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
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Judge 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 MoreFL: 9 Investigates crackdown on sex offenders inside Disney World
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — A six-month-long Eyewitness News investigation has uncovered sweeping background checks at Disney parks in central Florida — checks targeting registered sex offenders. Investigative reporter Christopher Heath dug through hundreds of pages of Orange County Sheriff’s Office trespass reports, and they show a consistent pattern of documented sex offenders getting kicked off of Disney properties. Full Article
Read MoreConvicted Sex Offender Wins Court Ruling
A North Georgia judge says there is no reason for probation officers to stop a convicted sex offender from attending Girl Scout meetings. Youtube Video
Read MoreSupreme Court to review sex offender registration law [updated]
(Reuters) – The Supreme Court agreed on Friday to decide whether the government can require a former federal sex offender to register a change of address even after he had served his sentence and been unconditionally freed from custody. In a brief order, the court agreed to hear the government’s appeal of a July 2012 decision overturning the conviction of Air Force veteran ____ ____ for violating the federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act of 2006. Full Article Update April 18 Timeline Summary and Review – of Oral Argument April…
Read MoreNJ: Modernizing Megan’s Law: Kanka family seeks updates to exclude sexting between children, increase failure to register penalities
HAMILTON — After her 7-year-old daughter, Megan, was sexually assaulted and murdered by a neighbor, Maureen Kanka made it her mission that no other family would experience a similar tragedy. Working with local legislators, Kanka oversaw the creation of Megan’s Law in 1994. It required sex offenders to register with local law enforcement agencies so residents could be notified of a sex offender’s intention to move into their community. Full Article
Read MoreCO: Complex sex offender system isn’t working, say lawmakers and lawyers
When he was 22 years old in 2003, ____ ____ met a girl online. She was two months away from her 15th birthday, and he knew it. Both were living in Colorado Springs, and after two months of chatting online, they met and had sex. The girl told ____ that she had been sexually involved with men his age before, so he thought it was no big deal, he said. “I kind of got myself into feeling I was her friend,” ____ said. “If I said no, she was going…
Read MoreCalifornia to Host National RSOL Conference
Sign up now: Conference Registration – More Details: Conference Information – National RSOL The 5th Annual Reform Sex Offender Laws Conference, “Justice For All”, will be held in Los Angeles during Labor Day weekend. The conference will begin on Thursday, August 29, with an evening social gathering and continue through noon on Sunday, September 1. The conference will be held at the Westin Hotel near LAX airport. “This is an excellent opportunity for registrants and family members of registrants to learn about the laws and policies that affect their daily lives,” stated…
Read MoreFL: Sex predators in Bradford County will see signs at their homes
STARKE, Fla. — Convicted sexual predators in Bradford County are being outed with red reflective signs posted outside their homes. Sheriff Gordon Smith said it is all about making sure the community knows where they live. “If it prevents one more victim in my community, I’ve done my job as sheriff,” said Smith. Full Article
Read MoreGA: Commercial mug shot bill clears Georgia Senate
ATLANTA — They’ve become popular viewing on the Internet, but pretty soon those online arrest mug shot websites could get some handcuffs of their own from Georgia’s state legislature. Monday evening, the State Senate overwhelmingly passed HB150 by a vote of 53 to 0. Sponsored by Rep. Roger Bruce (D-Atlanta), the bill would force those mug shot websites to take down photos of those who’ve been cleared without charging them for it. Full Article
Read MoreWA: Man sentenced to life for killing sex offenders; judge chastises supporters
A Washington state man convicted of fatally shooting two men “because they were sex offenders” was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison without possibility of parole, KOMOnews.com reported. On June 2, Patrick Boyd Drum fatally shot his new roommate, Gary Lee Blanton Jr., 28, at their home in Sequim, Wash. Then, around 9 p.m., Drum drove to the home of Jerry Wayne Ray, 55, also a convicted sex offender, and shot and killed him. Full Article
Read MoreGA: FBI task force cases in jeopardy
An appeals court decision casts doubt on numerous North Georgia sexual predator convictions and raises further questions about the operations of an undercover FBI task force already under scrutiny for possible impropriety. On March 14, the Georgia Court of Appeals reversed a computer pornography conviction against ___ ____, who was charged in 2010 based on evidence obtained by the Northwest Georgia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The court found that police were planting the idea of a crime in ____’s head and that the court didn’t have sufficient evidence…
Read MoreCO: Civil rights lawsuits attack excesses of Colorado’s sex offender laws
Colorado’s tough sex offender laws are supposed to keep predators under tight supervision. But a series of lawsuits claim that the system is violating even minor offenders’ rights to free speech and association, prohibiting contact with family members — and, in one particularly bizarre case, telling a 62-year-old man that a discussion with a stepdaughter about her pregnancy constitutes unlawful “third party contact with a child.” Boulder civil rights attorney Alison Ruttenberg has filed at least three federal lawsuits in recent months challenging actions taken by probation officers and others responsible…
Read MoreWA: Bill would teach kids age-of-consent laws
Sexually active teens who don’t understand Washington’s age-of-consent laws could be committing crimes they aren’t even aware of, says state Rep. Ed Orcutt, R-Kalama. He’s championing a bill this session to educate young people about sexual offenses in the hopes of preventing inappropriate relationships from starting in the first place. According to the bill, public schools that already teach sexual health education would be required to also teach students about sexual criminal law in Washington and the legal consequences for committing a sex crime with a minor. Full Article
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