A 22-year-old Vacaville man convicted of sex crimes committed when he was 9 or 10 years old had all but one of those convictions overturned Tuesday by the Court of Appeal in San Francisco. Full Article Court Opinion
Read MoreMore News
Repealed restrictions on sex offender living limitations is dangerous for children
On Feb. 7th, Fullerton City Council unanimously repealed an unconstitutional ordinance. The city ordinance, No. 3149, made it a misdemeanor for sex offenders living within 2,000 feet of daycares, schools and parks. The state law the city now defers to will allow any sex offender not on parole or specifically prohibited by the court to live anywhere they wish. While the repealing of the ordinance is constitutional, it still puts children in more danger. Full Article
Read MoreWho Is a Sex Offender?
You are not going to like this article. In fact, unless you are on the sex offender list or someone you care about is being forced to live with this stigma, chances are that you have almost no sympathy for those who have been found guilty of sex crimes. I would like to ask you to think about these people with an open mind. As the father of a daughter, I can tell you that I regularly checked the sex offender web sites to know which of my neighbors to…
Read MoreDE: Supreme Court weighs sex offender GPS monitoring
An attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union of Delaware is arguing to the state Supreme Court that it is unconstitutional for some sex offenders to automatically be required to wear and pay for GPS monitoring while on probation. Full Article
Read More‘Gary from Chicago’ is a registered sex offender who served 20 years in prison
Accidental Oscars star “Gary from Chicago” has a dark role in his past — as a registered sex offender and ex-con who served 20 years in prison. Gary Alan Coe was aboard a double-decker bus filled with other unsuspecting tourists when they were detoured to the Dolby Theater on Sunday night in the midst of Tinseltown’s biggest night, the Academy Awards, as part of a skit. Full Article
Read MoreEquality California to Co-Sponsor Tiered Registry Bill
Equality California, the nation’s largest statewide LGBTQ civil rights organization, announced today that it has agreed to co-sponsor the Tiered Registry Bill (SB 695). The organization joins the California Sex Offender Management Board, Los Angeles District Attorney Jackie Lacey and the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault as co-sponsors of that bill. “Equality California is a powerful and welcome ally in the creation of the state’s first tiered registry,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci. “ACSOL looks forward to working together to revise the state’s lifetime registry which significantly harms members…
Read MoreWY: Sex offender registration fees increase with proposed legislation
Sex offenders in Wyoming may face increased registration fees this July in preparation for the 2019 expiration of the grant supporting Wyoming’s sex offender registration program. At the request of the Wyoming Attorney General’s office, legislators appointed to the Judiciary Committee from both the House and Senate worked together over the interim to propose a bill to create the sex offender registration account, which would house increased registration and reporting fees. The House Judiciary Committee passed the bill with no opposition and the Appropriations Committee passed it with a 5-2…
Read MoreSenate Education Committee to Hear Schools Bill on March 8 [UPDATED 2]
***UPDATE 2: The hearing for this bill (see below) has been postponed indefinitely. We will post any new date as soon as we become aware of it. *3/1/2017)*** ***UPDATE: letters regarding this bill addressed to Senate Education Committee Chairman Ben Allen can be sent by E-mail, which saves postage and time. The E-mail address is for staffer Irma Kam is [email protected]. *** The Senate Education Committee is scheduled to consider Senate Bill 26 (SB 26) on March 8. This is the first of two committees slated to consider the bill which would…
Read MoreSCOTUS: Argument analysis – Justices skeptical about social media restrictions for sex offenders
At today’s oral argument in Packingham v. North Carolina, a challenge to a state law that imposes criminal penalties on registered sex offenders who visit social networking sites, Justice Elena Kagan suggested that social media sites like Facebook and Twitter were “incredibly important parts” of the country’s political and religious culture. People do not merely rely those sites to obtain virtually all of their information, she emphasized, but even “structure their civil community life” around them. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg echoed those sentiments, telling the North Carolina official defending the…
Read MoreSCOTUS: Court may strike law barring sex offenders from social media
