[wtxl.com – 9/22/20] WAKULLA COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) — A federal court in Tallahassee has ruled that City Walk Urban Mission can again operate in Wakulla County and can open up three other transition homes within the county. Tuesday, the court approved a settlement between the organization and the county. The county agreed to settle the case for $160,000. In addition to the $160,000 Wakulla County agreed to pay to settle, the county also agreed to allow City Walk to establish up to three other transition homes in the county. City…
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TX: Proposal to Bar Ex-criminals from Affordable Housing in Texas Called Unfair
[reformaustin.org – 9/22/20] Under draft rules being considered by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, anyone on the sex offender registry or those with drug manufacturing convictions would be permanently barred from state-supported housing. Others with violent felony convictions would be banned for three years, nonviolent felony offenders would be excluded for two years, and Class A misdemeanor offenses would result in a one-year ban. The possible new rules first reported on by the Houston Chronicle are opposed by fair housing advocates. “This will have a disastrous impact…
Read MoreNew Jersey Dem Under Fire for Lobbying Against Sex Offender Registry
[freebeacon.com – 9/22/20] New Jersey congressman Tom Malinowski (D.), who is locked in a close reelection battle, is under fire for his role lobbying against the creation of a sex offender registry. The fresh scrutiny comes in the wake of a Washington Free Beacon report last month detailing Malinowski’s role as the top lobbyist for Human Rights Watch when the organization opposed the 2006 Omnibus Crime Bill that enhanced the national sex offender registry originally created in 1994. After a television advertisement seized on his role lobbying against the bill, and his Republican opponent,…
Read MoreACSOL President Chance Oberstein and Law Firm Lauded for Excellence
ACSOL President Chance Oberstein and the Law Office of Chance Oberstein have been recognized for their excellence by multiple legal organizations. Recognition for Oberstein includes “Top Ranking Attorney” for the year 2020 by the American Association of Attorney Advocates, “10 Best Attorneys” for the years 2018 through 2020 by the American Institute of Criminal Law Attorneys, “Top 10 Criminal Defense Attorney” for the year 2020 by Attorney & Practice Magazine and “Top Tier Lawyer” by the American Trial Academy for 2020. The Law Office of Chance Oberstein has been recognized…
Read MoreProposed SORNA Regulations Would Add Uncertainty to Registrants’ Lives
[ACSOL] The federal government issued proposed regulations to the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) last month that, if adopted, would create uncertainty in the lives of registrants throughout the country. That is due, in part, to requirements upon individuals that require state action which states may or may not be willing to take. For example, individuals in many states are currently required to register only once a year, however, the proposed regulations would require some of the same individuals to register four times a year. If a state…
Read MoreRestorative Action Alliance Officially Launches – Join us on Sept 23 for our first meeting
[restorativeactionalliance.org – 9/22/20] My name is Amber Vlangas, Executive Director for the Restorative Action Alliance (RAA). As both a survivor of sexual harm, and part of a family who has been severely impacted by both the criminal legal system and public registries, I am uniquely immersed in the challenges we all face. I am excited to announce that New York Action Alliance and other northeast regional groups from CT and NJ have combined their collective efforts to become the Restorative Action Alliance, made up of volunteer leaders from varied backgrounds and…
Read MoreWomen Against Registry: We Saved the Best for Last – Registry impact demonstration – YouTube livestream on Sept 24
[womenagainstregistry.org – 9/21/20] We will live stream the peaceful demonstration beginning Thursday at 8 AM Mountain time. We invite you to get your cup of coffee and by all means get dressed then join us remotely. This will be on the innocentvictims1 YouTube channel. Here is the direct link to the live stream. Be sure to check the description on the live stream page to learn the latest about any last minute changes such as a different start time or different URL for the live stream, if necessary. Read the full…
Read MoreMaxwell Monty: When Objectivity is not the Objective
When objectivity is not the objective, the ultimate judgment is anyone’s guess. For those who have traveled down a lengthy rabbit hole doubling as a discussion on social media, it is known that more times than not the net result is a lot of subjective thinking; a lot of hyperbolic venting; and a lot of deconstructive fulminating. For each assertion of rational thought there are myriad baseless proclamations. (Read Lisa Anne Zilney’s article, “Guilt by Association: Labeling Research-Based Policy Suggestions as ‘Pro-Offender” for proof of that.) And while that can…
Read MoreJanice’s Journal: Mourning the Loss of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
