WEST CHESTER >> A Common Pleas Court judge has ruled that a West Goshen man convicted of forcing himself sexually on a sleeping woman will not have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. In an order signed July 10, Judge Anthony Sarcione found that the law that defendant ____ ____ was required to report to state police as a sex offender was unconstitutional. He said the law, the Sexual Offenders Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), violated the fundamental right to reputation under the state…
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MO: Is your neighbor a convicted sex offender? Hundreds are missing in Jackson County
Jackson County has more convicted sex offenders than any county in Missouri. And hundreds of them are unaccounted for, posing a serious threat to public safety. Full Article
Read MoreIN: Detectives track down unregistered sex offenders
In a subterranean office at the Charles “Bud” Meeks Center for Justice, a small band of Allen County Sheriff’s Department detectives spend hours tracking convicted sex offenders. Full Article
Read MoreWA: Aging sex offenders on McNeil Island needed 557 medical trips last year
Serving the medical needs of an aging population civilly committed to the Special Commitment Center on McNeil Island means more doctor appointments and costs. The off-island trips for care, for a time, were starting to mean a decline in actual sex-offender treatment. Full Article
Read MoreNE: Sex offender residency restriction dropped by council
An ordinance that would have banned convicted/registered sex offenders from living within 500 feet of a school or child care facility in York was given a second public reading and then dropped for good. Full Article
Read MoreAR: Convicted Sex Offenders: Serving Full Sentences Rather Than Getting Out Early on Parole
[nwahomepage.com – 7/17/18] BENTONVILLE, Ark. (KFTA) — Benton County detectives say more convicted sex offenders are choosing to serve their entire sentences than get out early on parole. “We have more people going flat now in prison than coming out so they’re not on paper,” said Detective Paul Newell. Two detectives at the Benton County Sheriff’s office dedicate their time solely to tracking and checking up with sex offenders. Detective Newell says many sex offenders are eligible for parole after serving 1/6 of their time in jail, but now many…
Read MoreIs it an unconstitutional taking of property without just compensation to require sex offenders to move away from their home if a school, etc is established near their home after their initial occupation?
In Mann v. Georgia Department of Corrections,653 S.E.2d 740 (Ga. 2007), the Georgia Supreme Court held that a state statute prohibiting registered sex offenders from living or working within 1,000 feet of any facility where minors congregate, see Ga. Code Åò42-1-15, constituted a taking of property as applied to a sex offender who was forced to move after a child care center opened a facility within 1,000 feet of his home. … The Seventh Circuit just came to the opposite conclusion in an opinion written by Judge Diane S. Sykes.…
Read MoreWI: Here’s why it’s time to reconsider sex offender residency restrictions
[kenoshanews.com – 7/12/18] Nicholas Fitzpatrick is now homeless. After serving time for sexual assault — he pleaded guilty to having sex with his 14-year-old girlfriend when he was 17 — Fitzpatrick hoped to move into a home in Trevor. However, that home is less than 1,000 feet from a tiny park known as Jason’s Pond, and that runs afoul of Salem Lakes’ sex offender residency rules. So he appealed to the Village Board for an exemption. Several relatives and residents spoke on his behalf. Fitzpatrick told the board he earned…
Read MoreOH: Ohio House bill offers 2nd chance to teenagers caught sexting
[wcpo.com – 7/14/18] CINCINNATI — The punishment for teenagers caught sharing sexually explicit images could be lessened in Ohio. A House bill would allow first-time offenders who are 18 or younger a chance to have their charges dismissed upon completion of a program that explains the impact of sexting. Through the program, teens would review relevant laws, examine how sharing explicit material affects personal relationships and learn about the longevity of content posted online. Such diversion programs already are in use in some counties, but the proposed legislation would require…
Read MoreMI: Courts deemed Michigan’s sex offender registry unconstitutional. Two years later, nothing’s changed
[michiganradio.org – 7/14/18] The American Civil Liberties Union is challenging the state of Michigan over its handling of the state’s sex offender registry. In 2016, the 6th Circuit Court ruled that aspects of Michigan’s Sex Offender Registry Act, SORA, were unconstitutional. The court’s opinion specifically noted portions of the act which allowed the state to retroactively impose punishments on individuals without due process. The state of Michigan appealed the circuit court’s ruling, sending Does vs Snyder to the U.S. Supreme Court. In October 2017, the Supreme Court decided not to…
