LA Times – On a tiny sliver of land in Harbor Gateway, the city is beginning construction on what officials believe will be the smallest park in Los Angeles. At one-fifth of an acre, the pocket park will barely have room for two jungle gyms, some benches and a brick wall. But the enjoyment the park will give children is a secondary concern for officials. They are building the park for a different reason: to force 33 registered sex offenders to move out of a nearby apartment building. State law…
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California RSOL Meeting in Los Angeles – March 16
California RSOL will return to Los Angeles on March 16 for a regular monthly meeting. The meeting will begin at 10 a.m. and be held at the ACLU Building, 1313 W. 8th Street, Los Angeles. The meeting is open to registrants, family members and supporters only. No media or government officials are allowed to attend. As usual, the meeting will focus upon issues of importance to registrants, such as residency restrictions and conditions of parole/probation, as well as family members. There is no charge to attend the meeting.
Read MoreCalifornia State Senate Bill Would Allow Cities, Counties to Enact Park Bans [UPDATED with Reasons to Oppose]
[See UPDATE below] State senator Lou Correa of Orange County introduced a bill on February 20 that would allow cities and counties to enact laws that ban registrants from public places such as parks, museums and libraries. The bill, SB 386, was initially sent to the Senate Rules Committee and is expected to be referred to the Senate Public Safety Committee next week. “The bill, if passed, could allow ordinances, such as the Orange County park ban, to continue,” stated Janice Bellucci, President of California Reform Sex Offender Laws. “It must…
Read MoreHuntington Beach Parks Ordinance Moratorium
The City of Huntington Beach has declared a moratorium on its sex offender ordinance which prohibits all registrants from visiting public parks and beaches. According to a memo from Police Chief Kenneth Small, the decision was made due to a pending legal challenge against the City. Small stated that he expects “the moratorium to remain in place until the Court of Appeal makes a decision on the pending case of People v. Godinez.” A decision in that case is expected no later than June 2013. “This is a good decision,”…
Read MoreCalifornia Municipal Ordinances List updated
Thanks to the tireless efforts of one of our volunteers the list of City and County Ordinances relating to 290 registrants has been completely revamped and updated. Thank you, S.! While the task was tedious, it is our hope that this list will soon be obsolete and that these laws will be repealed. California RSOL – registrants, family & friends and supporters – has been very active in speaking at various City Council Meetings against the adoption and for the repeal of these ordinances. Follow notices on this site to…
Read MoreCalifornia RSOL Meeting in LA, January 19 – Recap & Presentation
The January 19 meeting in Los Angeles saw the greatest turnout of registrants, family & friends and supporters to date. About 60+ attended the meeting, about half of whom were first-time participants! As always, the meeting included topics such as on-going legislation, an update about recent organization activities, as well as questions and answers. The highlight was a presentation by Alex Landon, an attorney, law professor and author of a book on the subject of registration laws. He shed some light and perspective on the evolution of these laws. Thanks…
Read MoreHuntington Beach Votes to Continue Violations of Constitutions
The Huntington Beach City Council voted 6 to 1 in favor of continuing the city’s sex offender ordinance which bans all registrants from entering all city parks. The sole vote against the ordinance was cast by Councilwoman Jill Hardy. A total of eight representatives of California RSOL spoke in opposition to the revised ordinance which, in theory, would allow registrants an opportunity to obtain written permission to enter a city park. No one spoke in favor of the revised ordinance, including no members of the City Council, because the ordinance…
Read MoreHuntington Beach City Council Hearing – February 4
California RSOL will attend the Huntington Beach City Council Hearing and speak at the second reading of the proposed modification of the the Ordinance prohibiting registrants to enter public parks and places. Come join us at 6 pm on Monday, February 4th! 6:00 PM – Regular MeetingCouncil Chambers – 2000 Main StreetHuntington Beach, CA 92648 Agenda
Read MoreCalifornia RSOL Lobbying in Sacramento
California RSOL will lobby newly elected members of the state Assembly in Sacramento on January 29 and 30. Thirty-nine new members were sworn in earlier this month. There are a total of 80 members in that legislative body. “It is important to meet with the newly elected state legislators this month in order to educate them regarding the true facts regarding registrants,” stated Janice Bellucci, President of California RSOL. “In the past, state legislators have passed laws based upon fear and misinformation that have diminished public safety and denied registrants…
Read MoreRSOL 2012 National Conference: Janice Bellucci
