The Assembly’s Appropriations Committee today passed Senate Bill 145 despite objections to that bill expressed by Committee Chair Lorena Gonzales Fletcher and despite death threats made to its author, Senator Scott Wiener. “We commend Senator Wiener for his courage in the efforts required to obtain passage of Senate Bill 145,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Belulcci. “The Senator faced down not only death threats but also the opposition of the chair of a powerful legislative committee.” Because SB 145 was passed today, it will soon be voted upon by the…
Read MoreTag: California
CA: Sex offender registration reform effort prompts death threats to Sen. Scott Wiener
[sfexaminer.com – 8/13/20] An effort by state Sen. Scott Wiener to reform sex offender registration laws and ensure equality for the LGBTQ community has drawn harassment from conspiracy theorists. Wiener, who represents San Francisco, said at a news conference Thursday that the QAnon community has claimed the bill, Senate Bill 145, would protect pedophiles, and even accused him of being a pedophile himself. The bill was introduced by Wiener last year to end what he and other advocates said was a blatant discrimination against LGBTQ youth regarding California’s sex offender…
Read MoreCA: Contact numbers for registrants living in the City of Los Angeles to call in order to register
[ACSOL] Following are contact numbers for registrants living in the City of Los Angeles to call in order to register. Registration in person is no longer required or even possible. Create a written record of the date and time that you call for possible future use. Central Division 213-833-3740 Rampart Division 213-484-3637 Hollenbeck Division 323-342-8994 Northeast Division 323-561-3270 Newton Division 323-846-6576 77th Street Division 323-786-5423 Harbor Division 310-726-7918/-7919 Southeast Division 213-972-7899 Southwest Division 323-276-3658 Valley Bureau 818-374-9675 (San Fernando Valley – 7 patrol divisions) West Bureau 213-473-0404…
Read MoreCA: California Will Release Up To 8,000 Prisoners Due To Coronavirus
[npr.org – 7/10/20] California will release up to 8,000 prisoners this summer in an effort to create more space and prevent the spread of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 in prisons. News of the plan comes after more than a third of the inmates and staff at the San Quentin State Prison in the San Francisco Bay Area tested positive for the coronavirus. Anyone who is eligible for release will be tested for the coronavirus within seven days of their return to society, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation…
Read MoreCA: Scammers Target Los Angeles Registrants, Families [UPDATED 7/3/20]
[7/3/20 Janice’s note: we have received new reports regarding the scams in Southern CA, so we are re-posting this 8/4/19 article since it is still happening] Aug 4, 2018: Scammers, who often pose on the phone as law enforcement officials, are threatening registrants with arrest and demanding immediate payment of sums up to $3,000 in order to avoid jail or prison. There are reports of this occurring during the past week in at least two different cities in Los Angeles County — Upland and Lawndale. According to the reports, the…
Read MoreCA: California’s state funded program for sexually violent predators costs taxpayers $4,000 a month in rent in Jacumba Hot Springs
[kusi.com – 7/1/20] JACUMBA HOT SPRINGS (KUSI) – A state funded program for sexually violent predators is paying out four times the going rate for housing in San Diego’s East County. In a lease obtained by KUSI News, taxpayers are paying $4,000 a month in rent for each sexually violent predator housed in Jacumba Hot Springs. Watch the video
Read MoreACSOL Files Lawsuit Challenging CDCR Early Release Plans
The Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws (ACSOL) filed a lawsuit today challenging the early release plans of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). The agency plans to begin releasing from prison on July 1 anyone convicted of a non-violent offense who has a release date no later than December 31. The agency’s plans, however, exclude anyone required to register as a sex offender. According to a press release issued by CDCR, prisoners will be released early in order to reduce the possibility of their infection by COVID-19. The…
Read MoreCA: Registration Procedures Vary Greatly at Local Law Enforcement Agencies
[ACSOL] Registration procedures currently vary greatly at local law enforcement agencies in the state of California. While some agencies, such as the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), are remotely registering individuals by telephone, there are other agencies that continue to require individuals to register in person. “It is difficult to understand why local law enforcement agencies continue to require individuals to register in person during a pandemic after issuance of both the Governor’s Executive Order and the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Bulletin,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci. Based upon…
Read MoreCA: California progressive politicians turning away campaign cash from cops
[cbs8.com – 6/9/20] As the wave of protests over incidents of police brutality and racist policing enters its second week, progressive California politicians are rethinking their financial relationship with the unions that represent law enforcement officers. On Thursday, state Sen. Scott Wiener of San Francisco, a Democrat, announced on Twitter that he would no longer be accepting campaign contributions from police, sheriff and prison guard unions. He promised to donate roughly $20,000 he has received from such labor groups to date to nonprofits that serve Bay Area youth. Sen. Lena…
Read MoreCA: Vallejo Police Department temporarily modifying its sex offender registration process
