Source: ACSOL ACSOL President Chance Oberstein was recently honored in the Wall Street Journal after being selected as a recipient of the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award. This award is provided to individuals based upon their career longevity, philanthropic endeavors and lasting contributions. “We congratulate Chance Oberstein for this well deserved recognition,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci. “ACSOL is indeed fortunate to have Chance serve as president of the board of directors for more than five years.” During Mr. Oberstein’s tenure as president, ACSOL has successfully challenged residency…
Read MoreCategory: ACSOL News
Federal SORNA Regulations Litigation Fund Now Has Matching Grant Program
UPDATE FROM JANICE 12/15/21: We made it! During the past 6 hours, we crossed the finish line and will be able to fully match the $15,000 grant. That means ACSOL has raised at least $30,000 to challenge the new SORNA regulations. Sincere thanks to everyone who donated $5 to $500! Your donation made a difference and so will our litigation. Of course we welcome additional donations so we can continue to increase the fight for justice! The federal government published final SORNA regulations last week that cause great uncertainty…
Read MoreACSOL Leaders Discussed New SORNA Regulations
UPDATED: Click here to find out how your donation to fight SORNA regulations will be doubled! ACSOL President Chance Oberstein and ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci discussed the new SORNA regulations during an “emergency” meeting held on Dec. 11 for two and a half hours. The meeting was attended by about 250 people from at least 10 different states. “ACSOL thanks everyone who attended Saturday’s meeting regarding the new SORNA regulations,” stated Bellucci. “It was an opportunity for registrants and family members to hear the views of two experienced and…
Read MoreFederal Government Finalizes SORNA Regulations (and Emergency ACSOL Zoom meeting recording )
UPDATE: Read a summary of the SORNA meeting Listen to the recording of the meeting The federal government today published final SORNA regulations in the Federal Register. According to this publication, the regulations will become effective on January 7, 2022. “The only thing that can stop these regulations is a formal objection by Congress during the next 30 days which is unlikely to happen,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci. “Therefore we must prepare to challenge the regulations through litigation filed in federal courts.” Despite acknowledging that more than 700…
Read MoreLos Angeles Courts Grant Two Petitions
Source: ACSOL Two superior courts in Los Angeles county have granted petitions submitted on behalf of two different registrants. The first petition was granted on Nov. 5 in the San Fernando Valley court house to a registrant convicted of Penal Code section 243.4 whose tier had not yet been determined. This registrant was represented by ACSOL President Chance Oberstein. The second petition was granted today in the downtown Los Angeles courthouse to a registrant convicted of Penal Code section 288(a) and assigned to Tier 2. This registrant was represented by…
Read MoreCASOMB Reports Increased Number of Registrants, Registrants in Violation
Source: ACSOL During today’s (11/18/21) meeting of the California Sex Offender Management Board (CASOMB), the California Department of Justice (DOJ) reported that the total number of people required to register is 108,539 which reflects an increase of 377 individuals. DOJ also reported that the number of registrants in violation for failure to register is 19,146, an increase of 330 individuals. Finally, DOJ reported that the number of homeless registrants is 6,761 which reflects a decrease of 251 individuals. Also during today’s CASOMB meeting, the California Department of Corrections reported that 7,171…
Read MoreACSOL is fighting for you! Read how
Please click on this link to see all the ways ACSOL is making a difference to you. We will keep that page updated as we continue the fight for you! To read it in the future, click on the “About Us” menu at the top of every page, then select “Major ACSOL Accomplishments and Plans”. Sincerely, Janice
Read MoreACSOL to Conduct SORNA Regulations Meeting on November 1 at 3pm PT
The Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws (ACSOL) will conduct a meeting on Monday, November 1 starting at 3 p.m. (Pacific) to discuss the proposed SORNA regulations. ACSOL President Chance Oberstein and ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci will lead that meeting using Zoom technology. The recording of the meeting is now available here. Click here to learn how to fight these terrible SORNA regulations ACSOL SORNA Regulations Meeting: recording now available
Read MoreCA: Demurrer Hearing Scheduled for December 17 in Resentencing Regulations Challenge
Source: ACSOL The Attorney General of California has filed a demurrer in the pending challenge of regulations issued by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) that prohibit anyone convicted of a sex offense from resentencing opportunities. A hearing regarding the demurrer is scheduled for December 17 at 11 a.m. in Sacramento Superior Court. The challenge to CDCR’s regulations was filed on July 6, 2021, after ACSOL formally opposed the regulations both in an April 2021 letter as well as during two hearings conducted in May 2021. CDCR’s regulations…
Read MoreACSOL Conducts Successful 2021 Conference
The Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws (ACSOL) conducted a successful two-day virtual conference on September 17 and September 18. More than 240 tickets were sold for the conference which included plenary presentations from subject matter experts Dr. Jill Levenson of Florida and ACLU attorney Miriam Aukerman of Michigan. The conference also included a wide variety of presentations on topics such as stigma and PTSD experienced by registrants and their families as well as domestic and international travel, parole and probation conditions, and failures to register. Further, the conference included…
Read MoreCASOMB Sept 2021 Reports Changes in Registrant Community, Discusses Additional Counseling Requirement
Source: ACSOL The California Sex Sex Offender Management Board (CASOMB), during its monthly meeting today, reported several changes in the registrant community. Among those changes is a slight increase in the total number of registrants, from 108,106 in February 2021 to 108,162 in August 2021. Of that total, there was also a slight increase in the number of registrants not in custody. That number was 83,201 in August 2021 as compared to 82,526 in February 2021. The number of homeless registrants decreased from 6,994 in February 2021 to 6,976 in…
Read MoreThe 2021 ACSOL Conference
Conference sign ups ended on Wednesday, September 15, at 11 p.m. (Pacific). This year’s annual ACSOL virtual conference will be held on Friday, September 17, and Saturday, September 18. The conference will feature distinguished keynote speakers as well as feature presentations by subject matter experts and panels on a variety of topics important to registrants and their families. Keynote speakers include Jill Levenson, Ph.D., and attorney Miriam Aukerman. Levenson has published dozens of articles that support registrants and their families, on topics including the ineffectiveness of registries and the myth…
Read MoreACSOL Executive Director to Discuss Need to Overturn U.S. Supreme Court’s Mistake on September 18
ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci will discuss the need to overturn a significant and harmful decision made by the U.S. Supreme Court, Smith v. Doe, during the ACSOL conference on Saturday, September 18, at 10 a.m. She will also discuss, with ACSOL President Chance Oberstein, the newly effective Tiered Registry Law in California on Saturday, September 18, at 12:30 p.m.. “The U.S. Supreme Court made a terrible mistake when it decided that the requirement to register is not punishment,” stated Bellucci. “Due to that decision, governments at every level —…
Read MoreEmily Horowitz to Speak at ACSOL Conference on September 17
Professor and Sociologist Emily Horowitz will deliver a thought provoking presentation during the ACSOL conference on Friday, September 17, at 11 a.m. (Pacific). Her presentation will focus upon “The Failure of Legal Responses to Sexual Violence” and will include a new perspective on how and why false claims about sex offenses have become so pervasive. “Professor Horowitz understands the daily challenges faced by registrants and their loved ones,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci. “Her scholarly research includes sex offenses and other crimes against children as well as the hysteria…
Read MoreACSOL President Chance Oberstein to Discuss Travel Law Updates
ACSOL President Chance Oberstein will discuss travel law updates on September 17 at 11 a.m. (Pacific) during this year’s ACSOL annual conference. Mr. Oberstein’s presentation will address both domestic and overseas travel. “Registrants are traveling both domestically and internationally during the pandemic for both personal and business reasons,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci. “Not only must they be careful of COVID-19 restrictions, they must also pay attention to the International Megan’s Law and state laws.” Paul Rigney, who heads the Registrant Travel Action Group (RTAG), will join Mr. Oberstein…
Read MoreACSOL’s Chance X. Oberstein Celebrated for Dedication to the Field of Law
Source: 24-7pressrelease.com 8/26/21 LAGUNA NIGUEL, CA, August 26, 2021 /24-7PressRelease/ — Chance Oberstein has been included in Marquis Who’s Who. As in all Marquis Who’s Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process. Drawing inspiration from the example of his grandfather, an immigrant from Russia, Mr. Oberstein pursued a career in law, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Social Ecology, with a specialization…
Read MoreCourt Stops First Challenge to CA Tiered Registry Law
A judge in Sacramento Superior Court today stopped the first challenge to the Tiered Registry Law. The action was taken during a virtual hearing held before Judge Shama Mesiwala. The case in question involved a challenge to the assignment of individuals convicted of Penal Code Section 288(c)(1) to Tier 3, the highest tier. The basis of the challenge was the equal protection clause of the state constitution. “Today’s decision will be appealed,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci. “Until this decision can be overturned, individuals convicted of PC 288(c)(1) will…
Read MoreACLU Attorney Miriam Aukerman to Speak at ACSOL Conference on September 17
ACLU attorney Miriam Aukerman will discuss her many successes challenging sex offender laws in Michigan at the ACSOL conference on Friday, September 17, at 12:30 p.m. (Pacific). After her presentation, attorney Aukerman will be available for questions from conference attendees. Sign up today! “Attorney Aukerman has done what many other attorneys have been unable to do,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci. “That is, she has persuaded courts that the requirement to register is punishment and therefore new sex offender laws cannot be applied retroactively.” Litigation in one case, Does…
Read More