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
NY: Poverty and Mass Incarceration in New York: An Agenda for Change
Source: brennancenter.org 2/23/21 SUMMARY: Criminal justice reform can save New York State money and reduce the racial wealth gap. The past year has been a reckoning. As a nation, we were finally forced to confront the reality and interconnectedness of racism, inequality, and injustice, which have permeated our institutions and systems for centuries. When the protests that began in Minneapolis made their way to New...
CA: People With Criminal Records Should Not Have to Hire a Lawyer Just to Get a Job
Source: truthout.org 2/4/24 State laws are restricting people with convictions from working as nurses, counselors and janitors. Finding work can be difficult for anyone, but Fernando Herrera faces an extra challenge. California has banned him for life from his dream job as a firefighter because of two felonies he committed as a teenager. Herrera went to prison for assaults he committed at ages 14...
FL: Florida drops death penalty pursuit for man accused of child sex abuse
Source: tampabay.com 2/2/24 The state attorney in Lake County said the case’s quick resolution could be attributed to Florida’s new law. Though Florida prosecutors sought the death penalty for a man accused of sexually abusing a child, making use of a new law Gov. Ron DeSantis signed last year, the accused man instead pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison. Joseph Andrew...
CA: New California bill proposes law change to stop transient release of sexually violent predators
Source: cbsnews.com 2/2/24 ROCKLIN -- Outrage in Placer County over the placement of a legally designated sexually violent predator (SVP) was met with a possible solution Friday put forward by Republican Assemblyman Joe Patterson of Rocklin. Patterson introduced a new bill looking to ban all release of SVPs as transients into California communities. He wants to strengthen the definition of acceptable housing when these...
Lobby Day Date Changed to March 6
The date for Lobby Day 2024 has changed from Tuesday, March 5, to Wednesday, March 6. The location and schedule remain the same which means that Lobby Day training will be held at the Hyatt Hotel, 1209 L Street in Sacramento starting at 9 a.m. Meetings with legislators or their staff will begin at 1 p.m. and a reception will be held at 5...
General Comments Feb 2024
Comments that are not specific to a certain post should go here, for the month of Feb 2024. Contributions should relate to the cause and goals of this organization and please, keep it courteous and civil. This section is not intended for posting links to news articles without additional relevant comment.
Here’s Why Donald Trump Doesn’t Have to Register as a Sex Offender
Source: thedailybeast.com 1/30/24 [ACSOL'S NOTE: This article is posted to show the differences between civil lawsuits and criminal prosecutions. It is NOT posted to show preference for any political party, both of which pass laws against registrants and sex offenses. Please stop all political party attack comments.] You’d think someone found liable for sexual assault would be considered a danger to society, but...
David French: When the right ignores its sex scandals
Source: twincities.com 1/29/24 Let me share with you one of the worst and most important recent news stories that you’ve probably never heard about. Late last month, the Southern Baptist Convention settled a sex abuse lawsuit brought against a man named Paul Pressler for an undisclosed sum. The lawsuit was filed in 2017 and alleged that Pressler had raped a man named Duane Rollins...
Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-48) Introduces H.R.6382 – Stop Sexually Violent Predators Act
Source: issa.house.gov 11/10/23 Poway – At a press conference in Poway, CA today, Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-48) introduced The Stopping Sexually Violent Predators Act the most comprehensive legislation to date to reset the broken system that is currently forcing sexually violent predators (SVPs) into communities and near children and families. "In California, Governor Newsom has made our communities less safe by essentially compelling communities...
CA: A Constitutionally Dubious California Bill Would Ban Possession of AI-Generated Child Pornography
Source: reason.com 1/26/24 The proposal seems to conflict with a Supreme Court ruling against laws that criminalize mere possession of obscene material. Back in 2016, a study found that it was increasingly difficult for subjects to distinguish between actual photographs of people and computer-generated simulations of them. The researchers suggested that development would complicate prosecution of child pornography cases. That concern has been magnified...
