FL: Florida Supreme Court to Review “Sexual Predator” Driver’s License Labeling

Source: Florida Action Committee 9/9/25 A case with major implications for the constitutional rights of those on the registry is now headed to the Florida Supreme Court. Attorneys for Michael Crist have filed a notice seeking review of an appellate decision that upheld Florida’s requirement that people classified as “sexual predators” have that exact phrase printed in bold letters on their driver’s licenses. Crist, who was accused in 2019 of trying to cover the label with a sticker, argued that the mandate violates the First Amendment by forcing individuals to…

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AL: Alabama defends law limiting where sex offenders can go

Source: courthousenews.com 8/1/25 An Alabama law restricting sex offenders’ movements is under legal scrutiny after a federal appeals court hearing Friday that could reshape how the state regulates their interactions with minors. The case centers on a provision of the Alabama Sex Offender Registration and Community Notification Act that restricts where registrants can be present, potentially criminalizing routine activities like work, attending church or family gatherings. Amended in 2017, plaintiffs claim the provision redefined “reside” and “overnight visit,” imposing sweeping restrictions that could transform routine activities into criminal acts. Three…

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NY: Proceed Cautiously With Changes To Sex Offender Classification System

Source: post-journal.com 9/2/25 No one knows if an effort to update the way New York decides how likely a sex offender is to reoffend will move in the state Legislature this year after more than a decade of inaction. Part of the bill is intriguing. Sen. Liz Krueger, D-New York City, and Assemblywoman Pamela Hunter, D-Syracuse, say the form most commonly used to assess a convicted sex offender’s danger to the community upon release is the Static 99/R, which aggregates criminal history as well as demographic characteristics to assign a…

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IN: Judge finds AI child pornography defendant not guilty due to uncertain law

Source: cbs4indy.com 8/31/25 Marion Superior Judge James Osborn was clearly challenged when it came to hearing a case this month consisting of ten counts of child exploitation and child pornography against a former employee of the Marion County Forensic Services Agency. Watch the video Read the article  

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CO: Thornton sex offender map draws criticism from residents

Source: northglenn-thorntonsentinel.com 8/28/25 A proposed ordinance that draws lines between sexually violent offenders and children may actually put kids in harm’s way, a Thornton resident said. The worry isn’t over the wording of the ordinance, which is like other city ordinances that mandate the distance convicted sex offenders must maintain in areas where children congregate. The problem is that the draft ordinance requires the city to publish and maintain a citywide, live map of school bus stops, said resident Steven Mathias.  Mathias – who told the city council during its August…

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TX: Texas believes failure to register can equate to 25-year murder sentence

Source: ntxe-news.com 8/29/25 Fannin County, Texas — On August 27, 2025, Fannin County First Assistant Criminal District Attorney, Nathan Young, secured a 25-year prison sentence for the offense of Failure to Register as Sex Offender in the case of Carl Alton ____, Jr., 56, of Bonham.  … “In 2015 this defendant went to prison for six years for a failure to register as a sex offender,” said First Assistant Nathan Young. “He knew what was expected of his registration when he was released.  His blatant disregard in complying with a…

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What Happens After A Child Pornography Conviction In Federal Court?

Source: newsbreak.com 8/25/25 The are a staggering number of people in prison in Washington State for sex crimes.  Just over 3,300 inmates, or roughly 24% of the entire prison system population, were convicted of some type of sex crime. The federal prison system doesn’t break data down the same way, so the total number of inmates that committed sex crimes in the only federal prison Washington State is unknown.  That said, we do know of one person heading to federal prison for a disgusting crime that falls under that category.  Pete Serrano,…

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Oregon’s sex offender database limits information. Is it too much or not enough?

Source: katu.com 8/25/25 PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — Courtney Gelbrich and Jane Mendoza have spent a lot of time at soccer fields, watching their daughters play competitive soccer. Little did they know, their common connection would lead them on an unpredictable journey into Oregon’s public sex offender database, in a fight to protect their children. It started with a phone call a couple of years ago. “My husband – who is a head coach of a youth competitive soccer team – received a phone call from our registrar one night saying, ‘Hey,…

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CO: Douglas County judge wrongly blocked man from de-registering as sex offender due to alleged ‘smirk,’ appeals court finds

Source: coloradopolitics.com 8/21/25 A Douglas County judge acted improperly by refusing to grant a defendant’s request to de-register as a sex offender a quarter-century after his offense because the man allegedly “smirked” at a hearing, Colorado’s second-highest court ruled on Thursday. David Arthur _____ pleaded guilty in 2001 to one felony and one misdemeanor count related to sexual assault on a child. After completing four years of sex offender probation, a judge dismissed the felony, leaving Arthur guilty of only a misdemeanor. He subsequently completed sex offender treatment in 2006.…

