CA: Family Law Clinic for People with Records

We (Root & Rebound) are excited to announce our first-ever Family Law Clinic for people with criminal records. We will be offering one-on-one appointments with our reentry attorneys for any person with a criminal record who needs help with issues related to family law. Date: December 2, 2017 Time: 10 am – 4 pm Location: 1730 Franklin St., Suite 300, Oakland, CA 94612 At this clinic, get help with family law issues like: Understanding your rights in family court, probate court, or dependency court as a person with a criminal…

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ACLU Files Lawsuit on Behalf of CA Registrant

ACLU filed a lawsuit in federal district court in Los Angeles last week on behalf of a California registrant who is on parole. According to the lawsuit, the registrant is being denied the ability to access social media as well as to attend and participate in church services. Subsequent to the filing of the complaint, the ACLU filed an application for a Preliminary Injunction this week. A hearing on the PI application will be held on November 27 at 10 a.m. in Courtroom 9C in the U.S. District Court, Central…

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CA: Initiative Would Expand DNA Gathering, Restrict Early Parole

[CBS Sacramento] A Democratic lawmaker on Monday proposed a ballot measure that would bar certain convicted rapists and sex traffickers from earning credits to reduce their sentences and expand the list of crimes for which a perpetrator’s DNA is collected. Assemblyman Jim Cooper of Elk Grove said he’s taking the measure to California voters because Democratic leaders repeatedly stonewalled legislation to enact similar changes. “This initiative holds bad people accountable,” Cooper said at a news conference outside the Capitol flanked by prosecutors and law enforcement officers. Read more  

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CDCR Motion Denied in Prop. 57 Case; New Hearing Date Set

A Superior Court judge has denied the demurrer filed by the CA Dept. of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) and canceled the hearing on that topic which was scheduled for October 27, 2017.  In addition, the judge scheduled a hearing on the merits of the case for February 9, 2018.   “Because the judge did not grant CDCR’s demurrer, we will have the opportunity early next year to present legal arguments regarding how and why CDCR’s emergency regulations implementing Proposition 57 are both invalid and unconstitutional,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci.  “The public is encouraged to attend that…

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Simi Valley Formally Notifies Registrants of Repealed Halloween Ordinance

The City of Simi Valley has formally notified registrants in that city that they are no longer required to post a sign on the front door of their home on Halloween and are allowed to decorate their homes as well as answer their door to children. According to the letter dated October 18, these changes are the result of a decision made on October 16 by the Simi Valley City Council to repeal its Halloween ordinance which was adopted in 2012. The Simi Valley letter did not make reference to…

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CA: California law will bar cities and counties from providing information for a ‘Muslim registry’

[Los Angeles Times] Gov. Jerry Brown signed a closely watched bill on Sunday to block the creation of any so-called Muslim registry should President Trump choose to act on a proposal he repeatedly suggested during his 2016 campaign. Senate Bill 31 by state Sen. Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) bars state and local governments from releasing personal information to the federal government for the creation of any religious list, registry or database. It also prohibits them from using resources to create their own lists. Dubbed the California Religious Freedom Act, the…

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CA: Sex Offender Law Repealed In Simi Valley

[CBS Los Angeles] SIMI VALLEY (CBSLA) — Don’t take candy from strangers. But what about sexual offenders? The Simi Valley City Council decided on Monday night to overturn a law aimed at protecting children from sexual predators. City leaders say the law wouldn’t stand up in a legal appeal so they killed it. There will now be nothing to stop registered sex offenders in Simi Valley from interacting with trick-or-treaters. So when Halloween rolls around in a couple of weeks, parents say they’ll be a lot more vigilant. The ordinance…

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Simi Valley Repeals Halloween Ordinance

The Simi Valley City Council unanimously agreed tonight to repeal its Halloween Ordinance which required the city’s registrants to post a sign on the front door of their homes as well as prohibited them from decorating their homes, answering the door to trick-or-treaters and illuminating any exterior lights. The City Council vote was taken without discussion or debate, however, the City Attorney recommended repeal of the ordinance prior to the meeting due to a lawsuit filed on behalf of a registrant and his family who reside in Simi Valley. “The…

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CA: California Is Right to Curb the Sex Offender Registry

[bloomberg.com] Say what you want about Governor Jerry Brown, but never say he’s not brave. He just signed a law that could eventually purge 90 percent of the names off of California’s lifetime registry for sex offenders. I expect that he, and the legislators who passed it, will be subjected to the withering outrage that accompanies any action or statement, however mild or correct, that seems “soft” on sex offenders. I once wrote a column suggesting that pedophiles who are attracted to children but do not act on their impulses…

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Janice’s Journal: The Stage is Set

The stage is set. The Governor has signed the tiered registry bill into law, a law that opens a wide gap in the dam of California’s “Lifetime Registry for All”.  A dam that was in place for 70 years.  It is now our job to widen that gap. The Tiered Registry will take effect in January 2021, about 3 ½ years from now.  While it is truly unfortunate that those who will benefit from the “new” tiered registry will have to wait so long, the lengthy gestation period for the…

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CA: Governor Brown Signs Equality California-Sponsored Bill to Reform California’s Sex Offender Registry

[Equality California] Sacramento–California Gov. Jerry Brown today signed a bill to reform California’s sex offender registry, creating a tiered system that will make the registry a more effective tool for law enforcement and bring California’s system in line with the rest of the United States. SB 384 was authored by Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and co-authored by Senators Joel Anderson (R- Alpine), Holly Mitchell (D-Los Angeles), and Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley). The bill was sponsored by Equality California, Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey, the California Coalition Against Sexual…

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CA: California will soon end lifetime registration of some sex offenders under bill signed by Gov. Jerry Brown

[L.A. Times] Thousands of Californians will be allowed to take their names off the state’s registry of sex offenders as a result of action Friday by Gov. Jerry Brown. Brown signed legislation that, when it takes effect Jan. 1, will end lifetime listings for lower-level offenders judged to be at little risk of committing new crimes. The measure was introduced at the request of Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey and other law enforcement officials who said the registry, which has grown to more than 105,000 names, is less…

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Registrant and Family Request Injunction to Stop Simi Valley Halloween Law

A registrant and his family filed a Motion for Preliminary Injunction (PI) in federal court late yesterday in order to stop a Halloween Ordinance in Simi Valley from being enforced. The ordinance requires registrants to post a sign on the front door of their home on Halloween as well as prohibits registrants from participating in Halloween activities including decorating their homes. “After the lawsuit was filed, city officials have admitted that they have enforced the Halloween Ordinance for the past five years despite a judge’s ruling and a written promise…

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