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
Council to consider bond issue, reconsider sex-offender laws
HESPERIA — The City Council will consider and reconsider a number of issues at a specially scheduled 3 p.m. Tuesday meeting. Included on the agenda is a resolution approving issuance of multi-family housing revenue bonds, revisions to regulations concerning registered sex offenders and amendments to the fine schedule under emergency water conservation conditions. Full Article
California not following recommendation on parole agent caseloads
California never adopted the recommendation that the caseloads of agents supervising sex offenders be reduced, despite the urging of a blue-ribbon task force that was set up after an arrest in the kidnapping of Jaycee Dugard, and the deaths of others at the hands of those under the state's watch. Instead, agent caseloads remain at levels as much as twice what the task force...
Google email scan helps police arrest a sex offender
Google has long used automatic image scanning to fight online child exploitation, but it's now clear that this monitoring applies to email, too. Houston police have arrested a registered sex offender after Google tipped them off to illegal photos of children in his Gmail account. The notice only led to a warrant at first, but it helped the cops discover locally stored images that...
We’re becoming paranoid about kids, parks (Opinion)
A couple of weeks ago, the Debra Harrell story made national headlines. Harrell was arrested in North Augusta, S.C., and charged with a felony for letting her 9-year-old daughter play at a park while Harrell worked a shift at a local McDonald’s. Now, it has happened again, in Port St. Lucie, Fla., where a mother was charged with child neglect after letting her son...
General Comments August 2014
Comments that are not specific to a certain post should go here, for the month of August 2014. Contributions should relate to the cause and goals of this organization and please, keep it courteous and civil.
TX: From convicted sex offender to millionaire, man gets new life
Dallas (CNN) -- ____ ____ has has been spending most of his time these days living in a tiny room in a no-frills northeast Dallas nursing home. Until recently, he had a roommate who slept in a bed 2 feet away, and staff brought him three square meals a day. Only a few hours passed each day in which he didn't think about his burden...
UK: Teacher who sniffed children’s feet given suspended prison sentence
A TEACHER who sniffed and tickled pupils' feet for sexual gratification has been handed a suspended prison sentence. ____ ____ , 51, would play a game of 'smell and tickle' with pupils at a Blackburn primary school, which involved him making the pupils take off their shoes and pick a post-it note. He would then do to them whatever was written on the paper they picked. ... Judge...
FL: Mom arrested after allowing her 7-year-old son to go to a nearby park alone
A mother faces a charge of child neglect after she allowed her son to go to a local park alone. She says he's old enough but Port St. Lucie Police disagree. Now she's fighting back. ... The officer wrote in the report that Dominic was unsupervised at the park and that "numerous sex offenders reside in the vicinity." Full Article
TX: Rise in Sex Offenders in the Basin, Officials Explain Their Tactics
MIDLAND/ODESSA - A rise in sex offenders in the Basin, all because of the boom. But where are these criminals more likely to prey?The mall, playgrounds and parks are where many families and children come out to enjoy the summertime. Coincidentally, that's where sex offenders tend to enjoy themselves as well. Because of the rise in sex offenders in the Basin, NewsWest 9 set out...
Bell Gardens Repeals Section of Sex Offender Law
Faced with the threat of lawsuits, the Bell Gardens City Council Monday voted to repeal an ordinance restricting the movement of registered sex offenders in the southeast city. The council’s decision comes following recent court rulings striking down local sex offender laws that exceed state regulations. In 2009, Bell Gardens adopted an ordinance that bans registered sex offenders from being within 300 feet of...
Restrictions on Where Sex Offenders Can Reside Countywide Preserved
An ordinance limiting where convicted sex offenders can reside in Riverside County will stay on the books, but local restrictions on where they can hang out will no longer remain in force, following a 5-0 vote this week by the Board of Supervisors. Full Article Also: http://www.myvalleynews.com/story/79726/
People Confront Exclusion Zones
Steven Yoder has written a wonderful piece which describes how people in various communities are fighting back against the use of exclusion zones, especially as a condition of electronic monitoring. Exclusion zones most frequently are used against people with sex offense convictions. The rules for exclusion zones typically ban certain groups of people from coming within a certain distance of places where children are...
City to alter sex offender restrictions
STOCKTON - Seemingly without a say in the matter, and with a lawsuit filed against Stockton, the City Council appears likely tonight to repeal an ordinance that restricts some movements of registered sex offenders in places frequented by children. According to a staff report included in tonight's meeting agenda, the city has no choice because recent court decisions have decreed that state law on...
Opinion: Public sex offender registries, like one created with Megan’s Law, are often unfair and ineffective: magazine editor
Jacob Sullum, senior editor at Reason magazine, writes that sex offender databases are both over- and under-inclusive, and often fail to distinguish between dangerous predators and those with nonviolent offenses. Further, one survey found that 90% of sexually abused minors were assaulted by relatives or acquaintances, not strangers. Full Opinion Piece
NJ: Parents of little girl who inspired Megan’s Law recall brutal rape, murder of their daughter 20 years later
Megan Kanka was raped and strangled by a twice-convicted sex offender across the street from her home in Hamilton Township, N.J., in July of 1994. Her parents, Maureen and Richard Kanka, pushed tirelessly for the law that alerts parents when a sexual predator moves into the neighborhood. Two decades later, the family is still haunted by the tragedy. Full Article
AUS: Queensland sex offender register: Derryn Hinch to meet with Jarrod Bleijie
BROADCASTER Derryn Hinch hopes Queensland will become the first state to adopt his model for a US-style public sex offender register. Hinch said he was due to meet with Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie tomorrow to discuss his proposal to name and shame sex offenders. Full Article
Opinion: Megan’s Law requiring sex offender registry reduces opportunities for sick people to hurt children: former NJ governor
Christine Todd Whitman, who was governor of New Jersey from 1994 to 2001, writes that she signed Megan's Law to help parents know who is living near them so they can ensure their children are safe. While the law is not a panacea, it has helped protect kids. Full Article
REGISTERED SEX OFFENDER SUES CITY OF HESPERIA; 15thLAWSUIT FILED IN 4 MONTHS [Upated with Media Link]
Registered sex offender Frank Lindsay today challenged an ordinance adopted by the City of Hesperia which prohibits him and all other registered citizens from visiting public and private locations as well as residing within that city. The lawsuit was filed after the City Council of Hesperia considered, but failed, to repeal or revise its ordinance on July 15. The scope of the City’s ordinance...
WI: Sex offender law passes after CBS 58 Investigation
MILWAUKEE -- Thanks to a CBS 58 Bottom Line Investigation Milwaukee now has a new sex offender ordinance. CBS 58's Investigative Reporter Sarah Barwacz brought the issue to lawmakers back in May after finding child predators living next to schools, daycare centers, and parks. It was legal for child predators to live next to schools and parks because there was no law against it. Some council members...
TX: Lewisville Loses Appeal on Sex Offender Ordinance
In a ruling released Tuesday, the US Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has reversed a district court ruling from last year that had dismissed a lawsuit against the City of Lewisville over the constitutionality of a city ordinance restricting where registered sex offenders can live. Full Article