The L.A. Superior Court ruled today that plaintiff Frank Lindsay may amend his initial complaint and declared moot a request by the City of Carson for a demurrer in the case. In the initial complaint, Lindsay asked the Court to require the City of Carson to honor the terms of the settlement agreement reached between the parties in July 2014. The terms included a significant revision of the city’s presence restrictions in order to be consistent with current state law as well. In the amended complaint, Lindsay will ask the…
Read MoreCategory: California
Program dies that let juvenile offenders clear their records
An unintended casualty of California’s criminal justice realignment of 2011, which shifted low-level criminals from state to county custody to relieve prison overcrowding, was a program that allowed juvenile offenders who did well on parole to erase their records that could follow them for the rest of their lives. Full Article
Read MoreCity of El Monte Repeals Residency Restrictions
The El Monte City Council agreed to repeal the city’s residency restrictions for registered citizens during its meeting on June 2. This was the second of three steps necessary to rid the city of its residency restrictions. The repeal will go into effect on July 1 unless it is contested in court. The City of El Monte is the second city to repeal its residency restrictions following a decision by the California Supreme Court earlier this year. The first city to repeal its residency restrictions is the City of Downey.…
Read MoreCalifornia Senate passes bill giving longer sentences to sex offenders who remove GPS tracker
Violent sex offenders who disable their GPS tracking devices would receive longer prison sentences under a bill prompted by Orange County serial killings and approved unanimously Tuesday by the state Senate. The bill by state Sen. Patricia Bates, R-Laguna Niguel, cleared the Senate floor and is headed to the Assembly. Full Article Related Senator Patricia Bates Press Release SB 722 After sex offenders accused of killing 4 women, state bill would crack down on those who tamper with GPS monitors [UPDATED]
Read MoreSenate Public Safety to Consider Residency Restrictions Bill [UPDATED with Public Safety Committee Hearing Date]
UPDATE: The Senate Public Safety Committee has scheduled the hearing for SB 54 on June 30. The hearing will begin at 9:30 a.m. and be held in Room 4203 in the State Capitol building. Senate Bill 54 (SB 54) has been referred to the Senate Public Safety Committee. Although a specific hearing date has not yet been set, the committee must hear the bill in either June or July to the Senate schedule. As currently written, SB 54 would prohibit most registered citizens from living within 2,000 feet of a…
Read MoreParents warned that 13 sex offenders live near elementary school
CHULA VISTA — Parents in one Chula Vista neighborhood say they fear for their children’s safety after learning registered sex offenders are living near their elementary school. Full Article
Read MoreMother’s lawsuit: Flawed GPS, overworked parole officers led to her daughter’s death in O.C. serial killings
Faulty GPS tracking devices and overworked state parole officers led to the death of a young mother whose mangled body was found at an Anaheim trash recycling center, according to a lawsuit filed by the victim’s mother. Full Article
Read MoreInmate Claims Jailers Encouraged Beating
FRESNO, Calif. (CN) – Sheriff’s deputies in California’s Central Valley opened a cell door to let inmates join in the beating of an alleged child molester, the man claims in court. ____ ____ sued Tulare County on May 13, alleging assault and battery, failure to intervene and constitutional violations. ____, who had no prior criminal record, was arrested by Exeter police in 2014 on a warrant from Los Angeles County stemming from an alleged incident of inappropriate contact with a minor 12 years ago. The accuser was in her late…
Read MoreJanice’s Journal: SB 267 – We Did It
We did it! We stopped Senate Bill 267!! And now for the rest of the story. Prior to the hearing on SB 267, California RSOL was invited for the first time to join two like minded organizations for meetings in the offices of all seven members of the Public Safety Committee. We didn’t have appointments. We just stopped by. The reception we received from the two sides of the aisle were starkly different. We were warmly welcomed into the Democratic offices where we heard they had received lots of letters…
Read MoreCarson mayor Albert Robles sued for sexual harassment
The mayor of Carson is being sued for sexual harassment by a former fellow member of the Water Replenishment District of Southern California Board of Directors. Lynn Dymally, daughter of the late Democratic politician Mervyn M. Dymally, alleges Albert Robles, who is still a member of the WRD board and became mayor of Carson last month, harassed her during a district-sponsored trip to Washington, D.C., in November 2013. The Los Angeles Superior Court suit filed Tuesday alleges sexual battery, sexual harassment, gender violence and intentional infliction of emotional distress, and…
