Source: ACSOL In addition to ACSOL, two large organizations have formally filed their opposition to AB 1568 which, if passed, could block thousands of registrants from petitioning for removal from the registry. The organizations are California Attorneys for Criminal Justice (CACJ) and Legal Services for Prisoners with Children (LSPC). Letters from both organizations are similar (see them at the bottom of this article), but not the same as, the opposition letter filed by ACSOL. According to CACJ, passage of SB 1568 would set a dangerous legislative precedent that other elected…
Read MoreCategory: California
CA: Fresno leaders plan to block registered sex offender from serving on City Council
Source: fresnobee.com 2/26/26 Related article: “‘I felt attacked’: Sex offender running for Fresno council seat speaks out after councilmember comments” [2/27/26 yourcentralvalley.com] Some members of the Fresno City Council said they plan to introduce legislation to block registered sex offenders from serving on the council in an effort to disqualify a candidate in the crowded race for the District 7 seat. The City Council primary race gained national attention this month after The Bee reported on Rene Campos, a registered sex offender who plans to run for the council seat…
Read MoreCA: After parole granted to convicted child kidnapper and molester
Source: abc10.com 2/23/26 SACRAMENTO, Calif — Sacramento County Sheriff Jim Cooper on Monday criticized the parole of David Allen Funston, a 64-year-old man convicted of kidnapping and molesting children in 1995 and 1996, after state records show he was granted parole under California’s elderly parole program. “A judge in Sacramento described him… as the monster parents fear most, yet today the parole board decided he is suitable for release,” Cooper said during a press conference at the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office… Read the full article
Read MoreCA Action Alert: Call Committee Members to Stop AB 1568
As reported yesterday, the Assembly’s Public Safety Committee will consider AB 1568 next week on Tuesday, March 3. If that bill is enacted into law, it will block many registrants from petitioning for removal from the registry. Please call the nine members of that committee today or any day prior to the hearing to let them know that you oppose AB 1568 and want them to vote “no” during the hearing. Each call will take one minute or less and is very important because without opposition, the bill is likely…
Read MoreCA Action Alert: Join us March 3 to stop AB 1568 that blocks registrants from petitioning
The California Assembly Public Safety Committee is scheduled to consider Assembly Bill 1568 that, if that bill becomes law, would block thousands of people from petitioning for removal from the registry, including everyone assigned to Tier 2. We must stop one of the worst bills we have ever fought! Click here to see how to call Committee Members to Stop AB 1568 We know it may be inconvenient for you to come, but please make the sacrifice to join us to stop thousands from being on the registry for life:…
Read MoreCA: Brave Registered sex offender running for Fresno City Council. ‘I’m not hiding from it’
Source: fresnobee.com 2/13/16 Related article: “‘I felt attacked’: Sex offender running for Fresno council seat speaks out after councilmember comments” [2/27/26 yourcentralvalley.com] Rene Campos, who is a registered sex offender, intends to run in the crowded Fresno City Council race for the District 7 seat in the June primary election. In 2021, Campos pleaded no contest to a 2018 charge of possession of child pornography and served two years of formal probation. “It’s not something I want to hide from,” Campos said. “It is my past. It is public…
Read MoreCA: Sexually violent predator William Stephenson denied proposed placement in Placer County community
Source: kcra.com 2/13/26 A judge denied on Friday the proposed placement of a sexually violent predator in a Placer County community that for years has been pushing against his release. William Stephenson has served about half of his 31-year prison sentence for his sexually violent crimes, which included minors. Since 2022, people in Sacramento, Amador and Placer counties have openly objected to him being released in the area. A news release from the Placer County District Attorney’s Office highlighted “the Alta community’s engagement, noting that the strength of the community…
Read MoreCA: CDCR Failure to Implement Regulations That Help Registrants Challenged in Court
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) has failed and continues to fail to implement regulations that help registrants on parole, according to a lawsuit that has been sent to Sacramento Superior Court. The regulations at issue were recently adopted after a prior lawsuit was filed challenging a CDCR policy that required all registrants on parole to undergo treatment the entire time on parole. CDCR regulations require the agency to allow registrants to participate in their containment meetings as well as to provide registrants with a document (CDCR Form…
Read MoreCA: ACSOL in the news: Sues Fresno County over new restrictions on sex offenders, claims ordinance is ‘unconstitutional’
Source: abc30.com 2/4/26 FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) — A new lawsuit filed against Fresno County claims its latest ordinance is ‘unconstitutional’. The Board of Supervisors is being challenged for its ordinance that is to take effect on Thursday, which seeks to limit the number of sex offenders per single household to a maximum of six. The ordinance has been contentious since the Board introduced it, with people on both sides voicing strong opinions. This lawsuit was filed by a group based in Sacramento that advocates for the rights of registered sex…
Read MoreCA: Appeals court overturns former UCLA gynecologist’s sex abuse conviction