Read MoreIL: 7th Circuit Upholds Illinois Residency Restrictions
The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld residency restrictions adopted by the state of Illinois that prohibit anyone convicted of a sex offense involving a minor from living within 500 feet of a school, playground, child-care center, child day-care home and group day-care home. According to the decision, which was issued on July 11, the restrictions can even be applied to individuals who are no longer required to register as a sex offender. The circuit court rejected arguments in the case that the residency restrictions violated the ex post…
Read MoreFamilies for Justice Reform Rally Tuesday
[womenagainstregistry.org 7/12/18] The Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM) ‘Families Rally for Justice Reform’ event began Tuesday at 9 AM with breakfast at the FAMM office in Washington, D.C.. Kevin Ring – President and the other officers are very dedicated to justice reform and sentencing reform while continuing to make the communities safe. Some of the family members who had traveled from various states for the rally shared their stories. They were emotional and the pain was visible. They listened to stories about our WAR families and the challenges faced every…
Read MoreGA: Convicted sex offenders removed from registry
A little over two decades ago, ____ ____ stood before a judge and pleaded guilty to aggravated sodomy with his 6-year-old daughter. “____ ____ molested his biological daughter,” Chatham County Chief Assistant District Attorney Greg McConnell said. “He admitted that he made her perform oral sex on him but said it was accidental.” ____ , who was 37 at the time, was sentenced to 10 years — two to be served in prison — followed by eight years of probation. ____ served his time. And in 2014 the state of…
Read MoreMA: Changing sex offender law needs to be evidence-based
Massachusetts is hardly soft on sex offenders, being one of only 20 states and the District of Columbia that incarcerate people convicted of sex offenses after they’ve completed their criminal sentences based on what they might do in the future. This practice is so antithetical to our Constitution that sexually dangerous person laws require careful calibration. Full Article
Read MoreMO: Coroner: Dexter man was stabbed
[standard-democrat.com – 7/6/18] DEXTER, Mo. — A man found dead in his Dexter home last week was stabbed, according to the Stoddard County coroner. Law enforcement began investigating the homicide of Jimmy Lynn Casey, 66, after a home-health worker found his body June 28. “Mr. Casey was stabbed,” said coroner Kenny Pope. “We do know from the wounds he had, one of the wounds was not superficial. It was life threatening. … Casey lived in the 1100 block of Mulberry Street and was a compliant sex offender … Read full…
Read MoreFL: Pinellas County man jailed for registry violation assaulted and on feeding tube
[wdtn.com – 7/9/18] PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) – An inmate suspected of killing a pregnant mother in Clearwater last year is accused of beating another inmate so badly, the man now relies on a feeding tube and is unable to speak, deputies said. According to an affidavit, Charles Groucho Allen and James Sutcliff Mills were housed in the same pod at the Pinellas County Jail on June 17. Officers said the two men started arguing over a remote control and things quickly escalated. Allen punched Mills in the face, causing…
Read MoreKY: Local police department’s new tool reads license plates automatically
[wpsdlocal6.com – 7/7/18] PADUCAH, KY – Another set of eyes are looking out for you, but these ones are electronic. We told you on Tuesday about an under-staffing problem at the Paducah Police Department. They need to hire about six more officers. But in the meantime, the department is getting some help from this pretty cool tool. John Smith is a patrol officer. He’s got a new partner that sits on the top of his car. “It doesn’t change my duties a lot. The license plate reader kind of does…
Read MoreCO: Sex Offender Registration Act Requires Registry for Individuals with More than One Conviction for Unlawful Sexual Behavior
Defendant pleaded guilty to one count of second degree sexual assault and one count of third degree sexual assault and entered into a plea agreement. Among other things, the plea agreement provided that the trial court would dismiss the felony charge once defendant complied with his deferred judgment. A condition of the deferred judgment was that defendant register as a sex offender pursuant to the Colorado Sex Offender Registration Act (SORA). Defendant completed his deferred judgment and the felony charge was dismissed. Years later, defendant filed a petition to discontinue…
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