IN: 7th Circuit again reverses judgment for sex offenders who challenged registration requirement

Source: theindianalawyer.com 4/27/23 Requiring sex offenders who are already subject to registration elsewhere to also register in Indiana rationally promotes public safety, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled in reversing a district court’s judgment. This is the second reversal in the case. The plaintiffs in the case are Indiana residents who committed sex offenses either before the Indiana Sex Offender Registration Act existed or before it covered their specific offenses. Their registration obligations vary depending on their offenses, but they all must register under SORA at least once…

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FL: Florida sex offenders could be required to have special colored license plates

Source: nbc-2.com 4/27/23 Sex offenders in Florida could be forced to get bright green license plates. Democratic Senator Lauren Book added this to Senate Bill 1252 on Tuesday night. If passed, all vehicles owned, driven or leased by the offenders will be required to have a fluorescent green license plate. It would also make it illegal to disguise the plate. Sen. Book also wants all registered sex offenders to have the word “sexual predator” printed on the front of their driver’s license in the color red. For this to become…

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MO: Sex offenses bill package heard in Senate Committee

Source: missourinet.com 4/26/23 Missouri is reviewing whether to update its sex offender registry requirements for those who are convicted of committing crimes against children and the mentally disabled. A Senate committee is considering the public safety bill, sponsored by Representative Justin Hicks of Lake St. Louis. “It amends the sex offender list to ensure that individuals that have committed child sex crimes are classified as tier three offenders, which would equal a lifetime registration requirement,” he says. “It codifies the language from that was rolled on in January from the…

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Action Alert for Florida: Email/Call TODAY (4/26) to fight fluorescent green license plates and more!

Source: floridaactioncommittee.org 4/26/23 Florida residents, write and call today! There are multiple bills and amendments that would do things like assign a distinctive, fluorescent green license plate, red coloring on driver’s licenses, and require 24-hour vacation rental reporting. This will be voted on TOMORROW, Thursday, April 27, 2023. Read the details and take action today  

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WV: Parole officer sexually assaulted victims on multiple occasions

Source: wvmetronews.com 4/21/23 PARKERSBURG, W.Va. — More information has come out about the disgraced parole officer sentenced for sexually assaulting a female officer. Anthony _______, 44, worked for the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation as a parole officer in Parkersburg. He admitted to forcing at least two victims into performing sex acts on him, this according to U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia Will Thompson. Thompson spoke more to the details of the case and the sentencing while on MetroNews “Talkline” Friday. “He essentially used…

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SORNA Case Update: Hearing Set For June 5

There is an update in the pending case challenging the SORNA regulations.  The federal government has withdrawn its appeal of the Preliminary Injunction, however, the federal government is continuing to pursue a motion to dismiss the case.   Although both the federal government and the plaintiffs have waived oral argument regarding that motion, the judge has scheduled a hearing on that motion during which oral argument may be required for June 5 at 9 a.m.  Plaintiffs are required to file their brief opposing the motion to dismiss no later than April…

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CO: Allegedly murderous stepmom tried to pin stepson’s disappearance on wanted sex offender

Source: lawandcrime.com 4/19/23 An FBI special agent testified on Wednesday that an allegedly murderous stepmother tried to pin her stepson’s disappearance on a wanted sex offender, whose unrelated case was publicized in local news. In truth, however, there was no indication that this man, Quincy ____, had anything to do with victim Gannon Stauch, 11, going missing on Jan. 27, 2020, said FBI Special Agent Amber Cronan. Prosecutors in Colorado Springs, Colorado, point the finger at the child’s stepmother, Letecia Stauch, 39, who they say stabbed Gannon 18 times, shot…

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Five Evidence-Based Policies Can Improve Community Supervision

Source: pewtrusts.org Community supervision, most commonly probation and parole, is a key component of correctional systems in every state and involves more people than are serving prison or jail sentences. At the end of 2020, almost 3.9 million Americans—or 1 in 66 adults—were on probation or parole in the U.S., compared with nearly 1.8 million in jails and state and federal prisons.1 Community supervision also presents a different set of challenges for policymakers and for the people affected by it than does incarceration. Individuals on probation and parole must earn…

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ACSOL Action Alert Nationwide: Ask your US senators to declare April as Second Chance Month

Source: prisonfellowship.org 4/15/23 President Biden has proclaimed April 2023 as Second Chance Month, but the U.S. Senate has yet to act! Now more than ever, it is crucial that we raise awareness about the challenges encountered by individuals with a criminal record, even after facing their consequences. When we extend second chances to men and women with a criminal record, our communities can become safer, stronger, and more prosperous. Using our quick and easy tool, find your lawmakers and send a letter urging them to take a stand for justice…