VIDEO: “We’ve Come A Long Way Baby” Janice Bellucci talks about the beginning stages of formation of the California chapter of RSOL. Serves as a model for other state organizations. Recorded Saturday September 8, 2012. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDHH62DZvhY More Conference Videos
Read MoreCYPRESS ORDINANCE CHALLENGED IN FEDERAL COURT
A registrant and his fiancée filed a lawsuit today in federal district court challenging the ordinance passed by the City of Cypress that prohibits most registrants from residing in the city as well as visiting public places such as parks, libraries and senior centers. The ordinance was passed unanimously by the City Council on March 12, 2012. “The ordinance passed by the City of Cypress is egregious in that it prevents the owners of single-family homes, apartment buildings and hotels from renting to most registrants even on a temporary basis,”…
Read MoreBan repeal sparks applause, frustration
On Dec. 18, Lake Forest repealed a year-old ordinance banning registered sex offenders from its public parks. The city was one of more than a dozen in Orange County to add such a ban to their books since April 2011. Last month, in the face of a lawsuit challenging the ban’s constitutionality, Lake Forest became the first of those cities to reverse course. Proponents say the ban is needed to protect children from predators – critics argue the ban violates the civil rights of registered sex offenders. Here is a…
Read MoreProp 35: Preliminary Injunction granted
Late Friday, a federal judge granted a preliminary injunction in the lawsuit EFF filed with the ACLU of Northern California (ACLU-NC) that challenges the unconstitutional provisions in Proposition 35, a ballot measure passed by California voters in November that restricts the legal and constitutionally protected speech of all registered sex offenders in California. EFF and the ACLU-NC filed the lawsuit the morning after Election Day, noting that although Prop 35 is ostensibly about increasing punishment for human traffickers, it’s beset with problems. The biggest was its requirement that registrants turn…
Read MoreTRO Application Filed to Halt Enforcement of Lancaster Sex Offender Ordinance
An application for a temporary restraining order (TRO) was filed today in federal district court requesting that enforcement of a sex offender ordinance in the City of Lancaster be halted. “The Lancaster ordinance denies the civil rights of more than 100,000 individuals and families in California,” stated Janice Bellucci, President of California Reform Sex Offender Laws (RSOL). “It prohibits people who made a mistake, but who have paid their debt to society from entering public places such as parks, schools and the library as well as private places such as…
Read MoreCalifornia RSOL Meeting in Santa Maria on February 23
The first California RSOL meeting in Santa Maria will take place on February 23, 2013 at 9 am. As always, the meeting will focus upon issues of importance to registrants, such as residency restrictions and conditions of parole/probation and the status of pending lawsuit. Registrants, family members and supporters are invited to attend this free meeting. There will be no media or government officials. The meeting will be held at 1165 Stubblefield Road, Santa Maria, CA 93455, which is at the Unity Church near the intersection of Bradley and Stubblefield. Please…
Read MoreThe Year in Review… and Things to Come
The year 2012 was a remarkable year! The civil rights of registered citizens were recognized and protected by federal and state judges in a series of cases that (1) declared the Orange County park ban is preempted by state law, (2) stopped temporarily enforcement of Prop. 35’s requirements to disclose online identities, (3) prohibited the City of Simi Valley from requiring registrants to post a sign on the front door of their homes, and (4) blocked parole officers from applying residency restrictions to all parolees in San Diego County. In…
Read MoreRights Group sues over Lancaster’s restrictions on sex offenders
Constitutional rights advocates sued the city of Lancaster on Tuesday to block a recently enacted ordinance banning registered sex offenders from going to – or even being near – the city’s parks, movie theaters and other public and private locations. “The ordinance basically violates the state and federal constitutions, and fails to protect public safety,” said Janice Bellucci, president of a group called California Reform Sex Offender Laws. Full Article
Read More[UPDATE 2 with Hearing Date] Court of Appeals to Review Orange County Ordinance
UPDATE 2: This case is now calendared for Thursday, 9-26-13 at 1:00 p.m.http://appellatecases.courtinfo.ca.gov/search/case/dockets.cfm?dist=43&doc_id=2030448&doc_no=G047657 *** UPDATE: This case will be heard on Monday, July 22, 2013 at 1:00 pm in the 4th District Court of Appeal, Division 3, Santa Ana, California. 4th District Div 3, 601 W. Santa Ana Blvd., Santa Ana, California 92701, Clerk’s Office (714) 571-2600http://www.courts.ca.gov/4dca.htm The California Court of Appeals has decided to review the ordinance passed by Orange County which prohibits all registrants from entering county parks, beaches, harbors and other recreational areas. The opening brief from the Office of the Public…
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