The numbers are often repeated in discussions about sexual assault, but they never become less shocking. One out of three women in Utah will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime; one out of eight will be raped. But while there is evidence that a large percentage of sex crimes go uninvestigated and unprosecuted, there are still more people in prison in Utah for sexual assault than for any other category of crime. Full Opionion Piece
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VA: Sexting policy change debated
The Virginia State Crime Commission met Tuesday in Richmond to discuss an issue they have been tracking for some time — sexting by teenagers and the state’s child pornography laws. Last October, the Crime Commission heard that during the last five to 10 years, “sexting has attracted increased attention nationwide” and many of those participating are minors. Full Article
Read MoreConvicted sex offenders, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and the First Amendment
Beginning in the 1930s, shortly after the Supreme Court had “incorporated” the First Amendment into the due process clause (thereby making it an enforceable constraint not only on the federal government [“Congress shall make no law . . .”] but on State and municipal governments as well) the Jehovah’s Witnesses went on a campaign to attack, in court, restrictions on their ability to proselytize door-to-door and to give voice to unpopular views. During one particular 8 year period (1938 to 1946) they brought no fewer than 23 separate First Amendment…
Read MoreLongtime Carson City Attorney Bill Wynder leaves post to do missionary work
Carson >> To say it’s not easy serving as Carson’s city attorney is an understatement. But the position’s importance, though largely behind the scenes, can’t be overstated — particularly because political dramas, lawsuits and ethics investigations are common in this town. … Earlier this year, all five council members ordered him to take on the California Supreme Court when that body ruled that local laws restricting the movement of sex offenders were unconstitutional. The council disagreed, and told Wynder to fight to protect its ordinance that requires registered sex offenders…
Read MoreGeneral Comments December 2014
Comments that are not specific to a certain post should go here, for the month of December 2014. Contributions should relate to the cause and goals of this organization and please, keep it courteous and civil.
Read MoreTN: Pedophile Panic at the Salvation Army – No Teen Boys Allowed, Too Dangerous
When it comes to helping families in need, the Salvation Army turns a cold shoulder to one class of people: Teenage boys. A family in Johnson City, TN, found this out recently when, on a freezing cold night, they asked the organization for shelter. But because their family of five contained a 15-year-old boy, they were turned down. As the dad, Tim Lejeune, explained to WMC Action News 5: “They said he’s too old to stay on the women’s side, because of the women running around in their pajamas and they…
Read MoreTN: Kingsport police gets OK to set up sex offender community alert system
A new Tennessee law has paved the way for municipalities to establish their own sexual offender notification system. And the Kingsport Police Department wasted no time getting to work. … The state legislature passed the bill in April that allows local municipalities to create a sex offender notification system – and charge sex offenders a $50 fee to fund that system. This, on top of the $150 fee they must already pay to register as a sex offender. Full Article
Read MoreSUPREME COURT DECISION COULD DECREASE PUBLIC SAFETY, INCREASE HOMELESSNESS FOR REGISTERED SEX OFFENDERS
The California Supreme Court today heard oral arguments in two cases, People v. Mosley and In re Taylor, which focus upon residence restrictions adopted in Jessica’s Law which restrict where registered sex offenders (“registered citizens”) may live. The issues argued before the Court are (1) whether residence restrictions are constitutional, (2) whether residence restrictions apply one to registered citizens while on parole and (3) whether residence restrictions may be used as a blanket restriction for all registered citizens while on parole. The Court is expected to decide the cases within…
Read MoreWhy are the Reconviction Rates So Important?
