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
Janice's Journal
General News Feed
When stealing LEGOs adds to a lifetime of consequences
A petition argues that people seeking to escape the sex offender registry, including those put on it as children, deserve more than a single shot. Full Article
CO: Judge Matsch On SORA: Cut The Crap, It’s Unconstitutional [UPDATED]
UPDATE: Oral Argument - Thursday, November 15, 2018 - Courtroom III https://www.ca10.uscourts.gov/clerk/oral-argument-recordings 9/2/2017: In Millard v. Rankin, an as-applied challenge, Colorado Senior District Judge Richard Matsch rejected the pretty ribbons the legislature wrapped around the Sex Offender Registry Act. Applying the “intents-effects” test to the law, the court held that it was unconstitutional under the Eighth Amendment. Full Article
RI: Judge dismisses charge against sex offender
Recent misdemeanor charges against ____ ____, a registered sex offender who caused a stir among neighbors when he moved to Providence last month, were dismissed Monday in District Court. Full Article Related Statement by RI ACLU
Are Sex Offenders Categorically Unworthy Of Rights?
It’s bad enough, both for substantive as well as factual reasons, that the Supreme Court in Smith v. Doe held that sex offender registration was not punitive, but civil, and therefore beyond the reach of the Ex Post Facto Clause. Not only was it grounded in utterly baseless statistics of recidivism, but it indulged in the fantasy that rhetoric was an adequate substitute for...
OPINION: Responses to Sexual Violence, Part One
Sexual violence is a general term that includes any sexual activity inflicted or forced upon a person without his/her consent. In all cases, the victim would not rationally or willingly choose to participate in the activity or the person is unable to give valid consent due to physical, mental or age constraints. Sexual violence encompasses crimes such as child sexual abuse, sexual assault from...
Denying Bail
The Arizona Supreme Court got it right: categorical denials of bail to persons charged with sexual assault violates the Constitution. Full Article Also see Is a Categorical Denial of Bail for Accused Sex Offenders Constitutional?
ACSOL Emotional Support Group in L.A. on Sat, November 24
ACSOL will conduct an Emotional Support Group for registrants and their loved ones on Saturday, November 24, 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. The meeting, which is based upon 12 Step principles, will provide registrants and their loved ones with an...
Janice’s Journal: Church Guidelines Repeat Myths, Spread Fear
It is essential that registrants have access to church services because for some registrants the ability to worship at a church is more important than food, shelter and clothing. In the words of North Carolina attorney Glenn Gerding, “Given….residency and employment restrictions, as well as societal discrimination against and vilification of sex offenders, churches are often the last hope for many sex offenders who...
Black Men Disproportionately Represented On Sex Offender Registries
Even though it’s unlikely that they commit sexual assault at higher rates than other ethnic or racial groups, nearly one of every 100 Black men is on a sex offender registry, a rate double that of white men. Full Article
GA: City Council passes emergency ordinance banning homelessness
With an outcry from neighbors about recently released sex offenders living under a nearby bridge, the Ringgold City Council unanimously passed an emergency ordinance banning homelessness Monday night. Full Article Related COLUMN: Georgia City Wrong to Target Sex Offenders in New ‘Homelessness Ordinance”
David Comes Out Against Sex Offender Registry [David Pakman Show on YouTube]
[YouTube - 11/4/18] After receiving a question from a viewer last week, David comes out against the sex offender registry. Watch the video
Is a Categorical Denial of Bail for Accused Sex Offenders Constitutional?
The Supreme Court will soon consider whether to grant a certiorari petition filed by Arizona, which involves a voter-approved amendment to the Arizona Constitution rendering a defendant categorically ineligible for bail if "the proof is evident or the presumption great" that he committed sexual assault. In a 4-3 divided opinion, the Arizona Supreme Court concluded that this amendment was unconstitutional. Arizona has sought review...
NC: High court weighs if tracking sex offenders reasonable
North Carolina's Supreme Court is re-evaluating whether forcing sex offenders to be perpetually tracked by GPS-linked devices, sometimes for the rest of their lives, is justified or a Constitution-violating unreasonable search. The state's highest court next month takes up the case of repeat sex offender Torrey Grady. It comes three years after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in his case that mandating GPS ankle...
ACSOL Phone Meeting on November 17 – AUDIO UPLOADED
AUDIO UPLOADED - Please join Janice Bellucci and ACSOL President Chance Oberstein, a criminal defense attorney, for our next phone meeting. The conference call will be on Saturday, November 17 at 10 am Pacific Time (1:00 Eastern) and will last from 2 to 3 hours. Topics of conversation will include information about the domestic and overseas travel, the Tiered Registry, residency restrictions and other...
FL: Over 1 Million Felons Win Right To Vote With Amendment 4
In a key ballot initiative, Florida will restore voting rights to citizens convicted of certain felonies after they have served their sentences, including prison terms, parole and probationary periods, AP has projected. Voting rights will not be restored to those convicted of murder or felony sexual offenses. Full Article
General Comments November 2018
Comments that are not specific to a certain post should go here, for the month of November 2018. Contributions should relate to the cause and goals of this organization and please, keep it courteous and civil.
Living with 290: Finding Work
I was convicted in federal court of distribution and possession of child pornography in January 2008. I was sentenced to 151 months, which, after good time, was a little under 11 years. I was released from prison in June 2018 and sent to a halfway house in Indiana, about three hours from my home. While there, I was encouraged to work, because you have...
IL: Woman broke sex offender law after registering children at daycare
A Joliet woman was apparently registering her children at a daycare when she violated the requirements of her sex offender status, according to court transcripts. Full Article
CO: Aurora middle-school parent mislabeled as sex offender when visiting son’s school
Staff in an Aurora school office staff mistakenly flagged a man as a registered sex offender when he and his family went to his son’s middle school for a recent event. Full Article
Dirty Landlords Openly Discuss How to Remove a Registrant Tenant during a Property Takeover
[sosen.org - 10/20/2018] One of my associates has recently joined the boring world of land brokerage and has been training for a few months. A couple of days ago she contacted me to notify me of this public forum for the real estate industry called “Bigger Pockets”. A discussion began on October 9th entitled “Inheriting a ‘sexually violent predator against children’ tenant” was stated...