IL: Seventh Circuit Slams Illinois Civil Commitment Program but Reverses Injunction
Source: prisonlegalnews.org 1/1/24 “Very weighty interests are at stake when a state institutes a program of civil commitment for sex offenders who, though never tried for or convicted of a crime, are found too dangerous for release.” So began a ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit on July 24, 2023, in a challenge to a lower court’s order mandating...
CA: Appellate Court Overturns Trial Court’s Denial of Petition
Source: ACSOL The Second District Court of Appeals has issued a decision that overturns a decision by a Los Angeles Superior Court judge denying a registrant's petition for removal from the registry. According to today's appellate court decision, the trial judge's decision was improper because the District Attorney failed to prove that the registrant poses a current danger to public safety. "This decision is...
UT: Ban polygraph tests for those who report sexual abuse, Utah lawmaker proposes
Source: sltrib.com 1/23/24 A recent investigation from The Tribune and ProPublica showed the damaging effects a polygraph test had on one Utahn who reported that his therapist had touched him inappropriately during sessions. Utah could soon ban government officials from asking alleged sexual assault victims to undergo a polygraph test — joining a growing list of states that bar the practice. Rep. Angela Romero,...
CA Survey: Did CDCR spend your parolee $200 release allowance for you?
Source: rootandrebound.org and prisonerswithchildren.org [ACSOL's comment: CA parolees, ex-parolees, and supporters, please take a few moments to take this survey share your personal experiences with CDCR spending your parolee $200 allowance.] From: Claudia J. Gonzalez, [email protected] As advocates for justice and fairness, we need your help to address an ongoing issue affecting individuals released or paroled from California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR)...
WA Dems propose adding sex offender to policy board: ‘They have invaluable information’
Source: cbs12.com 1/22/24 OLYMPIA, Wash. (TND) — A Democrat-backed bill would alter Washington State’s Sex Offender Policy Board (SOPB) to extend membership to individuals with previous jail time for sex offenses. The SOPB was formed in 2008 to “promote a coordinated and integrated response to sex offender management.” The group is responsible for creating policies regarding sex offenders and navigating state and federal laws...
OK: Oklahoma Bill Would Ban Sending Sexy Selfies Unless You’re Married
Source: reason.com 1/22/24 It could also outlaw any sort of sexualized image, play, or performance, pornographic or not. An anti-porn bill in Oklahoma is so extreme that it could even make sexting outside of a marriage a crime. The wide-reaching bill would make merely viewing "obscene materials" a felony. It would also restrict "unlawful porn" distribution and production—with enforcement possible through both criminal prosecution...
ACSOL/FAC Florida Action Alert 1/22 Deadline: Fight SB 1230 and HB 1235 (Travel, Residence, Registration)
Source: Florida Action Committee (FAC) 1/21/24 Attention Florida residents: Deadline to take action is Monday, January 22! What you need to know about the dangerous SB 1230 and HB 1235 bills: SB 1230 and HB 1235 are identical bills where our legislators are attempting to amend the Sexual Predators Act (FS 775.21) and the Sexual Offenders Act (943.0435). SB 1230 is on the agenda...
ACSOL Online Meeting February 17, 2024
You are invited to join ACSOL Executive Director and civil rights attorney Janice Bellucci and an ACSOL board member for our next meeting. The meeting will be held on Saturday February 17, online on Zoom beginning at 10 a.m. Pacific time, 1:00 PM Eastern, and will last at least two hours. You can use the Zoom app or you can call in using a Zoom...
Change IS afoot at CASOMB – Occasional Musings by the President of ACSOL, Catherine L. Carpenter
Occasional Musings by the President Change IS afoot at CASOMB By Catherine L. Carpenter President, Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws Slowly, change is taking place at California Sex Offense Management Board (CASOMB). It is not change with a capital “C,” nor is it the widespread overhaul ACSOL is demanding. But even small positive changes are important in an advocacy movement. So, I want...
AR: Lawsuit Filed Challenging Halloween Sign Requirement in Arkansas County
Source: ACSOL A lawsuit was filed on January 18 challenging a Halloween sign requirement in Marion County, Arkansas. The Halloween sign was created by the government and a registration officer taped the sign to the front door of a registrant's home. The sign was required to be posted for about two weeks, one week before Halloween and one week after Halloween. According to the...