The Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws (ACSOL) is dedicated to protecting the Constitution by restoring the civil rights of registrants and their families. In order to achieve that objective, ACSOL will educate and litigate as well as support or oppose legislation. The ACSOL website and recordings are provided as a service to registrants, registrants’ families, and others for general information only. The information on the website and in the recordings are not designed to provide legal or other advice or to create an attorney-client relationship. You should not take, or refrain from taking, action based on their content. Prior results and case studies do not guarantee a similar outcome in future representations. ACSOL accepts no responsibility for any loss or damages that may result from accessing or reliance on content on the ACSOL website and recordings and disclaim, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all liability with respect to acts or omissions made by registrants, registrants’ families and others on the basis of content on the ACSOL website.
Important News / Announcements
General News Feed
PA: Commonwealth v. Torsilieri
Nature of Case: Mr. Torsilieri — the Appellee in this case — was convicted of a sex offense and, as such, was required to register as a sex offender under Pennsylvania’s sex offense registration scheme. He brought a post-conviction challenge alleging that, because Pennsylvania’s sex offense registration law essentially used an irrebutable presumption of dangerousness that if violated several constitutional provisions related to punishment...
UT: Supreme Court strikes down law allowing sex abuse lawsuits
The Utah Supreme Court has struck down a state law that allowed victims of sexual abuse to sue decades later, siding against a woman who alleged a former federal judge raped her when she was a teenage witness and he an attorney prosecuting a white supremacist serial killer. The state’s high court ruled the 2016 law unconstitutional, finding the Utah Legislature did not have...
CA: 2020 Ballot Initiative to Repeal Justice Reform Would Come at a High Cost
A new report from the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice (CJCJ) analyzes a November 2020 ballot measure that seeks to roll back key elements of recent justice reforms, including Public Safety Realignment, Prop 47, and Prop 57. As California continues to disproportionately arrest, prosecute, and incarcerate Black, Indigenous, and Latino people, this proposal will particularly harm communities of color. Full Article Report -...
FL: Divided Florida Court Revokes Sex Offender’s Probation After Bizarre Feud With Neighbors
[law.com - 7/17/20] A peculiar dispute between two South Florida neighbors came before the Fourth District Court of Appeal on Wednesday when it found that a registered sex offender’s three-year “campaign of harassment” against the couple next door violated his probation and warranted a prison sentence. Read the full article (must sign up)
Kat’s Blog: Talk and Text Only
For many registrants on parole, the basic flip phone” is the only type cell phone allowed by parole officers. You can make phone calls, you can send texts, but beyond that, you are relegated to the dinosaur age. Internet access is for bidden. Recently a registrant on parole needed a new phone, his trusty old “flip phone” no longer held a charge. It wasn’t...
VA: Shipyard superintendent, porn convict, seeks online access at work
[dailypress.com - 6/16/20] A superintendent at a local shipyard wants access to the internet at work despite being convicted of a child pornography charge 12 years ago. Willoughby Warren “Billy” Colonna IV, of Colonna’s shipyard in Norfolk, is asking that his prison release terms be amended to allow him to use the internet at his family’s Norfolk ship repair business. The Virginian-Pilot reported in...
CA: CDCR community supervision plan aimed to protect inmates [except PC 290 sex offenders], staff from spread of COVID-19
[bakersfield.com - 6/17/20] The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation will implement a community supervision program to eligible inmates in order to further protect staff and inmates at state prisons from the spread of COVID-19. CDCR’s community supervision plan will be for inmates who have 180 days or less to serve on their sentences and aren’t currently serving time for domestic violence or a...
All Nigerian States Declare State of Emergency Over Rape and Gender-Based Violence
[globalcitizen.org - 6/17/20] Governors of Nigeria’s 36 states have unanimously declared a state of emergency, after a series of high-profile cases of violence perpetrated against women sparked nationwide protests by activists both online and at rallies. The governors made the commitment, announced on Friday, via an umbrella body the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) which “exists to foster collaboration amongst the country's executive governors on...
Ballot Proposition Increases Violent Felonies, Requires DNA Collection for Misdemeanors
[ACSOL] A ballot proposition that will appear on the November 2020 ballot in California, if passed, would significantly increase the number of violent felonies as well as require the collection of DNA from individuals convicted of some misdemeanor offenses. The title of the ballot proposition is "Violent Crime, DNA Collection and Parole Initiative." The proposition has not yet been assigned a number or a...
