ACSOL’s upcoming meeting in San Diego is as follows Saturday, August 11 10 am 350 Cedar Street Lecture Hall #2 San Diego, CA 92101 Registrants, friends and family and interested service providers are invited to attend these free meetings. There will be no law enforcement or media present in order to protect everyone’s privacy. The meetings start at 10 am and last about 2-3 hours. Topics of conversation include information about ACSOL’s advocacy as well as current topics and pending legal action. Please Show up, Stand up, and Speak up!…
Read MoreCategory: ACSOL
Emotional Support Group Meetings in 2018
Emotional Support Group meetings will be held on the following dates–usually the fourth Saturday of each month–for those convicted of a sex offense and their loved ones. Meetings are based upon 12-step principles and are led by a mental health professional. Meetings are held at: ACLU Building 1313 W. 8th Street Los Angeles There is free underground parking. Meetings start promptly at 10 a.m. and anyone who arrives after that time may not be able to participate due to the logistics of that location. There is no charge to attend…
Read MoreFederal District Court Dismisses IML Challenge
A federal district court dismissed the recent IML challenge yesterday when it granted the government’s Motion to Dismiss a legal challenge to the International Megan’s Law (IML). That challenge, filed in January 2018, was based upon alleged violations by the State Department of the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). A link to the court’s decision follows below. Due to the court’s decision, the State Department is expected to expand its revocation of existing passports in order to add a “unique identifier” stating that the individual has been convicted of a sex…
Read MoreCA: Pico Rivera Repeals Residency Restrictions
The City of Pico Rivera repealed its residency restrictions which prohibited registrants from living in most of that city, on either a temporary or a permanent basis, and the repeal of the city’s restrictions will become effective on July 12, 2018. The City’s repeal followed the filing of a lawsuit in federal district court on February 22, 2018. “The Pico Rivera lawsuit is number 30 of 31 lawsuits filed thus far challenging residency restrictions adopted by cities and counties,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci “The lawsuits have resulted in…
Read MoreIML Judge Cancels Hearing on Motion to Dismiss
The federal judge to whom the IML lawsuit was assigned has canceled today’s hearing on the government’s Motion to Dismiss the entire case. According to Judge John F. Walter, he will make a decision based solely upon the documents filed both in support of, and in opposition to, that motion. The judge has no deadline by which he is required to make a decision on the motion. The judge’s decision on the government’s motion will be posted on this website as soon as it is available.
Read MoreCA: Maywood to Consider Repeal of Residency Restrictions
The City of Maywood is scheduled to consider repeal of its residency restrictions during a City Council meeting on July 11. If the City Council approves repeal of the restrictions on that date, a second vote will be required at its next meeting on July 25. “The current residency restrictions in the City of Maywood virtually banish all people required to register from living in that city,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci. “As a result, Maywood families have been torn apart.” ACSOL notified the City of Maywood in a…
Read MoreACSOL 2018 Conference Videos Now Available
Videos from ACSOL’s 2018 conference held on June 15 and June 16 in Los Angeles are now available for viewing. The videos include three plenary speakers as well as five workshops. “We are pleased to share with the public most of the information shared during the 2018 conference,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci. “In order to help the maximum number of people, there is no cost to access the videos.” Plans have begun for the next ACSOL conference to be held in June 2019 at the same location. Details…
Read MoreCA: Lawsuit Challenges New Prop. 57 Regulations
A lawsuit has been filed challenging new regulations issued by the CA Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) that implement Proposition 57. The lawsuit was filed in Sacramento Superior Court on June 25. “In its new regulations, CDCR repeated its original mistake of excluding everyone convicted of a sex offense from the benefits of Proposition 57,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci. “As recognized by the Court in our first lawsuit, the agency lacks authority to change the public’s decision to provide the benefits of Proposition 57 to everyone convicted…
Read MoreEmotional Support Group Meeting – June 23, Los Angeles
ACSOL will host an Emotional Support Group for registrants and their loved ones on Saturday June 23, 10 a.m. at: ACLU Building 1313 W. 8th Street Los Angeles Free parking is available under the building and there is no charge to attend the meeting. The meeting, which is based upon 12 Step principles, will provide registrants and their loved ones with an opportunity to discuss personal challenges.
