Stanford offender’s life sentence

The victim fought back with words of rage. “ I thought there’s no way this is going to trial; there were witnesses, there was dirt in my body, he ran but was caught,” she wrote in a 12-page statement at the sentencing of ____ ____, the former Stanford student convicted of sexually assaulting her. “He’s going to settle, formally apologize, and we will both move on. Instead, I was told he hired a powerful attorney, expert witnesses, private investigators who were going to try and find details about my personal…

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NY: Senate passes “terrorist registry” bill

The State of NY may soon have a “terrorist registry” much like the sex offender registry. Their Senate, yesterday, passed legislation that would create a list of people convicted of terrorism and post their information publicly, so that the community and law enforcement can be aware of “somebody in their community that has been convicted of terrorism who still may be a threat to the safety and security of Americans” Full Article

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PA: Senators eye raising age limits in child sex abuse lawsuits

HARRISBURG, Pa. —Pennsylvania’s top legal office is telling lawmakers that it’s unconstitutional to retroactively give victims of child sexual abuse more time to sue, although some lawmakers remain willing to support it. Full Article Related http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/20160613_Letters__Protect_all_victims_of_sex_abuse.html

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Assembly Committee to Consider Internet Identifier Bill (SB 448)

The Assembly Public Safety Committee will consider on June 21 an amended version of Senate Bill 448, which requires some registered citizens to disclose their internet identifiers. The hearing will be held in State Capitol Room 126 and begin at 9 a.m. As amended, the bill requires the disclosure of internet identifiers by registered citizens convicted after January 1, 2016, if they used the internet to collect private information about their victim. Disclosures would be required during annual registration as well as within 30 working days of additions or changes…

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Janice’s Journal: Incrementalism Provides Firm Foundation

I was recently introduced to the term incrementalism in the book, “Notorious RBG”, a biography of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.  The term means gradual change and it is the opposite of sudden, radical change. According to the book, Justice Ginsburg is an advocate of incrementalism because she believes incrementalism can provide a firm foundation for change.  In direct contrast, radical change lacks a firm foundation and can crumble easily when threatened. After reading this book, I am convinced that incrementalism is the best path for our civil…

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Senate Committee to Consider AB 2569 [UPDATED with approval]

The Senate Public Safety Committee will consider AB 2569 during its hearing on June 28 which starts at 9:30 a.m. in Room 3191. If enacted into law, the bill would reduce the number of people eligible to apply for exclusion from the Megan’s Law website. The full Assembly passed AB 2569 in May. In order to become law, the bill must be passed by two Senate committees and the full Senate. “If enacted, Assembly Bill 2569 would harm hundreds of registered citizens and their families,” stated CA RSOL president Janice…

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PA: When Your Boss Is Also a Registered Sex Offender

Once a promising young cadet in the police academy, Conshohocken’s ____ ____ ____ is now a convicted sex offender. In 2014, at the age of 29, ____ pleaded guilty to statutory sexual assault and sexual abuse of a child. The victim took private ballroom dancing lessons from ____, and investigators said that he videotaped some of their more than 20 sexual encounters, which occurred when the girl was 14 and 15 and ____ was 27. ____ will be listed on the Pennsylvania Megan’s Law website for the rest of his life. So does that mean…

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Arcadia City Council Moves Toward Repeal of Residency Restrictions

The Arcadia City Council took the first step toward a total repeal of its residency restrictions during its meeting on June 7. The Council is scheduled to take the next step toward repeal on June 21. If the Council approves the repeal during that meeting, the repeal will take effect after 30 days. The residency restrictions within the City of Arcadia were challenged in a lawsuit filed in federal court in July 2015. The City filed two unsuccessful motions to dismiss the case in September 2015 and January 2016. “This…

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Advocate group responds to sex offender letter

In response to “Sex offenders need harsher sentences,” of June 1: This letter is filled with emotion and righteous indignation but sadly lacking in facts or, in some instances, the truth. You cannot equate the offense of child molestation with that of failure to register. Child molestation is inexcusable and causes harm. Failure to register is a newly invented crime that very, very seldom puts anyone at risk. Full Article In Response to Sex offenders need harsher sentences

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Prisoners in the Free World – America’s Astronomical Incarceration Rate

The other day, I came across an article about ____ ____, a former Missouri state senator who was recently released from a 1-year stint in federal prison. Years earlier during a failed congressional run, Smith’s campaign violated election law by sending out anonymous postcards attacking his political opponent. When the violation surfaced years later, Smith was caught on tape conspiring to cover it up. Not to make light of election law, but a year in prison for conspiracy to cover up postcards? Even if the punishment were fair to Smith and his family, is prison really the best…

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