The California Sex Offender Management Board (CASOMB) today approved tier reductions for those convicted of three offenses — Penal Code Sections 288.2, 288.3 and 288.4 — who are currently assigned to Tier 3 which requires lifetime registration. All three offenses involve either the sharing of harmful material with a minor of arranging a meeting with a minor. “This is a remarkable and positive recommendation for CASOMB to make,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci. “The board based its decision upon the reason for one of their previous decisions, that is,…
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CA: Still many unknowns surrounding placement of sexually violent predator William Stephenson
Source: kcra.com 10/17/23 Placer County hosted a housing committee meeting Tuesday to inform the community about the release of William Stephenson, a man classified as a sexually violent predator. The Department of State Hospitals, along with Liberty Healthcare, which has been contracted out by the state to facilitate placement services, hosted the meeting which was attended by the public at the Placer County Community Development Agency building, and virtually, for people who couldn’t attend in person. According to the Placer County District Attorney, the Superior Court judge overseeing the case…
Read MoreCA: Lake County Probation Department hosts Resilient Re-entry event
Source: lakeconews.com 10/7/23 LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Lake County Probation Department, in collaboration with the Lake County Campus of Woodland Community College, hosted a Resilient Re-entry event designed to provide valuable resources and guidance to justice-involved individuals. The event aimed to facilitate the reintegration of justice-involved individuals into society by offering a range of services, including record expungement, information about college education opportunities, and even free tattoo removal services. Additionally, attendees had the valuable opportunity to learn from inspirational keynote speakers who have successfully transitioned from incarceration to leading…
Read MoreCA: Large Online Retailer Settles Suit for FCRA Violation
Source: pre-employ.com An online retailer recently announced it reached an agreement in a California federal court. This agreement ends a lawsuit with a former associate. According to the case, the associate accused the retailer of illegally using information about a past conviction to deny him a full-time job. The online retailer did not detail the terms of the agreement. However, it did file a notice stating that it had agreed to settle the lawsuit under the California Fair Chance Act (FCA). The FCA first took effect in January 2018, intending…
Read MoreJanice’s Journal: The Glass Is Half Full
Is the glass half empty or is the glass half full? It’s a question many have asked when they believe not all of their needs or desires have been met. The answer to that question often depends upon whether the person who asked it is an optimist or a pessimist. I am an optimist and I declare that the glass is half full. That is, the California Sex Offender Management Board (CASOMB) has approved two proposed changes identified by the Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws (ACSOL) and CASOMB plans…
Read MoreCASOMB Recommends Tier Reductions!
The California Sex Offender Management Board (CASOMB) today approved two tier reductions that would benefit thousands of individuals convicted of either felony possession of child pornography or lewd or lascivious acts with a person 14 or 15 years old. CASOMB is expected to share the news of its approvals with the state legislature later this calendar year. The changes will not become law, however, until the legislature passes a bill that includes CASOMB’s approvals. Specifically, CASOMB today approved the reduction from Tier 3, the highest tier, to Tier 1, the…
Read MoreCA: Gavin Newsom Can Sign a Bill to End Price-Gouging in California Prisons
Source: theappeal.org 9/18/23 California prison canteens currently sell essential items—such as snacks and medication—at a markup of between 65 and 200 percent. With just one signature, California Governor Gavin Newsom can significantly curtail the state’s long-standing practice of price-gouging imprisoned people for vital items like toothbrushes or deodorant. Last week, the Basic Affordable Supplies for Incarcerated Californians Act, or the BASIC Act, overwhelmingly passed the state Senate and Assembly. The bill is now with the governor, who has until October 14 to sign it. If signed into law, the…
Read MoreCA: Neighborhood council collapses after new member is suspected of being a registered sex offender
Source: ktla.com 9/12/23 LOS ANGELES – Studio City’s neighborhood council has imploded after members found out that they may have voted in a convicted sex offender – even after they alerted Los Angeles city leaders, KTLA has learned. Ian Mitchell King, a self-described a “non-practicing lawyer” and business consultant, joined the council in mid-August. At the time, he told councilmembers that he had served in the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Navy. What council members did not yet know, however, is that there is an individual who is listed on…
Read MoreCA: Still no housing option for convicted sex offender Michael Cheek following state committee meeting
Source: lookout.co 9/8/23 Michael Cheek’s release remains in limbo as a state-mandate committee did not identify any viable housing options for him at its Thursday meeting. Cheek is due back in court Tuesday, when Liberty Healthcare Corporation — the state contractor trying to find him a home — is expected to bring more options. A state-mandated committee tasked with consulting on where convicted sex offender Michael Cheek should live in Santa Cruz County did not identify any viable housing options at its meeting on Thursday, prolonging a process that has…
