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
CA: Senate Bill Amendment Excludes Registrants from Juries
Senate Bill 310, which would expand the number of individuals eligible to serve on a jury, was amended this week in a way that prohibits anyone convicted of a felony sex offense from that service. The bill was amended on August 26 as it was being considered by the Assembly's Appropriations Committee. "Once again, state legislators have thrown people convicted of a sex offense...
Op-Ed: Jeffrey Epstein’s suicide was part of a much bigger crisis in U.S. jails and prisons
[latimes.com - 8/19/19] The New York City medical examiner’s ruling that sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein killed himself in jail has prompted a lot of hand-wringing about conditions in the facility where he was held. But if the nation had been paying attention, no one would have been particularly surprised by what happened. The United States is in the midst of a prison suicide epidemic....
Disneyland and Fingerprints
[austinstartups.com - 8/27/19] It may surprise many people but the Walt Disney Corporation is an enthusiastic and early adopter of biometric technology. All the way back in 1996, Disney added a magnetic stripe to their park pass. Instead of the bar-coded laminate photo IDs traditionally used, the new pass had no photo and minimal printed information. The magnetic stripe stored pass information plus it...
FL: A look inside Florida Civil Commitment Center life: Pesci v. Budz
[law.justia.com - 8/21/19] James Pesci is a detainee at the Florida Civil Commitment Center (FCCC), a for-profit facility that houses sex offenders involuntarily committed under Florida’s Involuntary Civil Commitment of Sexually Violent Predators Act. Pesci is not a prisoner; like the other roughly 600 residents of FCCC, he has already served out his prison sentence. Instead, he is involuntarily committed because the State has...
The Truth About True Crime with Amanda Knox
[art19.com] SundanceTV: TV & Film Society & Culture True Crime Amanda Knox Documentary Podcast Vigilantes. They’re our heroes, our dark reflection, our cultural obsession. This season, Amanda Knox explores multiple stories of vigilante justice, starting with the still-unsolved murder of a small town’s tormentor — the story at the heart of the SundanceTV docu-series No One Saw a Thing. From murderous gang hunters and vengeful...
NJ: Legal Opportunity for New Jersey Registrants
Individuals convicted of a sex offense in New Jersey who are currently on community supervision for life may have an opportunity to join a lawsuit. Opportunities are limited to those placed in the Bo Robinson Assessment Center. Anyone interested in exploring this opportunity should contact Raymon Hof at [email protected].
VA: Who lives, works near you, and what it takes to keep track of Virginia’s 13K sex offenders
The process of moving when buying or renting a home can be a lengthy process, from researching neighborhoods, area schools and the cost of living. For some, another part of finding a new home can involve checking crime rates — or the sex offender registry. Full Article
UT: ‘Conviction’ aside, Utah Supreme Court says sex offender must register
The Utah Supreme Court has ruled a man must register as a sex offender, despite his conviction ultimately being set aside in another state. Full Article
Kat’s Blog: Shaming Accomplishes Nothing
In the past month we’ve read articles about shame, Florida Shaming/Could Your Real Estate Agent be a Sex Offender, Nigeria: NAPTIP Launches SO Registry to Name & Shame Rapists, Arkansas: the shaming of registrants by barring them from participating in Halloween activities. Shame: A painful feeling that’s a mix of regret, self-hate and dishonor, according to the dictionary. Shame, it’s a powerful tool used...
VA: In Arlington, a judge must decide if a nonviolent sex offender should stay incarcerated after serving his sentence
[washingtonpost.com - 8/23/19] Philip Fornaci is a civil rights lawyer based in Washington. Roger Lancaster is the author of “Sex Panic and the Punitive State.” On Monday, the Circuit Court in liberal Arlington County will be the scene of a heavy-handed morality play, with prosecutors seeking lifelong incarceration for a young gay man who has already paid an extraordinary price for youthful, nonviolent sexual...
CA Appropriations Committee to Consider Senate Bill 145
[ACSOL] The CA Assembly's Appropriations Committee is scheduled to give final consideration to Senate Bill 145 and more than 200 additional bills on August 30. The committee hearing will be held in Room 4202 of the State Capitol at a time yet to be determined. The author of SB 145, Senator Scott Wiener, is also author to another dozen bills to be considered by...
IL: Explosive 3-hour meeting has many talking about possible health and housing center
[newschannel20.com - 8/21/19] SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WICS/WRSP) — An explosive meeting took place Wednesday evening over whether Springfield should allow a vacant building to become a health and housing center. ... While the proposed center is more than just a homeless shelter, some asked how will the place know if they have a sex offender coming to use their facilities, especially because of the proximity...
NY: Revised animal-abuser registry going to lawmakers
[romesentinel.com - 8/20/19] [This is a continuation of the story we reported here] A revised version of a local law on animal abuse in Oneida County would remove the proposed penalty against someone who sells an animal to a convicted abuser, and would specifically exempt farms where an abuser works or shares the business with other people. … Support for the registry approach is...
WA: Why a sex offender would run for office: Willie Russell’s story
[washingtonstatewire.com - 8/20/19] Willie Russell is running for the Snohomish County Council this year. He squeaked through the August primary, and will face Stephanie Wright in November for Council position 3. He is also a Level III sex offender. You can read the narrative from the sheriff’s office database here. I recently spoke with Russell in an extended conversation. I wanted to ask him...
Janice’s Journal: Watch this movie! And recommend it to others!
The newly released movie, "Brian Banks", deserves attention. A lot of attention. Attention from every person required to register as a sex offender as well as his/her family and friends. Based upon a true story, the movie is about a 16-year-old high school athlete who is falsely accused of raping a 15-year-old girl who attended the same school. The movie accurately portrays the challenges...
ACSOL Emotional Support Group Meetings Available: Sat, August 24 in L.A.; Most Thursdays in Sac; Monthly on the phone
Emotional Support Group meetings will be held for those convicted of a sex offense and their loved ones. This meeting, which is based upon the format of 12 Step meetings, provides registrants and their loved ones with an opportunity to discuss personal challenges and share their experiences, strengths and hopes, with each other. Attendance is limited to individuals required to register, family members, and...
FL: More sex offenders arrive so NSB wants to make rules more strict
There are more sex offenders moving to New Smyrna Beach and that has prompted city leaders to consider shrinking the locations where both sexual offenders and sexual predators can legally live. Full Article
After Epstein death, glaring loopholes in national sex offender registry raise concerns
Amid the fallout from the death of Jeffrey Epstein – compounded by sharp questions as to why he was able to live such a lavish and unencumbered life despite being a registered sex offender – scrutiny has turned to the National Sex Offender Registry, its discrepancies and its lack of uniformity – all of which the disgraced financier may have exploited. Full Article
IRE: How Ireland deals with sex offenders after they’re released from prison
AT ANY ONE time there are between 400 and 450 people convicted of sexual violence in custody in Irish prisons. ... During his time in prison, ____ declined to participate in the Building Better Lives programme, a rehabilitation service for sex offenders, despite meeting many of the conditions. These criteria include a prison sentence of longer than 18 months, full admission of the offence,...
NC: GPS monitoring violates some sex offenders’ rights, NC Supreme Court rules
[thestate.com - 8/16/19] Sex offenders have rights, too, and in some cases the state has been violating those rights, the NC Supreme Court ruled on Friday. The ruling concerns people who have been ordered to submit to satellite-based monitoring for the rest of their lives, which forces them to wear a tracking device so law enforcement can track their location via GPS using an...