Why the actual re-offense rates are important pertaining to the total number of people who are already on the registry compared with the percentage of those who are then later reconvicted of a new sexually related crime. This is a simple one, the fact is that the registry and community notification laws are based on the premise that people who have been convicted of any type of sexually related crime are going to commit more. In fact, most states have within their statutes their reasoning for the laws existence and…
Read MoreIA: Expanding sex offender registry is unworkable (Editorial)
____ ____’s anger is understandable. In 1983, she was raped in Des Moines by ____ ____, who served less than five years in prison for the offense. In 1997, ____ was convicted of robbery and served an additional 17 years behind bars before being sent to the Fort Des Moines Community Corrections Center last month. ____ ‘s conviction on the rape charge predates Iowa’s 1995 creation of the state sex offender registry by almost 12 years. As such, he is not required to register with the state as a sex…
Read MoreOP-ED: For a Child Sex Offender, Once Online, Always Online
The first time I was called a sex offender, I was 13. These words meant nothing to me. The only context I had for them was the old man down the street who parents whispered about, saying he was a sex offender. In fact thinking back, the term had always been applied to old men. So the words hit me with very little meaning. I would later learn that this label was how society would define me for the rest of my life. Full Op-Ed Piece
Read MoreGrowing awareness of the limited efficacy of local sex offender residency restrictions
This new Wall Street Journal article highlights the new awareness of enduring problems with sex offender residency restrictions. The lengthy piece is headlined “Cities and Towns Scaling Back Limits on Sex Offenders: Officials Say Buffer Zones Don’t Prevent Repeat Offenses and Make Predators Harder to Track,” and here are excerpts: When Palm Beach County, Fla., was sued earlier this year over its housing restrictions for registered sex offenders, its attorneys took an unusual approach: They suggested the county relax its law. Full Article Related CA Supreme Court to Hear Two…
Read MoreProp. 35 belongs in scrap heap of flawed initiatives (Editorial)
California voters could not resist the chance to condemn human trafficking and sex offenders who prowl the Internet. In 2012, they approved Proposition 35, the Californians Against Sexual Exploitation Act, with 81.3 percent of ballots cast. The vote was as predictable as it was unfortunate. Powerful though it was politically, the initiative is a prime example of why, with rare exceptions, criminal law should not be written by initiative promoters. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals made that clear last week by striking down the Proposition 35 requirement that…
Read MoreMN: Millions in legal costs trigger belt-tightening at Minn. human services agency
The Minnesota Department of Human Services, a giant agency with 6,628 employees and a biennial budget of $28.2 billion, is imposing limits on everything from filling vacant positions to out-of-state travel. The belt-tightening became necessary to bring the agency back on fiscal track after it racked up more than $4 million in costs from litigation over the treatment of sex offenders and the alleged abuse of people with disabilities, among other costs. Full Article
Read MoreOK: Federal court ruling could soon affect Oklahoma sex offenders
OKLAHOMA CITY – Thousands of Oklahoma sex offenders could soon have free reign on the internet after a federal appeals court ruled it’s a 1st amendment violation to monitor their online activity. Right now, most sex offenders in our state are not allowed to use the internet. The recent ruling was on a California case, but it’s expected that the federal court that oversees Oklahoma cases will likely review it and make a similar ruling. Full Article
Read MoreBermuda: Public sex offenders list on agenda
Both political parties have come together in support of a committee to investigate how the Island should deal with sex offenders. The motion, moved during Friday’s session of Parliament by the PLP’s Zane DeSilva and amended by OBA backbencher Mark Pettingill, would create a joint select committee to examine existing legislation surrounding the sex offenders registry, and other matters related to convicted sex offenders. Full Article
Read MoreInternational Travel Experiences
Please supply your recent experiences with traveling abroad using the format below plus your comment / narrative. This is intended to collect experiences AT THE PORT OF ENTRY IN THE FOREIGN COUNTRY – Fall 2013 and later and being detained, denied or allowed in. NOT about re-entering the US and secondary inspection. It is assumed that there were no issues before Fall 2013 / early 2014 and that there is always a secondary inspection in some form upon returning to the United States. In the interest of organization please copy…
Read MoreBut officer, really…that’s not who I am…
Things come in threes, they say–whoever “they” are. I sincerely hope not. Before eight o’clock on this gloomy Saturday morning, I had read two articles dealing with this topic, and I sincerely hope not to see a third. The two I read did an adequate enough job of raising my blood pressure. The topic? Mistaken identity. Men arrested, held in jail, brutalized, lives destroyed, all because they were mistaken for a wanted sex offender. Full Op-Ed Piece
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