This is for all personal Halloween stories or media articles.
Read MoreCategory: California
CDCR Withdraws Halloween Sign Requirement Statewide
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) today announced in federal district court its decision to withdraw a statewide requirement that sex offender parolees post a sign on the front door of their residences on Halloween. Immediately following that announcement, CA RSOL withdrew its request for a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO). “This is a significant victory for more than 10,000 registered citizens and their families,” stated CA RSOL president Janice Bellucci. “They are no longer faced with the risk of significant injury.” CA RSOL and plaintiff John Doe were…
Read MoreBritish court blocks extradition of sex-abuse suspect, saying California law violates human rights
A British high court has refused to extradite a former Orange County choir director who fled the U.S. before he was to stand trial on sexual abuse charges, ruling that a California involuntary commitment law would violate his human rights. Full Article Related England Refuses to Extradite an Alleged Sex Offender (slate.com) with High Court decision More time over US ‘fugitive’ Roger Giese extradition case (BBC)
Read MoreCDCR Lawsuit Expanded, TRO Hearing Set October 26
A lawsuit challenging CDCR’s requirement that registered citizens post signs on the front door of their residences on Halloween has been expanded to include an individual in Los Angeles. Similar to the original plaintiff in the case who lives in San Diego County, the man in L.A. was told by his parole officer that he must post a sign on the front door of his home. “Both plaintiffs believe their lives will be in danger if they post a sign on the front door of their homes,” stated CA RSOL…
Read MoreL.A. school board fires Rafe Esquith, one of nation’s most lauded teachers
Flowery praise of teachers is a standard part of speeches by superintendents, school board members and principals. But they never mention a sad truth. If our most energetic and effective educators make others look bad, someone is eventually going to punish them for that. Full Article
Read MoreOrange home to fifth-highest amount of sex offenders in O.C.
The Panther, Chapman University Student Paper – The city of Orange has the fifth highest number of registered sex offenders among the 34 cities in Orange County, according to Megan’s Law’s, a website that lists registered sex offenders in California. Orange has 91 registered sex offenders, 24 of which are within a 2-mile radius of Chapman University. Eighteen of the offenders were arrested for performing or attempting “lewd” acts with a child under the age of 14, and there is one offender who was arrested for rape. Full Article
Read MoreLawsuit challenges Halloween sex offender requirement [update 3 with more media links]
This story has been picked up by Reuters News Service and was on the main page of US msn.com (screenshot). http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/california-sex-offender-sues-over-halloween-sign-and-rules/ SAN DIEGO — The group California Reform Sex Offender Laws and a sex offender on parole filed a lawsuit in San Diego federal court Wednesday challenging a requirement that sex offenders on parole post a sign on the front door of their home on Halloween, as required by the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Full Article Related Media http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Registered-Sex-Offender-Sues-Halloween-Safety-Program-333742971.html http://www.kogo.com/onair/demaio-report-56776/demaio-report-commentary-lawsuit-seeks-to-14038184 Carl DeMaio asks tough questions of the attorney…
Read MoreCA RSOL Challenges Halloween Sign Requirement in Federal Court [updated with complaint]
California Reform Sex Offender Laws (CA RSOL) and a registrant on parole filed a lawsuit in federal court today challenging a requirement that registrants on parole post a sign on the front door of their home on Halloween. The requirement is levied by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) as a blanket restriction on all registrant parolees in San Diego. “CDCR’s requirement that all registrant parolees post a sign on the front door of their residence violates the First Amendment because it compels speech,” stated Janice Bellucci, attorney…
Read MoreNew California Law Cracks Down On Cheating Prosecutors
California prosecutors who deliberately withhold evidence from defense attorneys may face harsher punishment under a new law passed after a wave of misconduct scandals. Full Article
Read MoreWe are NEVER safe–but we CAN control our destiny. A cautionary tale from Rhode Island
