In the most recent step of the legislative process, the Assembly’s Public Safety Committee approved the newest version of the Tiered Registry Bill (SB 384) yesterday. The bill is now moving forward to the full Assembly for a floor vote in a few days where it may pass and if so, then on to the Senate the same day for a concurrence vote. The newest version of the Tiered Registry Bill was created behind closed doors and was made public only a few days ago. The new bill resembles a…
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CA Assembly Committee Passes New Tiered Registry Bill SB 384
The Assembly’s Public Safety Committee passed the new Tiered Registry (SB 384) tonight by a vote of 5 to 2. All those voting in support of the bill were Democrats; all voting in opposition to the bill were Republicans. Senator Scott Wiener was unavailable to present the bill at the hearing because the Senate had not yet adjourned. Therefore, Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez-Fletcher, a member of the Public Safety Committee, presented the bill. During the hearing, Gonzalez-Fletcher stated that she “hesitated to support” earlier versions of the tiered registry bill, but…
Read MoreSex offender registry bill revived after stalling in committee
[SFGate] SACRAMENTO — With five days remaining in the legislative session, a San Francisco lawmaker revived a bill that would end lifetime registration for most sex offenders after the original bill stalled in a committee. Democratic state Sen. Scott Wiener’s SB421 was held in the Assembly Appropriations Committee without a public vote two weeks ago after it passed four committees and the Senate. On Thursday, Wiener used a maneuver known as gut-and-amend to bring it back. Gut-and-amend is a long-used process loathed by some good government groups in which the…
Read MoreCA: 29 Palms sued over sex offender restrictions
TWENTYNINE PALMS — The city of Twentynine Palms is being sued for keeping its residency restrictions for registered sex offenders. The City Council will meet Monday, Sept. 11, to hold a public hearing and consider repealing the restrictions, which are laid out in its municipal code. Staff and the city attorneys are recommending that the council repeal the restrictions. Full Article
Read MoreTiered Registry Bill Resurfaces in Amended Form
Although believed to be stopped, the Tiered Registry Bill has been revitalized by its author Sen. Scott Wiener. The bill has a new number — SB 384 — as well as new content. This was accomplished through the “gut and amend” process available to state legislators. “As compared to the prior bill, SB 384 significantly reduces the number of people who would be assigned to Tiers 1 and 2 and therefore eligible to petition for removal from the registry in 10 or 20 years,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci.…
Read MoreWhich City Council Member Changed Their Vote On Sex Offender Law?
On Aug. 1, the San Diego City Council voted to uphold a city ordinance that restricts where registered sex offenders can live. It did so against the advice of the city attorney, who warned the council the ordinance was unconstitutional and made the city vulnerable to litigation. Full Article
Read MoreCouncilman Wants To Rewrite San Diego Sex Offender Law
San Diego City Councilman Chris Ward says he wants to rewrite an ordinance that puts strict limits on where registered sex offenders can live, as a lawsuit seeks to force the ordinance’s repeal. Ward was one of five council members who voted last month to uphold the city’s “Child Protection Act,” against advice from the City Attorney’s Office. Courts have found similar ordinances both unconstitutional and ineffective at preventing child sexual abuse. Full Article
Read MoreYucaipa Council considers repeal for sex offender ordinance
At the City Council meeting on Monday, Aug. 28, the council discussed the consideration of repealing the sex offender residency restriction ordinance. The State penal code currently prohibits residency within 2000 feet of a public or private school, as well as parks where children regularly gather. The city of Yucaipa’s current ordinance is similar to state law, which also prohibits offenders from living within 2000 feet of parks and schools, but also includes daycare facilities. Full Article
Read MoreAssembly Committee Stops Tiered Registry Bill
The Assembly’s Appropriations Committee today failed to release the Tiered Registry Bill (SB 421) from its suspense file. As a result, the bill is dead and will not move to the Assembly floor for a vote. “We are disappointed that the State of California will continue a lifetime registry for virtually all registrants,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci. “The Appropriations Committee had an opportunity to correct this 70-year-old mistake, but instead decided to continue it.” The Senate passed the Tiered Registry Bill earlier this year,…