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FL: Florida Lawmakers Unanimously Advance Bill Seeking Death Penalty for Pedophiles

Source: ntd.com 4/13/23 A new Florida bill allowing capital punishment for those committing sexual battery on children under 12 cleared the state’s rules committee this week and is now heading to the full Senate. Senate Bill 1342 (pdf), a bipartisan effort by Sen. Lauren Book (D-Fla.) and Sen. Jonathan Martin (R-Fla.), cleared the Florida Senate Rules Committee on Tuesday by unanimous vote, and the state House committee is scheduled on Thursday to consider its version of the measure—House Bill 1297 (pdf). The proposal stipulates that defendants 18 or older could…

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TX: After 30 years, a father is exonerated in ‘satanic panic’ sex case

Source: tpr.org 4/11/23 With a few strokes of a pen, Judge Christine Del Prado dismissed the case against 74-year-old Melvin Quinney — giving him his good name back. “Mr. Quinney I have signed the dismissal,” said Del Prado “And I thank you sir for your attendance. You are now discharged from this court.” Applause broke out from onlookers in the same court that 32 years ago had convicted Quinney of indecency with a child and sentenced him to 20 years. This was the final courtroom step in Quinneys exoneration —…

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MI: Court: Sex offender registry not cruel and unusual

Source: thealpenanews.com 4/11/23 ALPENA — An Alpena man’s lifetime appearance on the Michigan Sex Offender Registry does not constitute cruel and unusual punishment, the Michigan Court of Appeals said. … ____’s argued through his attorneys, Christine Pagac and Steven Helton, that his lifetime listing on the registry was unduly harsh because the trial court hadn’t proven he demonstrated an ongoing risk to the community and because the lower court hadn’t done an individualized assessment of his risk of reoffending. The appellate court ruled the registry listing was not harsh because…

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MN: Minnesota sex offender released after turning life around

Source: benningtonbanner.com 4/10/23 BENNINGTON — In a case that touched on the meaning of rehabilitation in the criminal justice system, a Bennington judge ended the probation of a Minnesota woman — Rosa Maria ____ — guilty of luring a minor and sexually assaulting the victim. That decision came Monday, after a hearing last week in which ____ ‘s attorney argued that she had cleaned up her act and rehabilitated her life. ____ , now 27, the mother of two young toddlers, appeared via video link in a Bennington courtroom last…

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FL: Brevard settles lawsuit over sex offenders’ access to County Commission meetings

Source: floridatoday.com 4/8/23 Brevard County has agreed to settle a federal lawsuit involving the right of convicted sex offenders to attend County Commission meetings. As part of the settlement, the county agreed to pay damages of $2,500 each to the plaintiffs ― sex offenders Charles Munsey Jr., Vincent Rinaldi and Charles Violi ― plus pay $150,000 for plaintiffs’ attorney fees. The lawsuit filed in January 2022 in U.S. District Court was triggered by a 2006 Brevard County ordinance that, with some exceptions, prohibits people on the sex offender registry from…

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MD: Report details ‘staggering’ church sex abuse in Maryland

Source: apnews.com 4/5/23 BALTIMORE (AP) — More than 150 Catholic priests and others associated with the Archdiocese of Baltimore sexually abused over 600 children and often escaped accountability, according to a long-awaited state report released Wednesday that revealed the scope of abuse spanning 80 years and accused church leaders of decades of coverups. The report paints a damning picture of the archdiocese, which is the oldest Roman Catholic diocese in the country and spans much of Maryland. Some parishes, schools and congregations had more than one abuser at the same…

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MO: MO Supreme Court sends Boone County sex offender case back to circuit court

Source: komu.com 4/4/23 JEFFERSON CITY — The Missouri Supreme Court ruled Tuesday to send a Boone County woman’s case back to circuit court after she said she should be removed from the sex offender registry. The 4-3 decision by the Court reversed the circuit court’s judgment and sent back the case for further proceedings.  Read the full article  

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NH: With guns drawn and loudly knocking on door, U.S. Marshals follow typical procedure to arrest registrant for not registering

Source: conwaydailysun.com 4/3/23 CONWAY – With guns drawn, U.S. Marshals Service agents arrested a sex offender at Millbrook Vill On Monday, the Sun spoke to Deputy U.S. Marshal Andrew Grillo about the arrest of Jeffrey ____, 29, of Canaan, at the apartments. “He was wanted out of Grafton County for failing to appear on an arraignment for failing to register as a sex offender,” said Grillo, … … Federal agents and Conway police surrounded the apartments located at 175 Grove St., shortly before noon on Thursday. The marshals approached the…

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