Tag: Alabama

AL: Years after brothers serve 20 years for rape they said they did not commit, judge tosses wrongful conviction

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Source: al.com 11/8/22 Frank Meadows, Jr. may never wear sneakers again. He and his older brother Quinton Cook can laugh about it now. They can laugh about something as inconsequential as footwear and what they’ll wear to church. They can laugh about it now because of the consequential weight recently lifted from their lives when Jefferson County Circuit Judge Shanta’ Owens ruled last month that the two men were wrongfully convicted of rape in 1993, a crime the two men always declared they did not commit. A crime for which…

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AL: Sheriff’s Office: Convicted sex offender arrested for SORNA violations

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Source: whnt.com 7/22/ LIMESTONE COUNTY, Ala. (WHNT) — A convicted sex offender was arrested this week after selling his home and leaving the state, according to the Limestone County Sheriff’s Office. Officials say an investigator with the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office was alerted on June 23 that Leonard, 70, of Lester, was in violation of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).  According to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s Sex Offender Registry, Leonard is a convicted sex offender with his offense listed as second-degree rape. Read the full article…

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AL: Law enforcement praises technology for helping fight crime

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Source: wbrc.com 11/15/21 Keeping the community safe now comes with the flash of a solar-powered camera. Local law enforcement praised the technology for helping them solve crimes. These days, no matter where you go, it’s likely your picture has been taken. Cities across Alabama were ramping up security, installing Flock Cameras as a part of their crime-fighting strategy. “Stolen vehicle, wanted persons, Silver alerts, Amber Alerts, registered sex offenders and other notifications like that,” Cpt. Shane Ware with the Vestavia Hill’s Police Department explained. Read the full article  

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AL: Jackson County child pornographer sentenced to 320 years in prison

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Source: waaytv.com 10/20/21 A Jackson County man has been sentenced to 320 years in prison after pleading guilty to charges involving child pornography. Stephen Frederick ____, 51, on Wednesday was sentenced to 3,840 months in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release. In August, Stephen Frederick ____pleaded guilty to 10 counts of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. He’ll also have to register as a sex offender. “The sentence handed down today ensures that this man, who stole the innocence of a young…

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AL: Gadsden person on the registry arrested for not carrying proper identification

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Source: cbs42.com 6/22/21 ETOWAH COUNTY, Ala. (WIAT) — A Gadsden man was arrested during a traffic stop last week when authorities discovered he had a sex offense conviction in his past and did not meet the identification requirements under Alabama law. According to the Etowah County Sheriff’s Office, Timothy ____ was arrested during a traffic stop in the Gallant area on June 16. During the traffic stop, the deputy discovered Timothy had a sex offense conviction in his past and he was not carrying the required identification needed under Alabama…

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AL: Sex offenders at a popular Huntsville homeless camp find it difficult to relocate

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[waff.com – 3/22/21] HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) – One week ago, Huntsville City and non-profit leaders announced that people living in a large homeless camp known as “tent city” would have to move. It was located on Mill Street, and was inside of the Church Street construction zone. We went to the location today and there are still a lot of tents, clothes, and personal items scattered all around the camp, where dozens of people used to live. We’re told everyone has moved, but when it comes to sex offenders, several…

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AL: Mill Street tent camp residents concerned over relocation

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[whnt.com – 3/16/21] HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Several residents of a tent camp on Mill Street are expressing their concerns over the forced move to a different location. Some homeless Huntsville residents have until the end of the week to move as the city works on flood mitigation on Mill Street. While some may transition to service centers, many won’t or can’t. Instead, they will be moved to another tent camp on Derrick Street, but that presents another problem. People living at the Mill Street tent camp say there are several…

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AL: News 5 Investigates Female sex offenders

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[wkrg.com – 2/17/21] MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) — In February, two women have been arrested for sexually abusing minors. On Feb. 5, WKRG News 5 brought you the story of ______ a former Ruckel Middle School teacher charged with having a sexual relationship with a student. On Feb. 16, ______ was charged with sexually abusing a young child. Research shows women make up a small percentage of sexual predators. Research into sex offenders historically mostly focused on men. The Department of Justice reports the first articles on female sex offenders didn’t…

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AL: SPLC sues Alabama officials for overly severe sex-offender law that punishes children for life

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____ ____ met ____ ____ when their mutual friends introduced them at a local skating rink. He was 14 and she was 12. Over time, the two became a young couple, going out on movie dates, hanging out with friends at each other’s houses, and attending school dances together. Eventually, the high school sweethearts got married, bought a house, and had three children. They’ve been married now for 20 years. But this otherwise happy love story has a sad twist: When Herbert was 17 and Candi was 15, her mother…