Read MoreCA: Senate Public Safety to Consider Residency Restrictions Bill on June 26
The Senate Public Safety Committee will consider Assembly Bill 514 during a hearing on June 26. If passed, the bill would prohibit some people convicted of a sex offense involving a minor age from living within 1,000 feet from a day care center or a family day care home. The bill is the result of significant changes to a previous bill focused on medical waste that was introduced by Assemblyman Rudy Salas, a Democrat from Bakersfield. “This bill would not achieve its stated purpose of increasing public safety,” stated ACSOL…
Read MoreACSOL Conference Attracts More than 170 People from 14 States, Identifies Future Opportunities in 2019
More than 170 people required to register, their loved ones and supporters from 14 states attended the second annual ACSOL conference in Los Angeles on June 15 and June 16. The conference included four plenary speakers as well as 12 workshops. “We shared information, energy and support during the conference,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci. “We also provided essential tools for daily living to people required to register as well as their loved ones.” After a warm welcome from ACSOL President Chance Oberstein, plenary speaker Laurie Jo Reynolds opened…
Read MoreCA: Coalinga Patients Score Two Victories
Patients at Coalinga State Hospital scored two victories today — one in court and the other in the state legislature. As a result of the victories, the patients’ past votes as well as future votes in City of Coalinga elections are valid. Specifically, a Fresno Superior Court judge ruled today against the City of Coalinga which had attempted to invalidate the patients’ votes in November 2017 which contributed to the defeat of a one cent sales tax. In its decision, the Court noted that the patients’ votes were valid because…
Read MoreCA: L.A. County Sued Over Ban on Sex Offenders as Poll Workers [by ACSOL]
[usnews.com 5/7/18] LOS ANGELES (AP) — Two registered sex offenders are suing Los Angeles County for the right to become poll workers. City News Service says the suit filed Monday argues that the county’s policy banning offenders violates state law and the Constitution. The suit was filed by two offenders who live in the county and by the Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws, a nonprofit group. California’s sex offender registration website lists more than 13,000 people in L.A. County, including those convicted of nonviolent offenses. Read more
Read MoreState Department Files Motion to Dismiss IML Lawsuit (Updated)
UPDATE 06/07: The date of the IML hearing has been changed from June 25 to July 9 at the government’s request. The State Department today filed a Motion to Dismiss the lawsuit which challenges the International Megan’s Law (IML) on procedural grounds. A hearing on the Motion to Dismiss is scheduled for June 25 in Los Angeles. In its motion, the State Department asserts that its final rule issued in September 2016 is consistent with the IML and that its press release issued in October 2017 that included the language of…
Read MoreCA: Senate Public Safety Committee Stops Two Bills
During a hearing today, the Senate Public Safety Committee stopped two bills, SB 976 and SB 1143, that would have harmed registrants as well as their families. The first of those bills (SB 976) would have expanded the definition of “violent felony” to include all felony sex offenses. That change could have resulted in longer prison sentences as well as no consideration for early parole. The second of those bills (SB 1143) would have required registrants convicted of an offense involving a minor to disclose their status as a registrant…
Read MoreJanice’s Journal: Three Opportunities in Thirty Days
We have three opportunities during the next 30 days to Show Up – Stand Up – Speak Up. Our first opportunity is in Sacramento on April 24 when the Senate Public Safety Committee will consider Senate Bill 1143. If passed, that bill would require registrants convicted of an offense involving a minor to disclose their status as a registrant to potential landlords as well as to home sellers if the property is within one-quarter mile of a school or a park. The penalty for not making such a disclosure is…
Read MoreACSOL Conference to Feature National Experts
The second annual ACSOL conference to be held on June 15 and June 16 will feature national experts Laurie Jo Reynolds, Dr. Ilan Meyer and Anokhi Shah. The conference will be held at Southwestern Law School, 3050 Wilshire Boulevard, in downtown Los Angeles. “Laurie Jo Reynolds is an activist, a social justice professor and an artist who understands the challenges registrants and their families face every day,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci. “She is sure to inspire us all.” Dr. Ilan Meyer is a Distinguished Senior Scholar for Public…
Read MoreEmotional Support Group Meeting – March 31, Los Angeles
ACSOL will host an Emotional Support Group for registrants and their loved ones on Saturday March 31, 10 a.m. at: ACLU Building 1313 W. 8th Street Los Angeles Free parking is available under the building and there is no charge to attend the meeting.
Read More