Read MoreCA: Danny Masterson sentenced to 30 years to life in prison
Source: nbcnews.com 9/7/23 [ACSOL note: This case is significant due to lengthy sentence.] LOS ANGELES — “That ’70s Show” star Danny Masterson was sentenced Thursday to 30 years to life in prison for raping two women more than two decades ago at his Hollywood Hills home. Masterson, 47, displayed no visible emotion after Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Charlaine Olmedo threw the book at him. “Mr. Masterson, I know that you’re sitting here steadfast in your claims of innocence, and thus no doubt feeling victimized by a justice system that…
Read MoreCA: Elk Grove will (of course) exclude people who have committed sex offenses from their homeless shelter
Source: msn.com 9/6/23 Elk Grove plans to open a temporary winter shelter for the city’s unhoused, starting later this year and lasting for five months. Officials on Tuesday announced the plan for the vacant Rite Aid drug store at Elk Grove Boulevard and Waterman Road. The city-owned site would open Nov. 1 through March 31, officials said. Dubbed an “Enhanced Winter Sanctuary,” the site will be able to house up to 30 people and will provide opportunities for people to access social services, resources and housing, said Elk Grove housing…
Read MoreACSOL Demands Removal of Registrants from CA Megan’s Law Website
ACSOL demanded today that the California Department of Justice (CA DOJ) remove from the state’s Megan’s Law website the profiles of every individual that lack two important pieces of information — year of conviction and year of release. The demand was sent to Attorney General Rob Bonta, who leads that agency, by email and U.S. mail. “We believe that the California Megan’s Law website is in violation of state law which requires that profiles on that website include the year in which a person was convicted as well as the…
Read MoreCA: Placer County officials push back on transient release of sexually violent predator
Source: kcra.com 8/21/23 Placer County and state leaders on Monday heard from people worried about the release and relocation of 66-year-old William ________, a sexually violent predator (SVP). County leaders spoke after the Department of State Hospitals (DSH) and Liberty Health Care held a meeting to talk about possible locations to place ________. He’s the man set to be released as a transient in the county, meaning he’ll live without a permanent address. While this doesn’t mean he gets dropped off at a bus stop, concerned officials are fighting the…
Read MoreCA: School District Warned Regarding Support for Residency Restrictions
The Lakeside Union School District (LUSD), located in San Diego county, was warned in a letter sent yesterday of the dangers it would face if it chooses to support residency restrictions. Local parents and other residents of Lakeside, California, recently demanded that LUSD support residency restrictions due to their concerns about registrants who live near local schools. “Once again, the public is reacting out of fear and ignoring the facts regarding registrants,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci. “Their fear is based upon the mistaken belief that all registrants pose…
Read MoreCA Department of Justice Assigns Tiers to 9,000 Additional Registrants
The California Department of Justice (CA DOJ) has assigned tiers to more than 9,000 individuals required to register during the past seven months. As a result, there are up to 9,000 additional registrants who are now eligible to petition for removal from the registry. ACSOL filed a lawsuit on January 5, 2023, in Sacramento Superior Court requesting that the court order CA DOJ to assign all individuals required to register to a tier. At the time the case was filed, more than 12,500 registrants lacked a tier and therefore could…
Read MoreCA: Sex offenders near Lakeside [near San Diego] schools upset parents, board members
Source: cbs8.com 8/9/23 LAKESIDE, Calif. — Lakeside residents gathered at Riverview Elementary School Wednesday to express their outrage over the amount of convicted sex offenders near the schools. Both parents and school board members said they want to be more informed about sex offenders in the area and also more blanket restrictions surrounding them living near schools, parks and bus stops. There used to be state restrictions that prohibited registered sex offenders from living within 2,000 feet of schools and parks where children gathered. Jessica’s Law was overturned in 2015…
Read MoreCA: Nearly 140 arrested in Southern California child sex abuse raids
Source: ktla.com 7/26/23 139 people were arrested in a sweeping multi-agency crackdown on child sex abuse and child pornography this month, the Los Angeles Police Department announced Wednesday. The crackdown, dubbed Operation Online Guardian, involved over 100 agencies that comprise LAPD’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. “Child exploitation is one of the most horrendous crimes affecting our most vulnerable members of the community,” Joe McNally, Assistant U.S. Attorney General, said at a news conference Wednesday morning. “Through these crimes, predators target those who can’t protect themselves.” The operation…
Read MoreCASOMB Committee Moves Forward with Proposed Changes to Tiered Registry Law
A committee of the California Sex Offender Management Board (CASOMB) moved forward today with three proposed changes to the Tiered Registry Law. Those changes would affect individuals convicted of felony possession of child pornography, individuals convicted of lewd or lascivious acts with a 14 or 15 year old and individuals assigned to Tier 3, the highest tier. During today’s meeting, the committee members agreed that individuals convicted of felony possession of child pornography and lewd or lascivious acts with a 14 or 15 year old should be assigned to Tier…
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