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AL: Alabama governor signs chemical castration bill into law

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[cnn.com – 6/10/19] Republican Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey on Monday signed a bill into law that requires someone convicted of a sex offense against a child under the age of 13 to begin chemical castration a month before being released from custody. The law requires individuals convicted of such an offense to continue treatments until a court deems the treatment is no longer necessary. It says offenders must pay for the treatment, and they can’t be denied parole solely based on an inability to pay. “This bill is a step…

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AL: Alabama’s state legislature just passed a bill to chemically castrate child sex offenders

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[insider.com – 6/5/19] Alabama’s state legislature passed a bill Tuesday that will require convicted child sex offenders to undergo chemical castration prior to their release, raising questions about the legality and ethics of castration. According to the legislation, known as House Bill 379, a person convicted of a sexual offense involving anyone under the age of 13 will be required, as a condition of parole, “to undergo chemical castration treatment in addition to any other penalty or condition prescribed by law.” The person will be obligated to pay for the…

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AL: House passes chemical castration bill

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[alreporter.com – 5/23/19]     NOTE: PLEASE MOVE DISCUSSION TO AN UPDATED ARTICLE WITH A QUOTE FROM JANICE: AL: Alabama’s state legislature just passed a bill to chemically castrate child sex offenders   The Alabama House of Representatives passed a bill Tuesday requiring that child rapists be chemically castrated for the rest of their lives once released from prison. House Bill 379 is sponsored by State Rep. Steve Hurst, R-Munford. Hurst said his original idea was for surgical castration, but after much research of the issue, he instead opted for…

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AL: District Court Determines Alabama Laws to be Punishment

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Doe v. Marshall – decided February 11, 2019 Conclusion: Alabama can prosecute sex offenses to the full extent of the law. It can also act to protect its citizens from recidivist sex offenders. But the State denies that ASORCNA is designed to “punish” offenders. And once a person serves his full sentence, he enjoys the full protection of the Constitution. Harris, 772 F.3d at 572; accord Packingham, 137 S. Ct. at 1737. Sex offenders are not second-class citizens, and anyone who thinks otherwise would do well to remember Thomas Paine’s wisdom: “He that would make his own…

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AL: Governor ceremonially signs juvenile sex offender bill

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[wbrc.com 5/21/18] MONTGOMERY, AL (WSFA) – Monday, Gov. Kay Ivey put her signature on a score of legislation. Although the signing was just for the camera (the laws were already signed in private about a month ago), it still had a special meaning for the Cook family. “Amazing, it was the biggest blessing for us to experience this today,” Kristina Cook said. Ivey put her signature on a bill that will require each school district to come up with rules on how to deal with juvenile sex offenders. The bill…

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AL: Eye spy a sex offender: Jeffco Sheriff’s Office touts use of iris scans in fighting crime

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[al.com 4/19/18] When an inmate was recently booked into the Jefferson County Jail, he lied about who he was and when he was born. At one time, it could have been hours or days before lawmen discovered his true identity, but biometric technology now being used by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office gave them his correct identity in a matter of seconds based on a previous arrest in Atlanta. The sheriff’s office nine months ago became the first law enforcement agency in Alabama to implement the Inmate Recognition & Identification…

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AL: Juvenile sex offender notification bill passes

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[montgomeryadvertiser.com] A bill changing the way schools deal with juvenile sex offenders in the classroom is headed to the governor’s desk. State Sen. Clyde Chambliss, R-Prattville, sponsored the legislation. The Senate on Tuesday afternoon concurred with amendments added in the House version, clearing the way for the bill to get the governor’s signature making it law. Chambliss’ bill expands the pool of people notified of low risk juvenile sex offenders to include the superintendent of education and each individual board of education member. It also addresses enrollment of convicted juvenile…

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AL: Colbert County Sheriff issues apology following “miscommunication” in sex offender notification

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[whnt.com] Tuscumbia, Ala. – Colbert County’s top law enforcement officer issued an apology first thing Monday morning. A lack of communication with other law enforcement agencies in the county led to a delay in residents being notified of a sex offender registration. There are 122 registered sex offenders in Colbert County. It’s part of Sheriff Frank Williamson’s job to keep up with them. Recently, however, one registration slipped through the cracks. “I want to apologize for my part in that miscommunication,” stated Williamson. Read more  

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