSOL will have a three-hour conference call on March 2nd, beginning at 7:00 pm Eastern time. We will be discussing what’s likely to happen next in three important cases pending in Michigan, Georgia, and New Mexico. Hour 1: We will be discussing the recent decision in Michigan, which will soon bar that state from enforcing SORA on those whose conduct occurred before 2011. In addition, the court’s final order will severely limit enforcement of various provisions of SORA on the remaining registrants. Paul Reingold from the University of Michigan…
Read MoreTN: Lawmakers look to change sex offender legislation
A federal lawsuit questioning the constitutionality of a Tennessee statute that made it a felony for sex offenders to live with their own young children has prompted moves by the GOP-dominant State house to amend the 2019 law. Gov. Bill Lee had signed the bill into law to make convicted sex offenders subject to arrest if they were alone with, spent the night with, or lived with their children under age 12. But three convicted sex offenders immediately filed suit and the law never took effect last year amid the…
Read MoreWY: Bill Changing Sex Offender Access to School Grounds Passes Wyoming House
The Wyoming House of Representatives passed a bill on third reading on a vote of 33-26 during their Monday, Feb. 24 floor session which would modify rules pertaining to registered sex offenders’ access to schools. Full Article
Read MoreKS: Offender registry changes needed in Kansas
Do offender registries make us safer? The Kansas Legislature is tackling that question in the current session with two bills that would reform Kansas’ increasingly complex offender registration requirements. Full Editorial
Read MoreCASOMB Discusses Tiered Registry Implementation, Registry Increases
The California Sex Offender Management Board (CASOMB) discussed two major topics today during its monthly meeting — implementation of the Tiered Registry and continued increases to the number of individuals required to register. During the meeting, the board members were told that the California Department of Justice (DOJ) will assign all individuals required to register to a tier under the Tiered Registry Law. Information regarding the tier assignments will be sent electronically by DOJ to local law enforcement agencies no later than January 1, 2021. Registrants must request their tier…
Read MoreGA: Farm stand ordinance passes 4-1; Antoine warns of produce-seeking pedophiles
A zoning ordinance that would allow farm stands at a day care center in Forest Park passed 4-1 Monday. Councilman Dabouze Antoine voted no, saying he was concerned a farm stand at the day care might attract pedophiles and human traffickers who would visit under the pretense of shopping for produce. Full Article
Read MoreMI: Federal judge invalidates portions of SORA
A federal judge has issued a ruling that invalidates portions of Michigan’s Sex Offender Registry Act (SORA) that are unconstitutional. U.S. District Court Judge Robert Cleland issued the decision on Friday in a lawsuit that argued the SORA was unconstitutional. Full Article Court Decision Press Release from the Michigan ACLU Related https://mitchellhamline.edu/sex-offense-litigation-policy/2020/02/14/john-doe-et-al-v-richard-snyder-e-d-mich-2020/
Read MoreLetter: The punishment must fit the crime
About 100 U.S. teachers, mostly women, are charged with sex crimes each year, although many others go unreported. Affairs between teachers and students are becoming more common in both the U.S. and Europe, probably because the rise of social media has made communication easier and more private. In most of Europe, the age of consent is 14, while in American states it’s 16, 17 or 18. But regardless of students’ ages, teachers may be considered predators because their authority implies a potential for duress. No coercion may have been used…
Read MoreCA: Appellate Court Upholds Challenge to Prop. 57 Regulations
An appellate court in California today upheld ACSOL’s challenge to regulations issued by the CA Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) that prohibit anyone convicted of a sex offense from receiving early parole consideration. This type of consideration was granted by Prop. 57 to all persons convicted of a non-violent offense. In its decision, the Third Appellate District Court noted that CDCR has made “repeated attempts to exclude categories of inmates undisputedly classified as ‘nonviolent’ from early parole consideration.” The court rejected CDCR’s argument that the exclusions were necessary due…
Read MoreMI: Sex offender registry – valuable resource or tool for public shaming?
A cursory glance at the Michigan Sex Offender Registry may reveal that someone who’s been convicted of a sex crime lives near you. Now what? Advocates for reforming the registry say this publicly available information not only doesn’t make communities safer, it actually has the potential to make them more dangerous. Those on the other side of the debate say the registry is a valuable tool that gives people the information they need to be aware of their surroundings and cognizant of potential threats. Full Article Related https://www.woodtv.com/news/target-8/sex-offender-hopes-his-story-will-help-change-registry/
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