Source: apnews.com 2/2/26 LOS ANGELES (AP) — A California appeals court on Monday overturned a sex abuse conviction against a former University of California, Los Angeles, gynecologist and ordered the case to be retried. A three-justice panel from California’s 2nd District Court of Appeal ruled Dr. James Heaps was denied a fair trial because the judge did not share with his defense counsel a note by the court’s foreman pointing out concerns that one juror lacked sufficient English to carry out their duties. Heaps’ attorney, Leonard Levine, said he and his team…
Read MoreCA: Steven Tyler Accuser Can Proceed With California Sex Abuse Claims Only, Judge Says
Source: rollingstone.com 1/28/26 The Aerosmith musician asked the court to dismiss the entire lawsuit, saying he lived with Julia Misley in Boston during their relationship, where the age of consent was 16 After a series of hearings, a judge said Wednesday that the California-based claims in the child sex abuse lawsuit brought by Julia Misley against Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler would survive a challenge and proceed to trial. But in a partial victory for Tyler, the judge said she would toss out Misley’s separate claims tied to alleged abuse in Oregon, Washington, and…
Read MoreCA: New Lawsuit Challenges Fresno County Ordinance
***UPDATED NEWS: ACSOL in the news: Sues Fresno County over new restrictions on sex offenders, claims ordinance is ‘unconstitutional’ Source: ACSOL A new lawsuit has been sent to Fresno County Superior Court challenging an ordinance adopted by the Fresno County Board of Supervisors. That ordinance would significantly limit housing options for persons required to register who reside in that county. The ordinance will become effective on February 5. The ordinance was adopted after two public hearings conducted by the Fresno County Board of Supervisors. During the first public…
Read MoreCASOMB Releases Annual Report for 2025
The California Sex Offender Management Board (CASOMB) released its annual report today for the year 2025. The report includes statistics regarding the total number of people required to register in the state by county. According to that report, Los Angeles County has the highest number of registrants living there — 13,056 while Alpine County has the lowest number of registrants living there — 2. And there are four counties that have more than 3,500 registrants living there — Sacramento (3,670), San Diego (3,695), Riverside (4,193) and San Bernardino (4,452). According…
Read MoreAttend ACSOL’s Lobby Day in Sacramento on March 24, 2026
ACSOL will conduct Lobby Day this year on March 24, 2026. We will once again educate the legislators and staff about the need for revising the Tiered Registry Law to increase the number of people eligible to petition for removal from the registry. Every person who participates in Lobby Day will be a member of a team led by someone who has done this before. It is an empowering experience. 3/10/26 UPDATE: The good news is that more people have signed up for Lobby Day than expected. The bad news…
Read MoreCA: New AB 1568 Legislation Could Reduce Number of Petitions Granted
Source: ACSOL IMPORTANT EVENT: CA Action Alert: Join us March 3 to stop AB 1568 that blocks registrants from petitioning A new bill was introduced on January 12, 2026, that could reduce the number of petitions granted that remove individuals from the registry. The bill number is AB 1568 and the author of the bill is Assemblyman Juan Alanis, a Republican, who represents Modesto and other nearby communities. Alanis is co-chair of the Assembly Public Safety Committee. If AB 1568 becomes law, it would add three additional requirements…
Read MoreCA: California launches investigation into child porn on Elon Musk’s AI site
Source: hanfordsentinel.com 1/14/26 SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California announced an investigation into Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company xAI on Wednesday, with Gov. Gavin Newsom saying that the social media site owned by the billionaire is a “breeding ground for predators to spread nonconsenual sexually explicit AI deepfakes.” Grok, the xAI chatbot, includes image-generation features that allow users to morph existing photos into new images. The newly created images are then posted publicly on X. In some cases, users have created sexually explicit or nonconsensual images based on real people, including altered depictions…
Read MorePlease Help ACSOL’s Matching Grant Program for Two Important Lawsuits
A generous and anonymous donor has pledged up to $5,000 for a matching grant program in support of two important lawsuits. One lawsuit will challenge an ordinance recently adopted by Fresno County that limits the number of registrants that can live in a home. This lawsuit will include an application for a temporary restraining order (TRO). The second lawsuit will challenge the failure of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR’s) to fully implement recently issued treatment regulations. The regulations were issued in settlement of an earlier lawsuit challenging…
Read MoreCA: New Fresno law evicts registrants from group housing and makes it hard to live in Fresno County
Source: fresnoland.org 1/6/26 The Fresno County Board Of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved a new law limiting the number of sex offenders that can live in a single-family home, following complaints from Old Fig Garden residents. The law caps the number of sexual offenders to six per home, matching regulations set by the state, with property owners facing fines totaling over $50,000 for successive violations, a six-month jail sentence and potential litigation from the county. About two dozen members of the public have spoken on the new law since it was…
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