Florida’s state Supreme Court on Thursday approved language for a proposed amendment to the state Constitution that would restore voting rights to felons after they complete their sentences. If the measure makes it on the ballot and receives a 60% favorable vote, the voting rights of Felons in Florida could be restored upon completion of their sentence. Unfortunately, the rights would not be returned to murders or the very broad category of “sex offenders”. It’s not right! Source https://www.floridiansforafairdemocracy.com/amendment-text
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OR: Hidden Sex Offenders: Oregon falling far behind on registry overhaul
Oregon has the most sex offenders per capita in the country, but only lists about 2 percent of them on the state’s public website. The state is working to overhaul the system, but critics say that plan falls short and KATU has learned it’s in danger of missing another crucial deadline. Full Article
Read MoreAL: SB301 is going to change the definition of “residence,” and the results will be catastrophic
I have a huge problem with SB 301. The definition of “reside” is being changed by this bill, and not for the better. Most residence definitions deal with where a person sleeps, but this law impacts even where a person spends his time during the day. Full Article
Read MoreSex offender residency laws – There are no easy answers -Editorial
If you read the following editorial as being sympathetic toward sex offenders, you are missing the point. We are not being sympathetic. We simply want to state that it’s not always possible to legislate our way to safety. Full Article
Read MoreJanice’s Journal: Tiered Registry Bill is Reborn
The Tiered Registry Bill is reborn. We now have a second chance to end a 70-year-old law that requires individuals to register for a lifetime, regardless of the nature of their offense, the amount of time that has passed and whether they have re-offended. We almost lost this opportunity when Senator Ricardo Lara, the original author of the Tiered Registry Bill, withdrew his leadership. His withdrawal came less than three weeks before an important deadline, that is, consideration by the Senate Public Safety Committee. Those who support the Tiered Registry…
Read MoreWI: Sex offenders win federal lawsuit against Village of Pleasant Prairie: “It’s going to open a lot of doors”
Sex offenders in Kenosha County have won a federal lawsuit against the Village of Pleasant Prairie, in a case that could have nationwide implications. The men who sued said the village’s sex offender residency restrictions violated their constitutional rights. Full Article
Read MoreNew Author Announced for Tiered Registry Bill
Senator Scott Wiener (Democrat, San Francisco) has agreed to author the Tiered Registry Bill. As part of that decision, the Senator gutted a prior bill he previously introduced, Senate Bill 421, and amended that bill with the language of the original Tiered Registry Bill. “We thank Senator Scott Wiener for his courage in deciding to be the new author of the Tiered Registry Bill,” stated Executive Director Janice Bellucci. “His decision could increase public safety by making more efficient use of government resources.” The Tiered Registry Bill recently attracted the…
Read MoreAssembly’s Public Safety Committee Passes AB 558
The Assembly’s Public Safety Committee today passed Assembly Bill (AB 558). If this bill becomes law, individuals convicted of misdemeanor sex offenses as well as those convicted of similar offenses would be added to the public Megan’s Law website. The Committee vote was made after testimony in opposition to the bill from the ACLU, ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci and 17 ACSOL members. The sole member of the Committee who voted against the bill was Bill Quirk who said that the registry is already too long to be useful. Before…
Read MoreNC: Should sex offenders pay to be on registry?
Sex offenders would have to pay an annual fine to be listed on the state’s sex offender registry under a bill proposed by N.C. Rep. Ted Davis, R-New Hanover. “There is a cost to continuing to have them on that registry,” Davis said. “The point of this is to get revenue to keep these people on the sex offender registry.” Full Article
Read MoreCO: Kids playing doctor aren’t felony sex offenders – Guest Column
Juvenile cellphone “sexting” is the technological equivalent of playing doctor, something that has been part of human behavior for as long as anyone can remember. Sexual curiosity is a natural part of physical and emotional development in children, and only the most zealous of prudes would argue that innocent exploration ought to constitute a crime. Full Article
Read MoreSplit Second Circuit panel declares within-guideline child porn possession sentence of 225 months “substantively unreasonable”
A dozen years after Booker, the reversal of any federal sentence as substantively unreasonable is still quite rare and notable. Today, a Second Circuit panel has issued such a rare and notable decision in US v. Jenkinss, No. 14-4295 (2d Cir. April 17, 2017) Full Article
Read MoreWV: Sex offender arrested for driving truck to mailbox
The West Virginia State Police have made an arrest for a man failing to update his sex offender registry. Full Article
Read MoreUK: Men won’t volunteer to help the Scouts for one depressing reason: they’ll be labelled paedophiles
Ever since it was officially recognised by Royal charter in 1912, the Scout Association has taught British kids the type of campfire practicality and social do-gooding that is arguably lacking in our tech-rich, late capitalist world. All that is in danger, however, as the organisation is having to turn away young applicants due to a lack of adult volunteers willing to teach them life skills such as how to tie knots, launch watercraft and work together to achieve a goal. … The second barrier is a more general red flag: the very real fear among many…
Read MoreNY: Local sex offender law ruled unconstitutional
A Cheektowaga law created more than a decade ago to serve as a tougher version of New York’s sex offender law. Now, it’s being called unconstitutional. Full Article
Read MoreStudy: Public Misperceptions About Sex Offenders Skew Policy-Making
Public opinion toward crime is complex. Research shows that Americans strongly favor punitive measures to address criminal behavior while also demanding the rehabilitation and treatment of offenders. When it comes to sex offenses, it gets even more complicated. A 2015 study authored by Christina Mancini, an Assistant Professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, and Kristen Budd of MiamiUniversity (Ohio) found that numerous misperceptions about sex crimes–such as the myth of “stranger danger,” the perception of abnormally high sexual recidivism, and offense amplification–have been the impetus behind laws passed by “get tough”…
Read MoreTemecula City Council Repeals Residency Restrictions
The Temecula City Council, in a vote of 4 to 1, approved the repeal of the city’s residency restrictions during its regularly scheduled meeting on April 11. The repeal is to take effect immediately and no further City Council is required. According to a city staff report, the city’s decision to repeal was based upon a March 2015 decision by the California Supreme Court which determined that blanket residency restrictions applied to all registrants, regardless of offense or the amount of time passed since the conviction, violated the Constitution. The City…
Read MoreFL: Judge imposes 100 years in prison for child porn possession for first offender claiming innocence
A 36-year-old St. Johns County man is looking at spending the rest of his life behind bars after Circuit Court Judge Howard Maltz sentenced him to 100 years in prison Wednesday morning. The sentencing came nearly two months after a jury found ____ ____ guilty on 20 counts of possession of child pornography at the end of a two-day February trial. Full Article
Read MoreAR: Bill to Ban Sex Offenders from Museums
Rather than go see a movie, or hang out at home, today Kelly Gifford decided to take her son to a museum. “It’s a great opportunity for my son to have a good time while he’s learning,” Gifford says. She says she learned pretty quickly though that unlike a movie theater or her living room, museums and parks come with their fair share of distractions. “They’re kids. They’re going to run around,” she says. And perhaps nothing is scarier for a parent than the moment a child leaves their sight.…
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