After a long battle with cancer, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died yesterday. She and her wisdom will be missed profoundly. As a civil rights attorney, an appellate court judge and a U.S. Supreme Court justice, Ginsburg could be counted on to understand the plight of the underdog. She also understood that being an underdog does not mean you have no rights. Ginsburg is best known for fighting for, and then protecting, the rights of women. She is less known for her position on registrants. Yet buried in…
Read MoreSeventh Circuit Examines Lifetime GPS Tracking of Sex Offenders
[courthousenews.com – 9/18/20] CHICAGO (CN) — The Seventh Circuit on Friday weighed the intrusiveness of a Wisconsin statute that institutes lifetime GPS monitoring of certain convicted sex offenders against the necessity of preventing further offenses from that particular class of criminals. The underlying suit was first filed as a federal class action by eight registered sex offenders in March 2019. They argued that a 2017 statutory interpretation by former Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel that broadened the class of sex offenders subjected to lifetime GPS monitoring after the completion of…
Read MoreUT: Officials consider streamlining Sex Offender Registry, using better data
State officials are considering changes to the sex offender registry, starting with deeper data gathering to determine whether it is safe for more offenders to be removed from the system after long-term treatment and no repeat crimes. Full Article
Read MoreSacramento In-Person Emotional Support Meeting Resumes Sept 24
The in-person support group meeting in Sacramento resumes 9/24. The group is from 6:30 to 8 pm every Thursday. Please email [email protected] for more information.
Read MoreFAC: WI: Homeless person required to register as a sex offender killed
[floridaactioncommittee.org – 9/17/20] A 54 year old person required to register as a sex offender was found dead with “suspicious head injuries” according to the Madison Wisconsin Police, A local alderman is calling for the closure of these “homeless encampments”, but fails to recognize that persons forced to register are generally not allowed in most shelters, are subject to restrictions on housing and are chronically unemployed or unemployed because of the stigma of being registered. Homeless encampments are their only option. Read the full article
Read MoreCA: Number of Registrants Decreases Slightly
The number of Californians who are required to register has decreased slightly, according to a report made during today’s meeting of the California Sex Offender Management Board (CASOMB). The CASOMB reported earlier this year a total of 109,627 registrants and today the board reported that there are about 500 few registrants. Specifically, the board reported today that there are 109,178 individuals who are required to register in the state of which 81,778 live in the community, that is, are not in custody. Of that total, there are 18,116 individuals who…
Read MoreCA Supreme Court Schedules Prop. 57 Oral Arguments on Oct. 7
The California Supreme Court has scheduled oral arguments in the case, In re Gadlin (S254599), for October 7 starting at 9 a.m. The Gadlin case is the first in a series of cases challenging regulations issued by the California Department of Corrections (CDC) that implement Proposition 57. At issue in this case is whether CDC can deny early consideration for parole to individuals who were previously convicted of a sex offense but are currently in custody for a non-sex offense. CDC requested review of the case after an appellate court decided that…
Read MoreCA: New California law to make it easier for former inmate firefighters to turn pro
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a new bill Friday that will accelerate the process for expunging the felony records of formerly incarcerated volunteer firefighters. The new law is designed to make it far easier for them to earn an emergency medical technician certification, the first step in becoming a professional firefighter in most cities and counties. Full Article From AB 2147: 1203.4b. (a) (1) If a defendant successfully participated in the California Conservation Camp program as an incarcerated individual hand crew member, as determined by the Secretary of the Department of…
Read MoreCO: The Onerous Burdens of Sex Offender Registration Are Not Punishment, the 10th Circuit Rules. They Just Feel That Way.
Online sex offender registries, which all 50 states maintain as a condition of federal funding, stigmatize the people listed in them long after they have completed their sentences, creating obstacles to housing and employment while exposing registrants to public humiliation, ostracism, threats, and violence. Three years ago, a federal judge ruled that such consequences amounted to cruel and unusual punishment of three men who challenged their treatment under Colorado’s Sex Offender Registration Act. Last week a federal appeals court overturned that decision, saying the burdens imposed by registration do not…
Read MoreKat’s Blog: Nevada’s “Self-Pay” Ruling
With every state having its own registry, its own frequently amended and expanded rules, it’s difficult enough for registrants to keep up with what’s going on in their own state, never mind other states. In case you missed it, here’s a gem of a ruling from Nevada that became effective on 6/5/19, that once again reaches into the wallet of registrants and also appears to give sole power over whose wallet is emptied, to the Chief of the State Board of Parole Commissioners. Nevada Senate Bill 8: The State Board…
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