Category: General News

Source: theconversation.com 5/15/25 When one judge blocks a president’s policies nationwide, alarm bells ring. Should a single judge wield this much power? Can they halt policies across the entire country after just a quick first look at whether they might be illegal? The Supreme Court now faces these critical questions. In a lively session on May 15, 2025, filled with justices’ questions that at times interrupted the attorneys appearing before them, the Supreme Court heard arguments in a case stemming from President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at ending birthright citizenship, the…

Source: reason.com 5/14/25 [ACSOL is posting this because, although not specific to registrants, registrants as well as members of their families would likely agree with its contents] After mountain runner Michelino Sunseri ascended and descended Grand Teton in record time last fall, his corporate sponsor, The North Face, heralded his achievement as “an impossible dream—come true.” Then came the nightmare: Federal prosecutors charged Sunseri with a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail for using a trail that the National Park Service described as closed, although it had never bothered to clearly inform the…

Source gelmanlawfirm.com Public discussion about registered prior sex offenders often sparks strong opinions, but the reality is more complex than many people realize. The United States maintains one of the most stringent registry systems in the world, with an estimated 800,000 individuals. While the registry is intended to support law enforcement and promote transparency, it is important to understand the legal, social, and economic context behind these numbers.  In this report from Gelman Law Firm, we used national and state data to discover which 50 counties have the highest per capita number of…

The Catholic Church has issued a warning to its clergy in Washington state: Any priest who complies with a new law requiring the reporting of child abuse confessions to authorities will be excommunicated. The new law, which will take effect on July 27, eliminates the long-standing confidentiality of the confessional, forcing Catholic leaders and lawmakers into a highly charged standoff over religious liberty and child protection. However, the Archdiocese of Seattle and several bishops argue that the law not only contravenes church doctrine but crosses constitutional lines, while supporters maintain…

The magazine’s Ethicist columnist on whether to disclose information about a neighbor on the sex-offense registry. I recently reneged on an offer to buy a house because I discovered that a registered person lived across the street. I found this information on a public website that is available for our state and county. This discovery raised many questions for me. First, the sales contract of the home specifically said the seller and seller’s agent are not obligated to divulge information about any nearby neighbors on the sex-offense registry. It’s unclear…

CHULA VISTA, Calif. — A San Diego judge sentenced former ‘teacher of the year’ ____ to 30 years to life of prison Friday. ____ broke down in tears as she read a prepared statement in a Chula Vista courtroom, admitting to sex crimes against two former students at Lincoln Acres Elementary School in National City “I shamed the title of teacher,” she said, sobbing as her family members watched from the courtroom gallery. San Diego Superior Court Judge Enrique Camarena said ____ was able to groom the 11 and 12-year-old…

Just 33% of facilities queried said they deploy these tools to divert people with substance use and mental health issues to non-jail settings By: Alexandra Duncan & Julie Wertheimer  A survey of administrators at U.S. jails shows that only about one-third of facilities use information from behavioral health screening and assessment tools to divert people from jail. Most facilities do conduct screenings and assessments, but few use them for diversion purposes. That represents a significant missed opportunity to connect people to the care they may need. The Pew Charitable Trusts invited more than…

By Guy Hamilton Smith April 1, 2025 Nine Families from Missouri Two things happened this past week that have been in process for years. Most important first: we went to trial. Nine pseudonymous plaintiffs in a civil rights lawsuit offered evidence in a federal trial in Jefferson City, Missouri about the impact that the sex offense registry has had on them. This case, like many others like it around the country, has largely centered on the question of whether or not the registry is punishment. Amongst the claims that survived…

Source: Florida Action Committee 3/26/25 The Florida Action Committee (FAC) is excited to announce the release of our latest public service announcement (PSA) videos, now available on YouTube Shorts and social media! These impactful videos are designed to educate the public on the facts vs. myths surrounding the registry, helping to drive awareness and positive change. Watch the videos and give support  

Source: keloland.com 12/2/24 SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — A jury found Michael ______ guilty in September of 2020. Monday a judge heard arguments for and against a lighter sentence. Investigators found more than a million images on Michael’s phone and computer hard drive in 2018. A jury decided 15 of them were child pornography. A different judge sentenced him to 10 years with six years suspended. That was four years ago, which means Michael could be out of Mike Durfee State prison but according to today’s testimony the Department of…

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (CBS12) — This week, we have seen an alarming number of child predators arrested. Is that because there are more cases out there, or is law enforcement getting better at catching these criminals? Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers credits that success largely to social media sites and app developers, that are helping to weed out bad actors.   “A lot of these platforms have really complied, not just with our requests for subpoenas, but really been somewhat voluntary with us,” he told CBS12 News. “These companies have…