FL: Tampa Bay Times Nixes Mugshot Gallery
[newsmax.com - 6/16/20] The Tampa Bay Times will stop publishing its online mugshot gallery, which features people who have been arrested in the newspaper’s coverage area. The Times made the announcement on Monday. “The galleries lack context and further negative stereotypes,” said Tampa Bay Times Executive Editor Mark Katches. “We think the data is an important resource that our newsroom will continue to analyze and...
Confronting Sexual Harm Ending State Violence Virtual Discussion June 20th with Judith Levine and Erica Meiners
[amberspeaksup.com] This free virtual event will feature a discussion with Judith Levine and Erica Meiners, authors of the recently released book, The Feminist and the Sex Offender - Confronting Sexual Harm and Ending State Violence. The conversation will feature concepts from the book, as well as the voices of those impacted by both sexual harm and the criminal legal system, including the impact of significant...
Kat’s Blog: Applause
Applause for Tampa’s, Mr.________ and his win in two Florida courts. One guy, living as a transient on the streets of Tampa since his prison release, representing himself, stands up against the state of Florida and has managed to mystify them with the flaws in their laws. I won’t dwell on Mr. _______ offenses; you can read the full story on this website. He...
Will Sex Offense Registry Changes be Part of Criminal Justice Reform?
[medium.com/@zilneyl/ - 6/11/20] The killing of George Floyd at the hands of law enforcement has sparked outrage and mass protests across the nation. Calls for police reform have created yet another divide among the American public. As we move toward what will likely be significant changes to the criminal justice system, will individuals on the sex offense registry be included in those reforms? Why...
CA: Registration Procedures Vary Greatly at Local Law Enforcement Agencies
[ACSOL] Registration procedures currently vary greatly at local law enforcement agencies in the state of California. While some agencies, such as the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), are remotely registering individuals by telephone, there are other agencies that continue to require individuals to register in person. "It is difficult to understand why local law enforcement agencies continue to require individuals to register in person...
CA: California progressive politicians turning away campaign cash from cops
[cbs8.com - 6/9/20] As the wave of protests over incidents of police brutality and racist policing enters its second week, progressive California politicians are rethinking their financial relationship with the unions that represent law enforcement officers. On Thursday, state Sen. Scott Wiener of San Francisco, a Democrat, announced on Twitter that he would no longer be accepting campaign contributions from police, sheriff and prison...
CA: Vallejo Police Department temporarily modifying its sex offender registration process
[timesheraldonline.com - 6/9/20] The Vallejo Police Department is temporarily modifying its sex offender registration process to include telephonic and appointment-based registrations during the COVID-19 pandemic. New or existing registrant or a registrant required to update his/her status as a sex offender under California penal codes 290 PC and/or 457.1 PC, must update their status by calling the Vallejo Police Department’s telephonic registration line at...
FL: CrimeNews Ocala sex offender arrested for failing to update license
[ocala-news.com - 6/8/20] An Ocala sex offender who recently got out of prison was arrested after he failed to update his driver’s license information within 48 hours of registering his new address. .. On May 26, ___ reported to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and updated his registration after being released from the Department of Corrections and said he would be living at 10685...
FL: Ruling allows Tampa man to avoid sex offender registration until he pays $10K fine
[tampabay.com - 6/9/20] A Tampa man who spent 12 years in prison for molesting two young girls at a community pool does not have to register as a sexual offender until he pays a $10,000 fine, two Florida courts have ruled. A judge in the Hillsborough Circuit Court and a panel of three judges in Florida’s 2nd District Court of Appeal in April said...
ACSOL Submits Formal Comments Regarding Proposed Tiered Registry Petition Forms [Updated 6/18 with Ellman comments]
[Updated 6/18 with Ira and Tara Ellman comments] The Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws (ACSOL) has submitted formal comments regarding proposed Tiered Registry petition forms to the Judicial Council of California. The deadline for submitting formal comments regarding the proposed forms is June 9, 2020. "The comments submitted by ACSOL are based, in large part, upon input received from ACSOL members," stated ACSOL...
Living with 290: Wife not allowed in country
After 11 years of marriage we spent the last two, trying to get my wife allowed in the US from the Philippines. I am retired and she is 9 years my younger. We have no children and we lived together until the USCIS quoted the Adam Walsh Act and denied my wife entry. The case was a consensual case, but i took the plea...