[timesheraldonline.com – 6/9/20] The Vallejo Police Department is temporarily modifying its sex offender registration process to include telephonic and appointment-based registrations during the COVID-19 pandemic. New or existing registrant or a registrant required to update his/her status as a sex offender under California penal codes 290 PC and/or 457.1 PC, must update their status by calling the Vallejo Police Department’s telephonic registration line at (707) 917-4124, according to a new release from the police department. “If you are a registrant without telephone access or who has special needs, you will…
Read MoreFL: Sex offender blames COVID-19 quarantine for not registering
[ocala-news.com – 5/27/20] A convicted sex offender from Ocala says he failed to register in April as required by law because he was in quarantine. Christopher Anthony Votos, 65, of 4064 SW 50th Road, was charged recently with failing to register biannually as a sex offender. Votos was convicted in August 2015 of using a computer to solicit or lure a child to engage in sexual conduct and is required to register twice a year – in April and October. Florida Department of Law Enforcement records show he has registered…
Read MoreCA Supreme Court Grants Review of ACSOL’s Successful Prop. 57 Lawsuit
[ACSOL] The California Supreme Court today granted review of ACSOL’s successful lawsuit in both the trial and appellate courts which challenged regulations issued by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) that, in effected, prohibit anyone convicted of a sex offense from receiving the benefits of Prop. 57. In today’s decision to grant review, the Court stated that the submission of additional briefings in the case is “deferred pending further order of the court.” Including today’s decision, the California Supreme Court has granted review of four cases which challenge…
Read MoreSenate Committee Rejects CA Senate Bill 853
[ACSOL] The Senate Public Safety Committee today stopped Senate Bill 853, which if passed, would have significantly increased the duration of criminal protective orders up to an individual’s lifetime. The Senators voted after hearing from more than 40 people opposed to the bill, including representatives of the ACLU, California Public Defenders and the California Attorneys for Criminal Justice. By comparison, only 8 people spoke in favor of the bill. “ACSOL and its members are to be commended for stopping a bill that would have violated the rights of registrants and…
Read MoreCA: Reports of online child sex abuse surge amid pandemic
[latimes.com – 5/22/20] Law enforcement officials in Los Angeles and across the country have been overwhelmed in recent months by a surge in tips about online child sex abuse, with social media platforms and other service providers flagging explicit content and suspicious interactions at an alarming rate. With schools closed, youth activities canceled and kids spending more time online under stay-at-home orders related to the COVID-19 pandemic, sexual predators have ramped up their efforts to solicit pictures and videos, officials say. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, a…
Read MoreCA: Hollister PD to continue registering sex offenders in person
[sanbenito.com – 5/19/20] The Hollister Police Department will continue to register local sex offenders in person—with social distancing protocols in place—despite an executive order by Gov. Gavin Newsom allowing law enforcement to conduct such registration remotely. “The Hollister Police Department is aware of the seriousness and the need to monitor convicted sex offenders in our community,” reads a May 18 press release from Hollister Police. “The department has a barrier in place at our front lobby that protects our staff. Our personnel are also trained to use masks, gloves and…
Read MoreCA: Riverside County to Begin Remote Registration
[ACSOL] The Riverside County Sheriff has issued instructions in which he told the county’s Station Commanders to “develop and immediately implement procedures allowing registrants to complete their registration remotely, telephonically or in ways that allow for social distancing.” The instructions were issued on May 11 and are meant to implement the Executive Order issued by Gov. Gavin Newsom on May 8. According to the Sheriff’s instructions, Station Commanders may also “choose to accomplish registration and fingerprinting by offering in-person registration outside the station facility, or in-home registration (utilizing sworn deputies…
Read MoreCA: DOJ Executive Order N-63-20 Regarding Sex Offender Registration
[ACSOL] The California Department of Justice has issued an Information Bulletin directing law enforcement agencies how to remotely register individuals convicted of a sex offense. The information in the bulletin is being issued to provide guidance regarding implementation of the Governor’s Executive Order issued on May 8. According to the Information Bulletin, law enforcement officials are to confirm all data fields on the registration forms. They are then to sign the registration form noting that the form was “completed on behalf of and with consent of” the registrant. The Information…
Read MoreCA: Governor’s New Executive Order Encourages Remote Registration
[ACSOL] California Governor Gavin Newsom has issued a new Executive Order that encourages law enforcement agencies “to adopt telephonic, remote, or other procedures for registration” for a period of 60 days. The Order also encourages law enforcement agencies to “post or publicize” any new registration procedures it adopts “through means calculated to reach any person subject to the (Sex Offender Registration) Act.” “Governor Newsom has demonstrated both leadership and compassion by issuing an order that encourages law enforcement agencies to stop in-person registration for 60 days,” stated ACSOL Executive Director…
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