Read MoreJanice’s Journal: SB 267 Withdrawn
We did it! We stopped SB 267! The California state legislature will not consider for the remainder of this year any bill that would authorize cities and counties to pass laws that prohibit registered citizens from being present in or near public and private places. “This great victory is the result of individuals writing letters and making phone calls to state senators as well as testifying before the Senate Public Safety Committee,” stated CA RSOL president Janice Bellucci. “It is also the result of support from like minded organizations including…
Read MoreSan Diego County DA Supports Eliminating Some Jury Trials For Misdemeanors
The San Diego County District Attorney’s Office is backing state legislation that would give prosecutors the sole discretion to charge and prosecute infractions in place of many low-level misdemeanors that are currently subject to sentences of less than six months in jail. SB 617, authored by Sen. Marty Block, D-San Diego, would hold offenders accountable while avoiding the costs associated with protracted court involvement — jury trials, attorney representation, confinement and probation involvement — because it does not apply to infractions, according to its supporters. Cases that involve firearms, sex-offender…
Read MoreDana Point lawmaker’s plan to ban sex offenders from O.C. parks, beaches stalls
Orange County’s longstanding effort to ban sex offenders from parks and beaches has been stymied again. Concerns from legislators that the proposal by Assemblyman William “Bill” Brough, R-Dana Point, might conflict with a recent state Supreme Court ruling that overturned the state ban on where sex offenders can live prompted him to withdraw it from consideration for this legislative session. Brough said he plans to introduce a new version next year. Full Article Related Janice’s Journal: Assembly Member Brough Withdraws AB 201 [UPDATED] Janice’s Journal: SB 267 – Time to…
Read MoreCalif. Supreme Court Ruling Reveals Unintended Consequences of Jessica’s Law
Child welfare advocates sounded the alarm earlier this month when the California Supreme Court issued its opinion on In re: William Taylor, a case involving housing restrictions imposed on certain paroled sex offenders in San Diego County that has been weaving its way through the judicial system for years. Full Article Related: Residency restrictions loosened on sex offenders (Napa Valley Register)
Read MoreAre sex offenders attending your child’s school? It’s legal
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KCRA) —When parents drop their children off at school, they might know who else is in the classroom — but KCRA 3’s investigative team has found your child might be sharing a class with a convicted sex offender. Some parents may never know. These offenders don’t show up on the Megan’s Law website or anywhere on the Internet, and by law, the schools can’t tell you who they are. Full Article
Read MoreAssembly Local Government Committee passes AB 201
*** Please read Janice’s Journal: Courage and Effort do Pay Off… *** Despite testimony from ACLU and California RSOL, a second legislative committee today approved a bill (AB 201) that would allow cities and counties to pass laws prohibiting registered citizens from being present in or near public and private places. Ten individuals, including registered citizens, also testified in opposition to that bill. The Assembly Local Government Committee approved the bill in a vote of 5 to 0. One member of the committee, Richard Gordon (Democrat, Los Altos), abstained from…
Read MoreSB 267 – New Hearing Date: Tuesday, May 12
The Senate Public Safety Committee has delayed its consideration of SB 267 by two weeks. The new hearing date for that bill is May 12. No reason has been given for the delay. The Assembly Local Government Committee is still scheduled to hear AB 201 on April 29 at 1:30 p.m. in Room 447 of the State Capitol. Both bills, if passed, would allow cities and counties to pass “presence restrictions” that could prohibit registered citizens from being present in or near both public and private places.
Read MoreNew California Supreme Court surprises analysts early on
When Gov. Jerry Brown’s two latest nominees joined the California Supreme Court in January, legal analysts foresaw the creation of a more liberal majority. … During a closed session last week, Kruger joined the more conservative justices in refusing to revisit a decision that said adults who have consensual oral sex with minors must register as sex offenders — even though registration is not mandatory for adults who have sexual intercourse with people in the same age group. Full Article
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