A new civil rights movement has begun with the first meeting of the CA Reform Sex Offender Laws organization in Los Angeles on October 1. The meeting attracted more than 50 people, including registered persons, family members, attorneys and psychologists from as far away as San Francisco and San Diego. One man came with his “victim”, who is now his wife. The atmosphere was electric as people shared their experiences about how their civil rights have been denied. The group discussed how to work together to restore civil rights for…
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Recommended Reading
There are several good books to read about sex offense laws as well as the lives of persons forced to register. The following books are known and recommended. All can be ordered on the Amazon website. Sex Offender Laws: Failed Policies, New Directions – Richard G. Wright We’re All in this Together – Frank Udall Lindsay Sex Panic and the Punitive State – Roger Lancaster Lost Memory of Skin – Russell Banks Treating Adolescent Sex Offenders – Charlene Steen Unprecedented, How Sex Offender Laws are Impacting Our Nation – J.B.…
Read MoreMeeting in LA on Feb 18
Our next meeting will be held on February 18 in L.A. at the ACLU Building, 1313 W. 8th Street, at a new time. We will start at 1 p.m.
Read MoreCOURT OVERTURNS CITY’S LIBRARY BAN FOR REGISTRANTS
Editor’s Note: The ruling below is encouraging and could be used in any future challenge to California libraries that refuse to allow registrants from visiting public libraries. DENVER, Jan 20 (Reuters) – A federal appeals court ruled on Friday that a policy barring registered sex offenders from public libraries in Albuquerque, New Mexico, was unconstitutional, a decision that could have reverberations across the nation. “The First Amendment includes a fundamental right to receive information,” a three-judge panel of the Denver-based 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals wrote. “By prohibiting registered…
Read MoreRSO LAWS HARM FAMILIES
“The Accidental Sex Offender” (Marie Claire) On July 28, 2011, in In The News, by tvadmin …. It was a classic teenage love story. He was a football star, and she was a cheerleader. They met, they fell in love, they started having sex. And then the cops got involved. Fifteen years later, they’re still paying the price. Frank Rodriguez cannot coach his children’s soccer teams. He can’t get a job at a major corporation. He can’t leave the state without registering with local law enforcement. A married father of…
Read MoreASSEMBLY DEFEATS AB 625
The Assembly has just voted on AB 625 and defeated it by 41 to 19. It’s hard to believe that elected officials don’t understand the current challenges faced by the state’s 92,000+ registrants such as unemployment, homelessness and vigilante violence. These challenges are of course experienced by family members as well. California RSOL attempted to educate them by lobbying efforts in October, November, December and January. Many thanks to Frank and Marshall who lobbied with me during the first months and with 8 others who joined us in January. And…
Read MoreAB 625 AMENDED BY ASSEMBLY
AB 625 was amended by the Assembly during its deliberations on Thursday, January 26. The amendment, proposed by Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, would create a fourth tier of individuals that would only be required to notify law enforcement officials when they moved. The amendment was proposed in order to attract additional votes for the bill. The amendment passed 32 to 16 after being opposed by Assemblyman Hagman of Orange County. A vote on the amended bill is scheduled for Monday, January 30.
Read MoreVOTE ON AB 625 DELAYED
Voting on Assembly Bill (AB) 625 was delayed due to the absence of several supporters of the bill, according to staffers in the office of Assemblyman Ammiano. The bill is expected to be voted upon either Thursday, January 26, or Monday, January 30. The delay provides an opportunity to provide further input into the office of Assembly members. Please call the office of the Assembly person who represents you. A list of Assembly members, including phone numbers, can be found online at www.assembly.ca.gov.