Read MoreSex offender compliance operation results in 32 arrests in Sacramento County
[Sacramento Bee] A three-day operation by law enforcement agencies in Sacramento County to make sure convicted sex offenders are complying with sex offender registration requirements resulted in 32 arrests. The operation, which began Aug. 21, was carried out by the multi-agency Sacramento Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement Team in conjunction with the Sacramento County Probation Department, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Parole Team, California Office of Correctional Safety, Sacramento County Sheriff’s Problem Oriented Policing Teams, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Rancho Cordova and Sacramento police departments. Read more
Read MoreCampaign to recall judge in Brock Turner sex assault case can resume
[San Jose Mercury News] In a victory for the campaign to oust Judge Aaron Persky, a retired San Francisco judge Monday ruled that proponents could immediately resume collecting signatures on petitions aimed at putting the recall on the June ballot. Retired San Francisco Judge Kay Tsenin is expected to make a final ruling Thursday in favor of the recall campaign on the underlying legal issues. But after recall advocates Monday burst into applause at the end of the hearing in Santa Clara County Superior Court, Tsenin made it clear that…
Read MoreCA Action Alert: Make Calls! Appropriations Committee to Consider SB 421 on Sept 1
The Assembly Appropriations Committee is scheduled to consider the Tiered Registry Bill (SB 421) on Friday, September 1. The Committee will review dozens of that bills that day and determine which bills to release from the Suspense File. Bills not released from the Suspense File will no longer be viable. Bills released from the Suspense File will sent to the Assembly floor for consideration during the period September 5 through September 15. “The Tiered Registry Bill faces an important hurdle on September 1,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci. “It…
Read MoreFalsely Accused of Rape, Former High School Football Star Finally Cleared [video]
LONG BEACH, Calif. (KABC) — After a decade, it was the judgment that Brian Banks and his lawyers from the California Innocence Project fought for: Case dismissed. Watch the video
Read MorePsychologist sues California prisons over anti-LGBT harassment
[Forensic Psychologist] Prisons are not known as bastions of healing energy. One of the challenges faced by prison clinicians in the violent and hypermasculine culture of prison is how to uphold their professional ethics when they witness abuse of prisoners by staff. Psychologists may feel internally conflicted, but they rarely file formal complaints that might jeopardize their careers or even their personal safety. So a lawsuit brought by a California psychologist against the Department of Corrections for alleged harassment of sexual minority prisoners is both rare and potentially groundbreaking. …
Read MoreParents protest changes to sex offender residency restrictions
TWENTYNINE PALMS — The City Council on Tuesday deferred a vote repealing local restrictions on where sex offenders can live and opted instead to hold a public hearing and return to the matter at a future date to be announced. Full Article
Read MoreA Full House Sees Twentynine Palms Council Postpone Sex Offender Restriction Vote
The Twentynine Palms City Council couldn’t stomach what it had to do. So, last night, instead of repealing local restrictions on where sex offenders can live, the Council deferred the matter until its next meeting when a public hearing will be held. Full Article Muni Code Staff Report
Read MoreSB 421 Update
The Appropriations Committee placed SB 421 in its Suspense File. The bill must be released from that file before it can be considered on the floor of the Assembly. The deadline for floor consideration is Sept. 15. If the bill does not get released from the Suspense File in time for consideration on the Assembly floor, it is dead. — Janice Bellucci
Read MoreUnder legal threat, Victorville to repeal sex offender residency rules
[Victorville Daily Press] With threat of a lawsuit hanging over its head, the city will repeal local residency restrictions for registered sex offenders and defer to existing state regulations. The move is not unexpected. Cities across California have been forced to bow to pressure from sex offender law reformists in recent years, while courts have simultaneously limited local regulatory authority. In December 2014, the City Council reluctantly agreed to align its local ordinance restricting the movements of registered sex offenders with the statewide regulations already in effect. That decision came…
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