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
In defense of Josh Duggar’s parents (Opinion)
When I learned that, more than a decade ago, reality-TV star Josh Duggar avoided jail after his parents dealt with molestation charges via church and family contacts, it made me think about the men I interviewed for my book about our draconian sex-offender laws. Full Opinion Piece Related Tyrant’s Foe: Josh Gravens Fights Criminal Justice Policies that Hurt Children Sex offenders registry may put...
For Juvenile Sex Offenders, State Registries Create Lifetime Of Problems
____ ____ is about to become a family man and he couldn't be happier. He's 25 and he lives in a suburb of Dallas with his fiancée, who's due to have their baby practically any minute. They've already picked out a name: Raven. In most ways they are a normal family. Except for one thing. Until last year, Hampton was a registered sex offender....
Janice’s Journal: Jessica’s Law Authors Attempt to Overturn CA Supreme Court Decision
Sharon Runner is at it again. She is trying to overturn the recent CA Supreme Court decision that declared unconstitutional residency restrictions as applied to parolees in San Diego. Runner is attempting to do this through the "gut and amend" process by completely rewriting Senate Bill (SB) 54. In its current form, SB 54 would create a state law that prohibits most registered citizens from living within 2,000 feet of schools, parks...
Parents warned that 13 sex offenders live near elementary school
CHULA VISTA — Parents in one Chula Vista neighborhood say they fear for their children’s safety after learning registered sex offenders are living near their elementary school. Full Article
Mother’s lawsuit: Flawed GPS, overworked parole officers led to her daughter’s death in O.C. serial killings
Faulty GPS tracking devices and overworked state parole officers led to the death of a young mother whose mangled body was found at an Anaheim trash recycling center, according to a lawsuit filed by the victim’s mother. Full Article
WI: Bill would crack down on homeless sex offenders
MADISON (WITI) — They are tough to track and they’re roaming the streets. The number of homeless sex offenders are on the rise, and there’s a new plan to fix the problem. Full Article
Is It Time to Revisit Sex Offender Supervision for Life?
In the mid-1990s, Americans were shocked by several high-profile child victim sex offenses. In New Jersey, the abduction, rape and murder of seven-year-old Megan Kanka by a paroled sex offender who lived across the street horrified the state and spurred action by elected officials and state agencies. Full Article
Inmate Claims Jailers Encouraged Beating
FRESNO, Calif. (CN) - Sheriff's deputies in California's Central Valley opened a cell door to let inmates join in the beating of an alleged child molester, the man claims in court. ____ ____ sued Tulare County on May 13, alleging assault and battery, failure to intervene and constitutional violations. ____, who had no prior criminal record, was arrested by Exeter police in 2014 on...
SC: Columbia lawmaker pushes for juvenile sex offender registry reform
COLUMBIA — A South Carolina lawmaker is on a mission to change the way the state treats juvenile sex offenders. House Minority Leader Rep. Todd Rutherford, D-Columbia, has introduced a bill that would allow teens who have been convicted of any sex offense and have been placed on the offenders registry to petition the courts to remove their names once they turn 21. ......
NC: Freedom Christian principal ‘exploded’ when told to keep sex offender off campus, documents say
When Joan Dayton, head of Freedom Christian Academy, was told she could not allow a registered sex offender on campus and keep it quiet, a former staff member said she "exploded," according to court documents. Full Article
NY: State Senate Enacts ‘Brittany’s Law’
New York State Senator Mike Nozzolio today announced that the State Senate has taken significant and important action in adopting a tougher stance against violent crime by enacting the "Domestic Violence Prevention Act-Brittany's Law." This legislation, Senate Bill 513, sponsored by Nozzolio, will create a publically accessible registry of convicted violent felons. Full Article
IL: Granite City to begin collecting $100 fee from sex offenders
Sex offenders in Granite City will soon have to start paying a $100 fee to register with police, as required by law. In 2010, the state increased the annual fee for sex offender registration from $10 to $100 a year. But even before that action, the fee largely wasn’t being collected in the majority of Illinois municipalities, according to news reports, because most of...
The Disappearing Sex Offender (Opinion)
As a legislator, one of the biggest concerns I have is public safety. Keeping the public safe from the many dangers that are prevalent in today's society is a challenge. One area of work I have spent a great deal of time on is keeping children safe from sex abuse. And unfortunately, I have found that there are too many things that are a...
RSOL Conference in Dallas – June 25-27
We are excited to announce that our seventh annual conference will be held in Dallas Texas, June 25-27. Cost of the conference is $100. You can get a discounted rate of $80 if you sign up before June 1. Texas residents also get a discounted rate of $75, and RSOL members can sign up for $70. So don’t delay – Sign up TODAY! Seasoned advocates...
OUR OPINION: Restricting where sex offenders can live will not stop abuse
Maine - It’s hard to fault the Biddeford City Council for wanting to do something, anything, to help assuage the fears and frustrations related to the sexual abuse allegations that have come to light in recent months. The stories of abuse and the subsequent shame, anger and depression are enough to make your heart ache and blood boil, and to compel you to do...
Minnesota TV reporter asks tough questions about sex offender laws
As we’ve noted before at The Watch, local news tends to sensationalize and fearmonger, especially when it comes to issues involving crime, sex, kids, drugs or some combination of the four. So it’s worth pointing out when a local news reporter does great work. Here’s some praise for Dan Hanger, a reporter for Fox 21 in Duluth, Minn., for his recent provocative and challenging...
You may be a sex offender and not ever know it
Because I walk around the house naked way more than my wife would prefer, she recently played a joke on me. As I sometimes like to do, I donned only flip-flops to enter our garage and get something from my tool shelf. I was a full 20 feet inside when I heard the garage door rumble open. Full Article
MD: Lawsuit – Sex offender requirements applied retroactively
BALTIMORE — A class-action lawsuit claims the rights of at least 800 people listed on the Maryland Sex Offender Registry have been violated. The lawsuit, filed Friday in Baltimore City Circuit Court, says the state retroactively increased the length of time certain sex offenders had to remain on the registry. The Maryland Declaration of Rights prohibits laws that retroactively criminalize an act or impose...
Do Sex Offender Registration Laws Do Any Good?
Last month a federal judge ruled that certain aspects of Michigan's Sex Offenders Registration Act (SORA) are unconstitutionally vague. Sex offenders, for example, are forbidden to live, work, or "loiter" within 1,000 feet of "school property." U.S. District Judge Robert Cleland noted that such "school safety zones" are not clearly defined, making it difficult to comply with the law. He said the term loiter...
Myths and research on sex offender registries
Studies show that while public sex offender registries sound like a good way to keep a community safe, the numbers tell a different story. And widely held beliefs turn out to be myths — among the more prevalent is that most sex offenders are pedophiles who might snatch a child from a park or bus stop. Here are the myths, and the research that...