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Source: kpbs.org 8/26/24 The California Supreme Court ruled Monday that trial courts will be required to advise defendants of the consequences of pleading guilty to crimes that could make them eligible for designation as a sexually violent predator, in a ruling stemming from a case out of El Cajon. The state's highest court found that typically, defendants are not informed that their pleas to...

Source: reason.com 8/26/24 Needing permission to travel hands a dangerous tool to authoritarians. When you don't like the rules—or rulers—where you live, and trying to change things isn't worth the time, effort, or danger, one good response is to get the hell out. Find someplace that's more to your taste by voting for something different with your feet. But what if the local powers-that-be...

Source: bop.gov  [from p2a.co:] For formerly incarcerated individuals, reentering society is filled with uncertainties. Those include gaining access to life’s basic needs like housing and a career, proven ways to ensure they don’t return to prison. But too often, they are unable to take advantage of what is offered to others without a criminal record and end up back behind bars, adding more costs...

Source: observertoday.com 8/20/24 A third designation of a sexually violent offender under the Sex Offender Registration Act in Chautauqua County has been reversed upon appeal. Fourth Department Appellate Division judges reversed their third such case in three months in late July. Once again, the case cites precedent the court set in a June case involving a decision made by Judge David Foley – though...

Our conference will be held September 20 and 21, so our next online meeting will be in October. We look forward to joining us at the conference. Click here to signup today. - Janice

CA Senate Bill 1128 was stopped today during a hearing conducted by the Assembly's Appropriations Committee.  The committee did not provide a reason for stopping the bill, but it has been reported that strong opposition to the bill by ACSOL and its leaders was an important part of that decision.   "ACSOL thanks every person who showed up at the committee hearing on July...

Source: portcitydaily.com 8/12/24 Three judges on the Fourth Circuit of Appeals unanimously upheld the constitutionality of North Carolina’s sex offender registry statute against a lawsuit from two organizations based in the state. The National Association for Rational Sexual Offense Laws, headquartered in Raleigh, and its state-affiliate North Carolina for Rational Sexual Offense Laws joined anonymous plaintiffs John Doe 1 and 2 in the case....

Source: thedailybeast 8/12/24 The top YouTuber announced several company-wide changes in a leaked memo that were precipitated by an ongoing internal investigation. It’s a bad time to be MrBeast. A few weeks ago, YouTube’s highest paid content creator, real name Jimmy Donaldson, was caught up in scandal after one of his longtime collaborators, Ava Kris Tyson, was accused of sending explicit messages to a...

Dear registrants, family members, and supporters: Many private attorneys and public defenders indicate that a pardon by the California governor will terminate your duty to register.  Some attorneys charge thousands of dollars to submit pardon applications.   However, California Attorney General’s Office, which is responsible for maintaining California’s sex offender registry, will NOT terminate sex offense registration following a gubernatorial pardon grant, unless the...

Source: ussc.gov 8/8/24 Priorities Reflect Calls to Simplify Sentencing, Reduce the Costs of Unnecessary Incarceration,  and Promote Public Safety  WASHINGTON, D.C. — Each year, the bipartisan U.S. Sentencing Commission votes to adopt priorities that will guide its annual policymaking process. This summer, the Commission solicited priorities from the public, asking how the agency can improve federal sentencing. In response, the Commission received more than...