The Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws (ACSOL) is dedicated to protecting the Constitution by restoring the civil rights of registrants and their families. In order to achieve that objective, ACSOL will educate and litigate as well as support or oppose legislation. The ACSOL website and recordings are provided as a service to registrants, registrants’ families, and others for general information only. The information on the website and in the recordings are not designed to provide legal or other advice or to create an attorney-client relationship. You should not take, or refrain from taking, action based on their content. Prior results and case studies do not guarantee a similar outcome in future representations. ACSOL accepts no responsibility for any loss or damages that may result from accessing or reliance on content on the ACSOL website and recordings and disclaim, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all liability with respect to acts or omissions made by registrants, registrants’ families and others on the basis of content on the ACSOL website.
Important News / Announcements
General News Feed
New Hampshire lawmakers are again debating measures that would ban communities from restricting where sex offenders can live. Typical restrictions bar sex offenders from living within a half-mile of places where kids gather: Schools, playgrounds, etc. At the risk of offending many readers, particularly those in Dover where sex offender residency requirements were repealed, we cautiously support this position. Full Article
People cannot think clearly when they are afraid. As numerous studies have shown, fear is the enemy of reason. It distorts emotions and perceptions, and often leads to poor decisions. For people who have suffered trauma, fear messages can sometimes trigger uncontrollable flight-or-fight responses with dangerous ramifications. Yet over time, many interlocking aspects of our society have become increasingly sophisticated at communicating messages and...
Since the publication of my blog post "Do Sex Offender Registries Reduce Recidivism?," a question I have been asked is "Paul, isn't it a good thing that I as a parent knows who is a sex offender living in my neighborhood so I can tell my child to stay away from that person?" My responses are that such knowledge is only a tip of...
The California Supreme Court has spoken but what have they said? The Court published two decisions today that were expected to determine whether residency restrictions are constitutional and if so, to whom do they apply as well as whether the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) may issue a blanket residency restriction to all registered citizens in San Diego while on parole. These...
The CA Supreme Court Decisions in the People v. Mosley and In re Taylor Cases are posted. Please stay tuned for commentary from California RSOL. People v. Mosley In re Taylor Related Media: Reports LA Times OC Register SF Chronicle SJ Mercury Riverside Press-Enterprise - with CA RSOL mention San Bernardino Sun UT San Diego Huffington Post SCPR CBS San Diego ABC San Diego...
02
Mar
2015
My mother was 15 when she married my dad, who was 19. A month later, he shipped out with the Marines and was gone nearly three years, fighting in the Pacific during World War II. I was born after his return. My parents had a long, happy marriage. That story would turn out differently today. At 19, John fell in love with a girl...
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — New Hampshire's legislature is once again debating measures that would ban municipalities from restricting where sex offenders can live, even as some other states are making such restrictions tougher. The legislature's Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee is expected to send the proposals to the full House this week. The House last year supported the ban on residency restrictions by...
After years of languishing in Nevada courts, legislators are reconsidering sex-offender laws affecting juveniles and the way criminals are ranked and registered. State Sen. Richard “Tick” Segerblom, D-Las Vegas, and Assemblywoman Michele Fiore, R-Las Vegas, introduced Senate Bill 99 in February to repeal the state’s version of the federal Adam Walsh Act. Critics have said the law disenfranchises juveniles who could be reformed, and...
A pastor known for his outreach to addicts, homeless ex-convicts and sex offenders was killed Friday night in a home invasion in central Phoenix. Jack Moriarty, whose imposing figure, tattoos and thick goatee made him look more like a biker than a preacher, was shot to death at about 8:30 p.m. Friday after two unknown suspects entered a home near 20th Avenue and Monroe...
The deadline for the introduction of new bills has passed and there is no tiered registry bill for consideration by the California legislature during this two-year session. "Despite strong efforts by the CA Sex Offender Management Board (CASOMB), an author for the tiered registry bill could not be found," stated Janice Bellucci, President of California RSOL. "The next opportunity to introduce the bill is...
The California Supreme Court has officially announced that it will publish on Monday, March 2, two decisions regarding residency restrictions. The decisions are expected to determine the following issues: (1) whether residency restrictions are constitutional, (2) to whom do the restrictions apply and (3) if the restrictions can be applied to every registered citizen while on parole. The Court heard oral arguments in the...
27
Feb
2015
This week, my graduate seminar at the University of Delaware hosted several scholars who study sex trafficking, both trafficking laws and the people they affect. Together, this group of scholars and activists from around the world share some common concerns about what happens when well-meaning policymakers use the wrong tools to address problems. Sen. Chris Coons has the opportunity to address one aspect of...
27
Feb
2015
The beginning of 2015 is an opportune time to provide an update and overview of activities, plans and recommendations of the California Sex Offender Management Board (CASOMB) and the State Authorized Risk Assessment Tool for Sex Offenders Committee (SARATSO). The picture of sex offender management in the state is a complex one with many moving parts. This Report touches on many of those components....
26
Feb
2015
Thanks to our mistaken belief that no one under 18 can have any legitimate sexual feelings—and hence any sex they’ve engaged in was coerced and bound to render unspeakable emotional harm—we have laws on the books like this one in Wisconsin, according to USA Today (boldface mine, all mine!): In 2012, state lawmakers passed into law a mandatory, minimum three-year prison sentence for possessing child...
26
Feb
2015
Albany, N.Y. – The New York State Senate passed a bill Thursday granting municipalities the authority to establish residency restrictions for registered sex offenders. Sen. Rich Funke (R-NY 55th District) first announced the bill Monday alongside Penfield Supervisor Tony LaFountain. Penfield is working on a child safety act that would prevent level two and three sex offenders from living in designated child-safe zones, which...
Sexual offenses – particularly those against children – are among the most reprehensible of crimes. Two techniques that sex offenders use to escape detection from the law are manipulating their ID and residing at addresses other than those reported to authorities, a nationwide study found. Donald Rebovich, Ph.D., professor of criminal justice and executive director of the Center for Identity Management and Information Protection...
Dane County authorities arrested a town of Cottage Grove man they say set fire to a house Sunday night in a vigilante effort to keep a sex offender from moving in there. Russell A. Speigle, 50, was arrested on a tentative charge of arson for the fire, which destroyed a home at 4721 Gaston Circle in the town of Cottage Grove, Sheriff Dave Mahoney...
OKLAHOMA CITY – A Senate panel on Tuesday defeated a measure that would have allowed for the chemical castration of violent sex offenders.bThe Senate Judiciary Committee rejected Senate Bill 671 by Sen. Mark Allen, R-Spiro, by a vote of 5-4 with no debate. The legislation would have applied to sexually violent offenses including rape, rape by instrumentation, lewd or indecent proposals or acts...
25
Feb
2015
He has a violent history of fighting and no love for authority (cops). He felt the street life was appealing until prison came knocking on the door. One night of drunkenness and high off of whatever he could get his hands on changed our lives forever. .... Just know that in 1997 Jazz was one of the fastest 400/800 meter runners in the country....
Some Florida lawmakers are pushing to require convicted sex offenders to wear monitoring devices for the rest of their lives. Even after the convicted offender completed the probation period, he or she would still have to wear or carry the electronic monitoring device under proposed bills SB 134 and HB 203. Full Article