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
NC: Cleveland Co. Sheriff’s Office to start posting names of registered sex offenders on Facebook
[wsoctv.com - 2/18/19] CLEVELAND COUNTY, N.C. - Cleveland County’s Sheriff’s Office is taking unprecedented steps to make sure you know if a sex offender moves in near you. It is posting on its Facebook page information about sex offenders who have changed their address or who have just become sex offenders. Officials said there is a higher percentage of registered sex offenders in the...
ACSOL’s first Emotional Support Group PHONE meeting will be in March
You asked for it and we now have it: an Emotional Support Group meeting on a phone conference call! It will meet at a different date and time from the face-to-face group that meets the fourth Saturday of each month in L.A. Like the face-to-face meeting, this phone conference is based upon 12 Step principles, and provides registrants and their loved ones with an...
Kat’s Blog: Is Remorse a Requirement for Registrants?
Remorse: A gnawing distress arising from a sense of guilt for past wrongs, according to Merriam-Webster. In a recent interview TV star Bill Cosby stated he was “not remorseful and did nothing wrong”, maintaining his innocence in the sexual assault crimes that were leveled against him in a well- known TV news media circus court case. So what happens to those accused of sex...
ACSOL Emotional Support Group Meeting Alert in L.A. on Sat, Feb 23
ACSOL will conduct an Emotional Support Group for registrants and their loved ones on Saturday, February 23, beginning at 10 a.m. at: ACLU Building 1313 W. 8th Street Los Angeles Free parking is available under the building and there is no charge to attend the meeting. This meeting, which is based upon the format of 12 Step meetings, provides registrants and their loved ones...
ACSOL Meeting in Berkeley on Saturday, Feb 23
Please mark your calendars for ACSOL’s upcoming meeting in Berkeley: Saturday, Feb 23 10 a.m. Finnish Hall (upstairs meeting room) 1970 Chestnut Street Berkeley Attendance is limited to individuals required to register, family members, and friends. Media, law enforcement, parole, etc. are not allowed to attend meetings. The meetings start at 10 am and last about 2-3 hours. Topics of conversation include information about...
What do these people have in common? [Florida Action Committee]
[floridaactioncommittee.org - 2/14/19] What do the following people have in common? An Air Force Colonel A prison guard A Christian school teacher They are all in positions where they are responsible for protecting people? Yes, but not what I was looking for. They all require specialized training and background clearances? True, but again, not what I had in mind. They are all people we...
CA: ACSOL Supports Senate Bill to Terminate Registration Requirements
The Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws (ACSOL) has agreed to support Senate Bill 145 that would provide judges with the authority to terminate the requirement to register for individuals convicted of some sex offenses. The authority would be limited to circumstances in which the age difference between the offender and the victim is 10 years or less provided that the victim is at...
CA: Root and Rebound’s Free Oakland legal clinic for people with records on March 6
Come to R&R's next FREE legal clinic for people with arrest and conviction records. Examples of legal issues we can support on include: • Parole and Probation conditions; • Child Visitation and Custody, and Child Support rights; • Record-cleaning; • Fines & Fees and other Court-ordered debt; • Employment rights and "Ban the Box"; • Occupational license issues; • Housing rights; • Getting a...
AL: District Court Determines Alabama Laws to be Punishment
Doe v. Marshall - decided February 11, 2019 Conclusion: Alabama can prosecute sex offenses to the full extent of the law. It can also act to protect its citizens from recidivist sex offenders. But the State denies that ASORCNA is designed to "punish" offenders. And once a person serves his full sentence, he enjoys the full protection of the Constitution. Harris, 772 F.3d at 572; accord Packingham, 137 S....
Philippines: US gives BI pat on the back for blocking 200 American sex offenders
The United States government has commended the Bureau of Immigration (BI) for preventing 200 American registered sex offenders (RSOs) from entering the Philippines in 2018. Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said Friday the bureau was recently awarded a certificate of commendation by the US Embassy in Manila after registering the second highest number of excluded American RSOs throughout the world last year. Mexico, which shares...