Read MoreCA RSOL SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETES LOBBYING EFFORT
California successfully completed its group lobbying effort in support of Assembly Bill (AB) 625 that would end the state’s lifetime registry for many but not all registrants on Wednesday, January 18. Three teams of registrants, family members and professionals met with a total of 45 legislators and/or legislative staffers. CA RSOL received a warm welcome in many of the legislative offices and was commended for speaking out on this topic. In its lobbying effort, CA RSOL brought updated information to the legislative offices on topics such as recidivism and the…
Read MoreBOARD RECOMMENDS CHANGES TO RESIDENCY LIMITS
The California Sex Offender Management Board recently issued a report that questioned the effectiveness of residency restrictions. The report noted an extremely low recidivism rate for sex offenders (3.25 percent for parolees and 5 percent for those who completed parole) and concluded that most sex offenses are committed by individuals who are not on the state’s registry. The report also noted an increase of more than 100 percent in the homelessness of registered individuals. This increases rather than decreases the safety of communities, according to the Board. The full report,…
Read MoreCA SUPREME COURT TO DECIDE PEOPLE vs MOSLEY
The California Supreme Court is expected to consider soon the important case of People v. Mosley. That case focuses upon whether the imposition of a lifetime sex offender registration, which includes residency restrictions that prohibit registered sex offenders from living within 2,000 feet of any public or private school or park where children regularly gather increase the penalty for the original offense for which the registrant was convicted. The opening brief on the merits of this case was filed on April 11, 2011, and the reply brief was filed on…
Read MoreCA RSOL LOBBYING STATE LEGISLATORS TO END LIFETIME REGISTRY
California RSOL began its group lobbying effort of state legislators in support of Assembly Bill (AB) 625 on Tuesday, January 17. The Bill would replace the state’s current lifetime registry with a tiered registry that would allow individuals convicted of low level offenses to leave the registry in as little as 10 years from the date of their conviction provided that they have not re-offended. Individuals convicted of medium level offenses could leave the registry in 20 years while those deemed a significant threat would remain on the registry for…
Read MoreLIFETIME REPORTING HARMS SOCIETY, INDIVIDUALS
Editor’s Note: The editorial below from the New York Times is not specific to registrants, but addresses an issue of great importance to registrants. That issue is employment and the need to reveal a past offense. California needs to join Massachusetts in limiting the use of information regarding past convictions. January 9, 2012 Paying a Price, Long After the Crime By ALFRED BLUMSTEIN and KIMINORI NAKAMURA IN 2010, the Chicago Public Schools declined to hireDarrell Langdon for a job as a boiler-room engineer, because he had been convicted of possessing…
Read MoreLaguna Hills Adopts Law Banning Sex Offenders Like Councilman’s Son-in-Law From Parks
12-15-2011 California: Laguna Hills City Councilman Joel Lautenschleger, who’d previously appeared on the fence about a ban on sex offenders in local parks, joined his council colleagues in unanimously approving the second reading of such an ordinance Tuesday night. The ban, which is modeled after the county’s, goes into effect in 30 days. The city ordinance creates a “Child Safety Zone” that prevents registered sex offenders from gathering in city parks unless they first receive permission from the sheriff’s department, which patrols Laguna Hills. The law also mandates signs in…
Read MoreREGISTERED CITIZEN BRUTALLY SLAIN IN ORANGE COUNTY
Editor’s Note: Bobby Ray Rainwater, a registered citizen, was brutally murdered on December 1 in the mobile home park in which he resided. According to the article below, police do not yet know the motive for the murder. Is this another case of vigilante violence? Slaying Victim ‘Nearly Decapitated’ Arraignment postponed for accused killer. Meanwhile, new details emerge in last week’s mobile-home park killing. ByPenny Arévalo December 5, 2011 The knife-wielding neighbor accused of killing Bobby Ray Rainwater won’t enter a plea until Jan. 6. At the request of Robert…
Read MoreCA RSOL MAKES FIRST PUBLIC APPEARANCE
Editor’s Note: California RSOL made its first public appearance in opposition to a city ordinance that would prohibit the state’s 92,000 registrants from entering city parks. At least 10 people came to support California RSOL in its appearance and five members of the organization spoke in opposition to the proposed ordinance. While the outcome was not favorable, it is an important first step toward educating the public regarding the truth regarding low recidivism rates of registered citizens, the myth of “stranger danger” and the low probability of a sexual assault…
Read More6-YEAR-OLD CHARGED WITH SEXUAL ASSAULT
Editor’s Note: A petition has begun to protest the charging of a 6-year-old boy with first degree sexual assault. Information regarding this matter can be found in the article below. Please read the article and consider signing the online petition at http://www.thepetitionsite.com/46/investigate-grant-county-wisconsin-da-lisa-riniker Target:Wisconsin State Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen Sponsored by:Concerned Citizens Do your part to prevent the victimization of “D”; a 6 year-old Grant County, Wisconsin boy who is being charged with first-degree sexual assault for the crime of playing “doctor” with a 5 year-old playmate. The following is…
Read MoreHIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WARNED ABOUT DANGERS OF BECOM
Editor’s Note: The article below appeared in the newspaper of Port Angeles High School in Washington state. It is a good statement of the dangers facing teenagers who do “normal” teenage things and end up as “sex offenders”. Should you be a Registered Sex Offender? Tuesday, November 29, 2011 By Autumn Ruddick Not all PAHS High School students have heard of students using their cellular devices to send inappropriate images to one another. Most students would never think of using their cell phone to send nude pictures of themselves to…
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