Judgment: Reversed, 7-2, in an opinion by Justice Breyer on June 24, 2013. Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Alito filed opinions concurring in the judgment. Justice Scalia filed a dissenting opinion. Justice Thomas filed a dissenting opinion, in which Justice Scalia joined as to parts I, II, and III-B. Issue: (1) Whether the court of appeals erred in conducting its constitutional analysis on the premise that respondent was not under a federal registration obligation until the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) was enacted, when pre-SORNA federal law obligated him…
Read MoreCategory: National
MD: Sex offender removed from Md. registry; could be first of many
Maryland officials in recent weeks quietly removed the mug shot of convicted child molester ____ ____. from the state’s sex-offender registry. They also deleted the Internet link to the former middle school teacher’s guilty plea to charges he abused a 13-year-old student decades ago. ____’s physical description, the address of the cottage he lives in near Annapolis, the make and model of the car he drives: Everything the state had tracked for years to keep him from anonymity was erased. ____ was removed not because he was exonerated of his crime.…
Read MoreFL: Commentary: More homeless sex offenders on the way
The United States is home to about 750,000 sex offenders, with slightly less than 60,000 registered in Florida. According to a 2012 study by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Florida saw a 74 percent increase in the number of sex offenders in the past five years. What has also increased exponentially in the last five years is the number of municipalities that have passed tough residency restrictions against those classified as sex offenders. With thousands being added to the list each year and Florida requiring lifetime registration,…
Read MoreMS: Sex offender wins new sentencing hearing
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A convicted sex offender has won a new sentencing hearing for failing to register in Mississippi because a federal judge erred in putting conditions on his supervised release, a federal appeals court panel has ruled. ___ ___ pleaded guilty in 2011 to failing to register as a sex offender in Mississippi. He was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison plus 10 years of supervised release. Full Article
Read MoreFL: Florida Appeal Court Approves Weekly Check-Ins for Homeless Sex Offenders
In a case that may have ramifications beyond the Florida Panhandle, where it originated, a state appeals court Monday approved a Bay County Sheriff’s Office policy that requires homeless registered sex offenders to report by 10 a.m. each Monday about where, through a detailed log, they expect to spend the next seven nights. Full Article
Read MoreEarly Bird Registration now open for RSOL Conference in Los Angeles
California RSOL will be hosting this year’s RSOL Conference, from August 29 to September 1. The Conference will take place in Los Angeles, near LAX, and will provide an opportunity to interact and network with researchers, mental health professionals, criminal justice practitioners and advocates interested in reforming current law, policy, and treatment of former sexual offenders. We are certain that all will benefit from this opportunity to share, learn, and strategize with others from around the country. Early Bird registration is now open, until July 30, with significant savings for early…
Read MoreSenate votes to move forward on farm bill that sets policy for farm subsidies, food stamps
NOTE: This bill would make persons previously convicted of certain (sex) crimes ineligible for food stamps / assistance. WASHINGTON — The Senate voted Thursday to move forward on a wide-ranging, five-year farm bill. The legislation advanced on a 75-22 procedural vote that sets up a vote to pass the measure next Monday. The bill would cost almost $100 billion annually and would set policy for farm subsidies, food stamps and other farm and food aid programs. Full Article Related: No food stamps for murderers and sex offenders under new farm bill?
Read MoreNo food stamps for murderers and sex offenders under new farm bill?