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court appeared likely Monday to strike down a North Carolina law that prohibits sex offenders from using Facebook and other social networking sites. At least five justices suggested during argument that they would rule for North Carolina resident Lester Packingham Jr. He was convicted of violating a 2008 law aimed at keeping sex offenders off internet sites children might use. Packingham used Facebook to boast about beating a traffic ticket. The state’s lawyer said the law deals with the virtual world in the same way that…
Read MoreMN: Fate of MSOP Now Rests With the Supreme Court
In June, 2015, the US District Court for Minnesota determined that the 700+ clients at the Minnesota Sex Offender Program were being unconstitutionally confined. In January, 2017, the US Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit said they’re not. What explains the conflicting opinions? A three-judge Appeals Panel said District Court Judge Donovan Frank did not apply the proper standard: to be unconstitutional, civil rights violations for SVPs must “shock the conscience.” What’s wrong with the “shocks the conscience” standard? If, until the Supreme Court intervened in 2008, executing sex…
Read MoreNY: Danger to society: Shouldering the cost of housing sex offenders
Sex offenders virtually “disappear” in civil confinement, undergoing long rituals of behavioral and psychological therapy, from pinpointing and managing sexual arousal factors to polygraph tests uncovering dark sexual histories. If successful, they can be released into the community under intensive supervision. If unsuccessful and still deemed a public risk, they can remain in confinement — indefinitely. And while some in the public see this as a plus, concerns are already being raised by state officials about the sustainability and cost of a program that continues to grow in numbers with few success…
Read MoreNE: STATEMENT OF OPPOSITION TO NE LB 300
Below is a statement of opposition to a Nebraska bill that eliminates all statutes of limitations on civil lawsuits against people accused of sex crimes. You may find it useful against similar statutes in other states. Full Statement
Read MoreFL: Putnam County hires ‘Sex Offender Compliance’ specialist
Putnam County announced on Friday that they had reorganized resources and created a position known as a “Sex Offender Compliance Specialist.” The Florida Sex Offender Registry said that there are currently 305 sex offenders in Putnam County. The county says the specialist “will work in conjunction with the current offender compliance program as a means of providing critical intelligence for investigators by assessing risk-related changes in offender’s behavior.” “We refuse to allow Putnam County to become a safe haven for sexual offenders and predators,” said Gator Deloach, who was elected…
Read MoreSCOTUS: Court to consider social media access for sex offenders [updated with media links]
In April 2010, Lester Packingham’s traffic ticket was dismissed, prompting him to take to Facebook to celebrate. He posted that “God is Good! How about I got so much favor they dismissed the ticket before court even started? No fine, no court costs, no nothing spent . . . Praise be to GOD, WOW! Thanks JESUS!” … Based on his Facebook post, Packingham was charged with violating a North Carolina law that makes it a crime for a registered sex offender to “access” a “commercial social networking Web site” when he…
Read MorePresident Trump: War on Human Trafficking
According to the FBI, human trafficking is believed to be the third-largest criminal activity in the world. In recent years cases have been piling up and leads are hard to follow in many instances. President Trump has vowed to bring “full force and weight” to battle this epidemic aggressively . In a Reuters video the president pointed out the seriousness of this issues in America and worldwide. A short synopsis of the statements maid by President trump indicate that globally nearly 21 million people are victims of human trafficking, according to the…
Read MoreThe Transformative Potential of Doe v. Snyder
In late 2016, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit’s concluded in Does #1–5 v. Snyder that Michigan’s sex offender registry and residency restriction law constituted an ex post facto punishment in violation of the constitution. In its decision, the Sixth Circuit engaged with scientific evidence that refutes moralized judgments about sex offenders, specifically that they pose a unique and substantial risk of recidivism. This Essay is intended to highlight the importance of Snyder as an example of the appropriate use of scientific studies in constitutional law. Full Article…
Read MoreACSOL Board Selects Janice Bellucci as Executive Director; Elects Chance Oberstein as President
The board of directors for the Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws (ACSOL) has selected Janice Bellucci to serve as its first Executive Director. The ACSOL board of directors subsequently elected Chance Oberstein to replace Bellucci as President. “I am honored to serve as the first Executive Director of ACSOL,” stated Bellucci. “In that capacity, I will be responsible for conducting the day-to-day business of the organization including advocacy in the State Capitol.” Prior to his election as President of ACSOL, Oberstein served as Vice President of the organization for…
Read More