Conference Call re. Michigan AG Dana Nessel Amicus Briefs (2/13)
Women Against Registry - Have Questions? We have received many questions since notifying our members of the amicus briefs filed in the Michigan Supreme Court by new Attorney General Dana Nessel in Michigan v Snyder (Case number 153696) and People v Betts (Case number 148981), arguing that Michigan’s sex offender registration and notification requirements are punishment because they are so burdensome and fail to...
CNMI: Sex registry’s constitutionality questioned
Northern Mariana Islands - A registered sex offender, whose adult girlfriend is currently pregnant, is questioning the constitutionality of the law that created the CNMI Sex Offender Registry, as this prevents him from being around minors, including his own children. ... Banes said, the statute is unconstitutional, under both the CNMI and the U.S. Constitutions as applicable in the CNMI under the Covenant. Full Article
UK: University launches scheme to rehabilitate sex offenders
Sex offenders will be given support to help find a job and make new friends under a pioneering scheme run by a university and backed by police. The initiative aims to integrate people back into society to prevent them committing further crimes. Offenders will visit a centre, the first of its kind in the UK, where they will receive employment training – from management...
MI: AG Dana Nessel Does The Unthinkable – Argues The Truth About SORA (Commentary)
Michigan’s Attorney General has entered the cultural and legal conflagration of how we reckon with sexual violence in our society with a remarkable (and compelling) argument: Michigan’s sex offender registries are not effective at stopping sexual violence. It’s a remarkable argument. Safety and accountability have been the ostensible watchwords in our ongoing collective discussion of sexual violence, but strong (and understandable) emotion has tended to override...
Kat’s Blog: To Compete In Today’s World, Registrants Need Computer Access
Making it out of prison alive is a success in itself. Making a success of your life once you are out of prison is often a whole different story. Registrants who are prohibited from using smartphones and computers, often those on probation, may find it a struggle trying to reintegrate into today’s fast paced techno- world without the proper tools. It’s becoming increasingly difficult...
MI: Attorney General Nessel Weighs in On Sex Offender Registration Cases Before MI Supreme Court
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel filed amicus briefs in the Michigan Supreme Court today in Michigan v Snyder (Case number 153696) and People v Betts (Case number 148981), arguing that Michigan’s sex offender registration and notification requirements are punishment because they are so burdensome and fail to distinguish between dangerous offenders and those who are not a threat to the community. Full Announcement BRIEF OF AMICUS CURIAE -...
CA: Sex Offender Seeks Access to Son’s School to Enhance His Learning
An admitted registered sex offender is suing the Lancaster School District, alleging he is being wrongfully denied access to his child's school and to be involved in his son's education in defiance of the law. The man, identified only as John Doe in the Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit filed Monday, is asking a judge to declare that the state Penal Code does not...
TN: Charges dropped against youth football coach who was accused of violating Sex Offender Registry Act
[fox13memphis.com - 2/8/19] Charges were dismissed against a Memphis Youth football coach. He was wrongfully accused of violating the state’s sexual offender registration laws. Police had arrested and charged Mykal Madision with Sexual Offender Registration and tracking on Wednesday. It happened after a parent of one of Madison’s players said he was a registered sex offender. Madison is currently listed on the Texas sex...
The Number of Men in Federal Prison for Viewing or Sharing Child Pornography Has Nearly Septupled Since 2004
The number of child pornography offenders in federal prison has nearly septupled since 2004, and most are serving mandatory sentences of five years or more, generally for crimes that did not involve assault or sexual abuse. In fiscal year 2016, for example, 1,565 people were sentenced for possessing, receiving, or distributing child pornography, but only 80 (5 percent) were also convicted of production or...
PA: Reaching back in time to charge adults for youth offenses
James is a registered sex offender. He was convicted in 2016 of felony statutory sexual assault when he was 23 years old for sexually abusing a 7-year-old girl, according to court records. His name will appear on the Pennsylvania sex offender registry for nearly another decade and he will carry a felony conviction for the rest of his life. Anytime James applies for a...