A farm bill amendment is supposedly aimed at curbing rampant welfare fraud and abuse, but advocacy groups see it as another setback for the recovering incarcerated population. An amendment to the pending farm bill that would deny food stamps to convicted murderers, rapists and pedophiles is receiving stiff opposition. Full Article
Read MoreSCOTUS upholds DNA testing for serious arrests
The U.S. Constitution does not prohibit states from building large DNA databases by collecting samples from everyone arrested for serious crimes, the Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision Monday. The case produced an unusual divide on the court, with liberal Justice Stephen Breyer joining the court’s Republican appointed justices who upheld the practice and conservative Justice Antonin Scalia writing a bitter dissent joined by most of the court’s liberals. Full Article
Read MoreUnauthorized Arizona-Based Sex Offender Sites Extorting Sex Offenders
A network of Arizona-based websites is using data from sex-offender registries maintained by law-enforcement agencies to basically extort money from purported sex-offenders, some of whom are either no longer required to register themselves or have never actually been convicted of a sex-related crime. Full Article Also see: https://all4consolaws.org/2013/05/sex-offender-data-is-used-to-collect-money-and-intimidate/
Read MoreFL: Florida teen charged in relationship with minor mulls plea deal [UPDATE]
***UPDATE 3: Fla. teen charged over same-sex underage relationship accepts plea deal; won’t have to register as sex offender, report says (CBS) VERO BEACH, Fla., October 3 – ____ ____, the Florida 19-year-old charged over a same-sex relationship with an underage classmate, has accepted a plea deal that will allow her to be released from jail December 20 and not have to register as a felon or sex offender, reports CBS affiliate WPEC. Full Article *** ***UPDATE 2: ____ ____ offered new plea deal VERO BEACH, Fla., October 1 — ____ ____,…
Read MoreMiracle Village: A haven for America’s social pariahs (with Video)
Almost 750,000 Americans are now on sex offender registries, and the numbers just keep growing. Because the truly dangerous are mixed in with the far more numerous low-risk offenders, registries are useless from a public safety perspective. But they do have a pernicious effect on ex-offenders, who oftentimes find themselves with nowhere to go and no hope of ever reintegrating into society. Enter “Miracle Village” in Florida. Built in 1964 for sugar cane workers (some of whom still live there), it was transformed into a haven by an evangelical pastor…
Read MoreIN: Supreme Court removes Hammond man from sex offender list
INDIANAPOLIS | The Indiana Supreme Court on Thursday ordered a Hammond man removed from the state’s sex offender registry after determining the law requiring him to register for life imposes an unconstitutional retroactive punishment. Full Article
Read MoreJudge Denies TRO in Websites Case
Federal district court judge Bernal denied an application for a Temporary Restraining Order in the lawsuit against three websites that list the names of registrants and family members on May 10. One of the reasons given by the judge is that there was insufficient evidence of irreparable injury despite the statements of 6 plaintiffs in separate declarations. “The judge in this case ignored the evidence presented in the case that people have been significantly harmed by the defendant’s reckless and intentional acts,” stated attorney Janice Bellucci. “Further evidence will be…
Read MoreIN: Pence signs into law changes to sex offender registry
Changes are coming to Indiana’s sex offender registry, thanks to a new law signed by Gov. Mike Pence Thursday. HEA 1053 requires the Indiana Department of Correction to remove information from the online public portal of the sex offender registry relating to a sex or violent offender who no longer is required to register or is deceased. The new law also adds the vehicle identification number of the vehicle owned or regularly operated by the offender to the information he or she is required to provide for sex offender registration.…
Read MoreOR: Bill would give break to some young sex offenders
SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Some young offenders convicted of having sex with underage partners would be able to request the crime be removed from their records under a bill narrowly passed by the Oregon House on Wednesday. Voting 31 to 27, the House sent the bill to the Senate with little discussion. Under the bill, in order for adult offenders to apply to have their records erased, coercion or force could not have been used in the sex act. Other conditions include completion of all required court-ordered programs and treatments. Full…
Read MoreReport: Registry does more harm than good for teen sex offenders
(CNN) — Joshua Gravens can’t do a lot of the normal things parents do, like drop his son off at school, attend parent-teacher conferences, or take his daughter to the park, a library or anywhere else children gather. For the offense of inappropriately touching his 8-year-old sister when he was 12, Gravens, 26, has spent almost half his life as a registered sex offender. The designation subjects him to residency and zoning restrictions that dictate where he can live and spend time. It has also made him the target of harassment,…
Read MoreRights group seeks halt to placing juveniles on public sex-offender registries
NEW YORK — Government authorities should end the practice of placing juveniles’ names on publicly accessible sex-offender registries, Human Rights Watch says in a report warning of lasting and unwarranted harm to some youths. Some law enforcement officials and victims’ rights advocates agree the current registry system is flawed and support steps to allow more discretion in juvenile offenders’ cases. Offenses triggering inclusion on the registries can range widely — from rape to consensual sex between children to “sexting” of photos that depict nudity or sexual activity. Full Article https://www.hrw.org/news/2013/05/01/us-more-harm-goodhttp://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/us0513_ForUpload_1.pdfhttps://www.hrw.org/news/2013/05/01/qa-raised-registry
Read More