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
Support for Tiered Registry Bill Growing
Support for the Tiered Registry Bill (SB 421) is growing both in the form of letters of support as well as a new co-author, Republican Senator Jeff Stone of San Diego. "The growing support for the Tiered Registry Bill is evidence that it is time to stop the state's lifetime registry for all," stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci. "It is time for California...
New bill could change way sex offenders are registered
Some sex offenders could soon lose their lifelong registration in the state of California. That's if a new bill headed to the California Senate is signed into law. Full Article
Lawmakers pushing legislation to strengthen punishment for child sexual abusers
There is a federal fight to stop child sexual abuse. Some lawmakers say convicts have it easy under the current law, so they are moving legislation through the House to strengthen punishment. They also hope it will also act as a deterrent. Full Article
VA: Michael McAlister, exonerated of a 1986 sexual assault in South Richmond, dies in Florida
Michael Kenneth McAlister has died in Florida, less than two years after his exoneration and release from prison for a 1986 sexual assault he did not commit. Full Article
Teens Who Engage in ‘Sexting’ Should Not Be Prosecuted as Sex Offenders
In an early episode of the television series “Girls,” Adam sends Hannah a photo of his penis and then a text message: “SRY that wasn’t for you.” Hannah and her friends debate the intention of Adam’s actions, but one thing is clear: The explicit photo he sent isn’t unusual, and it certainly isn’t criminal. Had he lived in the state of Washington, been under...
FL: No Voting for Sex Offenders or Murderers Says Florida
Florida’s state Supreme Court on Thursday approved language for a proposed amendment to the state Constitution that would restore voting rights to felons after they complete their sentences. If the measure makes it on the ballot and receives a 60% favorable vote, the voting rights of Felons in Florida could be restored upon completion of their sentence. Unfortunately, the rights would not be returned...
OR: Hidden Sex Offenders: Oregon falling far behind on registry overhaul
Oregon has the most sex offenders per capita in the country, but only lists about 2 percent of them on the state's public website. The state is working to overhaul the system, but critics say that plan falls short and KATU has learned it's in danger of missing another crucial deadline. Full Article
AL: SB301 is going to change the definition of “residence,” and the results will be catastrophic
I have a huge problem with SB 301. The definition of "reside" is being changed by this bill, and not for the better. Most residence definitions deal with where a person sleeps, but this law impacts even where a person spends his time during the day. Full Article
Sex offender residency laws – There are no easy answers -Editorial
If you read the following editorial as being sympathetic toward sex offenders, you are missing the point. We are not being sympathetic. We simply want to state that it’s not always possible to legislate our way to safety. Full Article
Janice’s Journal: Tiered Registry Bill is Reborn
The Tiered Registry Bill is reborn. We now have a second chance to end a 70-year-old law that requires individuals to register for a lifetime, regardless of the nature of their offense, the amount of time that has passed and whether they have re-offended. We almost lost this opportunity when Senator Ricardo Lara, the original author of the Tiered Registry Bill, withdrew his leadership....
WI: Sex offenders win federal lawsuit against Village of Pleasant Prairie: “It’s going to open a lot of doors”
Sex offenders in Kenosha County have won a federal lawsuit against the Village of Pleasant Prairie, in a case that could have nationwide implications. The men who sued said the village's sex offender residency restrictions violated their constitutional rights. Full Article
New Author Announced for Tiered Registry Bill
Senator Scott Wiener (Democrat, San Francisco) has agreed to author the Tiered Registry Bill. As part of that decision, the Senator gutted a prior bill he previously introduced, Senate Bill 421, and amended that bill with the language of the original Tiered Registry Bill. "We thank Senator Scott Wiener for his courage in deciding to be the new author of the Tiered Registry Bill,"...
Assembly’s Public Safety Committee Passes AB 558
The Assembly's Public Safety Committee today passed Assembly Bill (AB 558). If this bill becomes law, individuals convicted of misdemeanor sex offenses as well as those convicted of similar offenses would be added to the public Megan's Law website. The Committee vote was made after testimony in opposition to the bill from the ACLU, ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci and 17 ACSOL members. The...
NC: Should sex offenders pay to be on registry?
Sex offenders would have to pay an annual fine to be listed on the state’s sex offender registry under a bill proposed by N.C. Rep. Ted Davis, R-New Hanover. “There is a cost to continuing to have them on that registry,” Davis said. “The point of this is to get revenue to keep these people on the sex offender registry.” Full Article
CO: Kids playing doctor aren’t felony sex offenders – Guest Column
Juvenile cellphone "sexting" is the technological equivalent of playing doctor, something that has been part of human behavior for as long as anyone can remember. Sexual curiosity is a natural part of physical and emotional development in children, and only the most zealous of prudes would argue that innocent exploration ought to constitute a crime. Full Article
Split Second Circuit panel declares within-guideline child porn possession sentence of 225 months “substantively unreasonable”
A dozen years after Booker, the reversal of any federal sentence as substantively unreasonable is still quite rare and notable. Today, a Second Circuit panel has issued such a rare and notable decision in US v. Jenkinss, No. 14-4295 (2d Cir. April 17, 2017) Full Article
WV: Sex offender arrested for driving truck to mailbox
The West Virginia State Police have made an arrest for a man failing to update his sex offender registry. Full Article
UK: Men won’t volunteer to help the Scouts for one depressing reason: they’ll be labelled paedophiles
Ever since it was officially recognised by Royal charter in 1912, the Scout Association has taught British kids the type of campfire practicality and social do-gooding that is arguably lacking in our tech-rich, late capitalist world. All that is in danger, however, as the organisation is having to turn away young applicants due to a lack of adult volunteers willing to teach them life skills such as...
NY: Local sex offender law ruled unconstitutional
A Cheektowaga law created more than a decade ago to serve as a tougher version of New York's sex offender law. Now, it's being called unconstitutional. Full Article
Study: Public Misperceptions About Sex Offenders Skew Policy-Making
Public opinion toward crime is complex. Research shows that Americans strongly favor punitive measures to address criminal behavior while also demanding the rehabilitation and treatment of offenders. When it comes to sex offenses, it gets even more complicated. A 2015 study authored by Christina Mancini, an Assistant Professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, and Kristen Budd of MiamiUniversity (Ohio) found that numerous misperceptions about sex...