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.
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Janice's Journal
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OH: Supreme Court – When Is a Sex Offender Not a Sex Offender?
Maybe Hollywood culture has impassioned us too much. We expect loud murmurings and banging from a gavel to restore order when we envision courtroom scenes. Largely, we expect drama, especially when it comes to sex crimes. The reality is that it is a subdued affair. At least it was this morning. There was a small and quiet crowd in the Supreme Court of Ohio...
NV: Bill would exempt more crimes from sex offender registration
CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) - Nevada lawmakers are considering a bill that would exempt more people from registering as sex offenders. Members of the Assembly Judiciary Committee reviewed AB208 on Tuesday. The measure would only require someone to register as a sex offender if they've been convicted of a felony sex crime, not a misdemeanor or gross misdemeanor. Full Article
Another View: Sex offenders are human beings, too
Ben Boychuck’s recent article (“Best solution may be sex offender ‘colonies,’” March 6) reminded me of a similar suggestion in 2010 by gubernatorial candidate Douglas Hughes to build a “pedophile island” off the California coast. Thankfully, Hughes was not elected, but his sentiments are often echoed across the nation. Full Letter to the Editor Related: Best solution may be sex offender ‘colonies’ (Opinion)
FL: Bill Puts Lottery Winnings By Sex Offenders in Escrow
Sex offenders who hit it big in the Florida Lottery would have the winnings placed into escrow, giving their victims an opportunity to resolve any claims, under a proposal filed Friday by state Rep. Bob Cortes, R-Altamonte Springs. Full Article
For-Profit Services Eliminate Pesky, Costly In-Person Prison Visits
I was just saying to myself: "Self," I said, "Our prison system isn't quite inhumane enough.. What can we do to make prisoners feel even more isolated and hopeless?" And then I read this, and knew I could rest assured that experts were on the case! Full Article
NC: Sheriff bans sex offenders from church
ROBBINSVILLE, N.C. – A sheriff in one of North Carolina's smallest counties told sex offenders they can't attend church services, citing a state law meant to keep them from day care centers and schools. Sheriff Danny Millsaps, in Graham County, told the registered offenders about his decision on Feb. 17, according to a letter obtained by the Asheville Citizen-Times on Friday. Full Article
It’s Time to Rethink Our Approach to Sex Offenders
Each year, 10,000 to 20,000 sex offenders are released from prisons into communities that aren’t quite ready to accept them back. Restrictions on where offenders can live and loiter are a popular legal strategy to keep children out of reach of sexual predators, but in reality they keep offenders an arm’s length away from affordable housing and employment. Full Article Related: The Outcast at...
Carson Protest March – Media
KTLA News Report RSOL Video (with KTLA Audio) Photos Note: if you do not wish to be shown in one of these photos please let us know via the Contact Us page and we will remove your likeness asap. Newspaper Coverage Press Telegram Daily Breeze
California RSOL Leads Successful Protest in Carson
California RSOL led a successful protest in Carson, which included a diverse group of about 50 registered citizens, family members and supporters. It is believed to be the first protest of registered citizens in the nation. "We broke new ground in Carson on March 7, 2015, the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's march from Selma, Alabama," stated CA RSOL president Janice...
Janice’s Journal: The March on Carson
We showed up. We stood up. We spoke up. Voices of African Americans, Asian Americans, Latinos and Caucasians. Voices of the young (age 7) and voices of the old (75+). We were heard. By the residents of Carson who honked their car horns in approval. By the Los Angeles Times who sent a photographer to capture images of the event. By KTLA TV who...
Registered sex offenders to march on Carson City Hall to fight restrictions
A group of convicted sex offenders will march to Carson City Hall on Saturday to demand equal rights to visit fast-food restaurants, parks, libraries and other public areas from which they are now banned. The protest is timed to coincide with the date of Martin Luther King Jr.’s voting-rights march to Selma, Ala., 50 years ago to emphasize that the issue is about a...
Best solution may be sex offender ‘colonies’ (Opinion)
Sex offenders are the lepers of the 21st century – outcast and feared, with treatment elusive and at times inhumane. For centuries, the best medical minds thought leprosy was incurable – the first effective treatment emerged only in the 1940s – so colonies appeared, usually in remote places next to monasteries, where the lepers could live and die safely out of sight, out of...
General Comments March 2015
Comments that are not specific to a certain post should go here, for the month of March 2015. Contributions should relate to the cause and goals of this organization and please, keep it courteous and civil.
NH: It’s time to abolish where sex offenders can’t live
New Hampshire lawmakers are again debating measures that would ban communities from restricting where sex offenders can live. Typical restrictions bar sex offenders from living within a half-mile of places where kids gather: Schools, playgrounds, etc. At the risk of offending many readers, particularly those in Dover where sex offender residency requirements were repealed, we cautiously support this position. Full Article
Fear Dominates Politics, Media and Human Existence in America—And It’s Getting Worse
People cannot think clearly when they are afraid. As numerous studies have shown, fear is the enemy of reason. It distorts emotions and perceptions, and often leads to poor decisions. For people who have suffered trauma, fear messages can sometimes trigger uncontrollable flight-or-fight responses with dangerous ramifications. Yet over time, many interlocking aspects of our society have become increasingly sophisticated at communicating messages and...
Sex Offender Registries Are Not Really Keeping Your Children Safe: Here’s Why
Since the publication of my blog post "Do Sex Offender Registries Reduce Recidivism?," a question I have been asked is "Paul, isn't it a good thing that I as a parent knows who is a sex offender living in my neighborhood so I can tell my child to stay away from that person?" My responses are that such knowledge is only a tip of...
Janice’s Journal: The California Supreme Court has spoken but what have they said?
The California Supreme Court has spoken but what have they said? The Court published two decisions today that were expected to determine whether residency restrictions are constitutional and if so, to whom do they apply as well as whether the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) may issue a blanket residency restriction to all registered citizens in San Diego while on parole. These...
CA Supreme Court Decisions re. Residency Restrictions [Update II with Editorials]
The CA Supreme Court Decisions in the People v. Mosley and In re Taylor Cases are posted. Please stay tuned for commentary from California RSOL. People v. Mosley In re Taylor Related Media: Reports LA Times OC Register SF Chronicle SJ Mercury Riverside Press-Enterprise - with CA RSOL mention San Bernardino Sun UT San Diego Huffington Post SCPR CBS San Diego ABC San Diego...
Have we gone nuts as a society? (Guest Column)
My mother was 15 when she married my dad, who was 19. A month later, he shipped out with the Marines and was gone nearly three years, fighting in the Pacific during World War II. I was born after his return. My parents had a long, happy marriage. That story would turn out differently today. At 19, John fell in love with a girl...
NH: Lawmakers debate lifting sex offender residency restrictions
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — New Hampshire's legislature is once again debating measures that would ban municipalities from restricting where sex offenders can live, even as some other states are making such restrictions tougher. The legislature's Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee is expected to send the proposals to the full House this week. The House last year supported the ban on residency restrictions by...