We at RSOL heard the news on Monday with a sinking despair that could only be topped by the desperation clearly felt by Rhode Island’s Level III registered citizens. In June of 2015, Rhode Island legislators passed a law that would restrict all Level III’s from living within 1000 feet of any school. That’s a 700-foot increase over the previous restriction. The article reported on how registrants were in shock – although most had known this was coming – begging for more time to find a new place to live,…
Read MoreMurrieta Residency Restrictions Challenged in Federal Court
A registrant wishing to relocate to the City of Murrieta is challenging the residency restrictions adopted by the City of Murrieta, located in Riverside County. The restrictions prohibit most registrants from living within 2,000 feet of a child day care center, park, or school. CA Reform Sex Offender Laws President and attorney Janice Bellucci filed the lawsuit on October 6 on behalf of plaintiff Frank Lindsay. “Murrieta’s residency restrictions effectively banish most registrants from residing in that city,” stated Bellucci. “The restrictions prohibit registrants from living in at least 90…
Read MoreGovernor vetoes GPS-tampering bill
Deputies: Man was shot ‘because he’s a sex offender’
The Shasta County Jail has released the mugshot of a suspect who deputies said shot another man after learning he was a registered sex offender. Timothy Gould, 28, was arrested Monday around 5:30 p.m. after officers had identified him as a suspect in an earlier shooting in the City of Shasta Lake. According to a news release from the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office, the motive behind the shooting was due to the victim ___ ____, 62, being disliked because he is a registered sex offender. Full Article Related Suspects identified,…
Read MorePublic Safety Committee Chairman Stops SB 448
Public Safety Committee Chairman Bill Quirk stopped Senate Bill 448 from being passed in the Assembly yesterday when he refused to conduct a hearing on that bill. He took that action despite a Rules Committee ruling that suspended both an Assembly rule and the State Constitution. “Chairman Quirk is to be commended for his courage and his integrity,” stated CA RSOL president Janice Bellucci. “He protected the U.S. Constitution as well as the civil rights of registered citizens when he stopped SB 448.” Prior to the Chairman’s act, SB 448…
Read MorePublic Safety Committee to Hear SB 448 Today (Friday, September 11 – 11:30 am)
The Assembly Public Safety Committee will conduct a hearing today, at 11:30 am, regarding SB 448 which would require some registered citizens to disclose their internet identifiers. The hearing is the result of a decision by the Rules Committee. At this time, the Committee is not accepting verbal comments regarding the bill but written comments may be sent by E-mail to committee staffer Martin Vindiola at [email protected]. “The legislative process is railroaded in its consideration of SB 448,” stated CA RSOL president Janice Bellucci. “The requirement to disclose internet identifiers…
Read MoreOrdinance would offer rewards for sex offender apprehension
LOS ANGELES – A proposed ordinance introduced Tuesday would allow the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to offer rewards of up to $10,000 for information that leads to the apprehension of sex offenders who abscond while on parole or probation. Full Article
Read MoreCIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY JANICE M. BELLUCCI NAMED TO TOP 100 LAWYERS IN CALIFORNIA
The Daily Journal newspaper will recognize civil rights champion Janice M. Bellucci as one of their prestigious “Top 100” most influential attorneys in California at on September 9, 2015. The editors annually recognize elite lawyers whose work has the greatest impact on the legal industry and modern society. Candidates are chosen from thousands of submissions every year. The Daily Journal profile acknowledged Bellucci’s extensive work to protect the U.S. Constitution by restoring the civil rights of sex offenders (“registrants”). Bellucci’s accomplishments include filing more than 35 federal and state lawsuits,…
Read MoreJanice’s Journal: The Tipping Point May Be Near
Today the New York Times published an editorial, “The Pointless Banishment of Sex Offenders”, which questions the adoption by some states, counties and cities of residency restrictions which prohibit where a registered citizen may live. The editorial notes that such restrictions have resulted in sending “tens of thousands of people to the fringes of society, forcing them to live in motels, out of cars or under bridges” and that “there is not a single piece of evidence” that these restrictions protect children. The editorial also notes that “judges have been…
Read More