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NY: Woodstock Uproar Highlights Bigger Question: What Happens After Sex Offenders Leave Prison

Source: chronogram.com 8/22/25 During the public comment period near the end of a Woodstock town board meeting on July 8, resident Michael Veitch stood to speak. “One of the main failings of the Catholic Church and the Boy Scouts and others was the failure to disclose the presence of known pedophiles to the parents of the children who came in contact with them,” he said. He’d drafted an email for the town board to send to parents letting them know that a “registered violent sex offender” was working for the…

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OH: Final conspirator in scheme to exploit Ohio sex offenders get four-year sentence

Source: zanesvilletimesrecorder.com 8/21/25 ZANESVILLE – Inmates within the Georgia prison system organized a defrauding scheme in 2024 to defraud sex offenders and across the country, including two male victims in Ohio. Marquis Lamar Conner Sr., 43, of Decatur, Georgia, was the last of four defendants to go before the Muskingum County Court of Common Pleas for sentencing Aug. 18. Per request, Conner argued for his own sentencing before Judge Kelly Cottrill. After a lengthy statement where he blamed the victims for being defrauded, Conner received four years in an Ohio prison…

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TX: Amarillo police share recent findings after [wasteful] sex offender compliance check operation

Source: newschannel10.com 8/19 25 AMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) – The Amarillo Police Department has shared its recent findings after conducting a sex offender compliance check operation. Officials say the operation spanned from July 23 to August 1. The Amarillo Police Department’s Special Victims Unit (SVU), in coordination with multiple law enforcement agencies, recently completed the operation aimed at ensuring adherence to registration and compliance requirements under Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, Chapter 62 and departmental policies. Amarillo police shared the following operation summary: Read the full article  

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ME: Tier III Lifetime Sex Offender Registrant Booted from Board of Maine Autism Society After Maine Wire Inquiry

Source: themainewire.com 8/19/25 The Autism Society of Maine (ASM), a non-profit, dismissed board member Nicholas Pike, 29, on Monday after an inquiry by The Maine Wire inquired about why a Tier III lifetime sex offender registrant was serving on its governing body. “The Autism Society of Maine has dismissed a Board member after learning they are listed on the Maine Sex Offender Registry. This information was not disclosed during the application process. We take this matter seriously,” said ASM Board President Melissa Ponce in a statement provided to The Maine…

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AL: Pastor Robert Wagley’s Arrest: The Legal Questions

Source: atoday.org 8/19/25 On August 14, 2025, Mobile County deputies arrested Pastor Robert Michael Wagley of the St. Elmo Seventh-day Adventist Church on three counts of intimidating a witness. According to jail records and witness accounts, several church members who had assisted law enforcement in a separate criminal investigation were subsequently stripped of their church duties and escorted off the property. The sheriff’s office alleges these actions were meant to punish cooperation with authorities. Pastor Wagley has not been convicted of any crime, and under United States law, all defendants are presumed…

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AZ: Arizona to launch Sex Offender Management Board to tackle treatment, reform

Source: azfamily.com 8/19/25 PHOENIX (AZFamily) — A recently passed law is funding Arizona’s first-ever Sex Offender Management Board, which is aimed at getting justice for victims and preventing cases in the future. The board will be made up of 25 people who are experts on sexual abuse and deviancy. It will include psychologists, law enforcement officials, and victims’ rights representatives. They will make legislative recommendations regarding sentencing and treatment of sexual offenders. It will work to develop statewide standards and procedures to assess and supervise both kids and adults who have committed…

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FL: Florida can keep ‘sexual predator’ marking on driver’s licenses, appeals court rules

Source: floridapolitics.com 8/18/25 The case arose after a sexual predator was sent back to prison after his probation officer found a smiley-face sticker covering the label on his license. Florida can continue branding convicted sexual predators on their driver’s licenses. In a divided ruling, the 5th District Court of Appeal has upheld the constitutionality of requiring state-issued driver’s licenses and ID cards to have “SEXUAL PREDATOR” stamped on them if the holder has been convicted of such a crime. The ruling reverses an earlier panel’s action striking down the law as unconstitutional…

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MO: Court of Appeals Schedules Oral Argument in Missouri Halloween Sign Case

The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals today scheduled oral argument in the Missouri Halloween sign case.  The argument will take place on Tuesday, September 16, on the 28th floor of the Thomas F. Eagleton Courthouse located at 111 S. 10th Street, St. Louis, Missouri.  The Court scheduled oral argument in a total of five cases that day beginning at 9 a.m.  The Halloween sign case is listed as the second of those cases. The district court judge in this case issued a permanent statewide injunction on October 2, 2024, prohibiting…

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