[sfchronicle.com – 3/16/21] Earl _____ has had multiple convictions for child molesting, the last one in 1988. After being held for 20 years in a state mental hospital awaiting a verdict on whether he should be confined as a “sexually violent predator,” _____ argued that, at age 74, and with no record of violence for many decades, he is too old to be dangerous. A state appeals court was unpersuaded. “While a person may ‘slow down’ with age, it does not necessarily follow that interest in sexual deviancy slows down.…
Read MoreTag: California
CA: Sex offender found dead in suspected homicide at San Quentin State Prison
[ktla.com – 3/10/21] A 66-year-old inmate was found unresponsive in his cell at San Quentin State Prison early Wednesday, and state corrections officials said they are treating his death as a homicide. John Sullivan had served half of his 10-year sentence from Placer County for failing to register as a sex offender, a second-strike. He was found during a head count shortly after midnight and pronounced dead less than 40 minutes later. Officials said they suspect his 28-year-old cellmate in the death. He has not been charged, but was serving…
Read MoreCA: Home Breaking News Failure to Register as Sex Offender Lands Man in Prison for Longer than Original Sentence
[davisvanguard.org – 3/10/21] SACRAMENTO, CA – Local resident Donnell Cox was sentenced Monday to two years in California State Prison here in Sacramento County Superior Court for charges resulting from a crime he was convicted of more than a quarter-century ago. Cox, 57, failed to sign up for the sex offender registry, a felony in California that carries a sentence ranging from 16 months to three years—interestingly, he will be serving a sentence considerably longer than his original sentence. About 25 years ago, in 1994, Cox was convicted of sexual…
Read MoreCA: Carpenters union sues over signs warning about sex offenders
[newsmemory.com – 3/4/21] A carpenters union has filed a lawsuit alleging the city of Irvine has threatened it with criminal prosecution and fines for displaying banners questioning whether local neighborhoods are safe from sex offenders. Read the full article
Read MoreCA: San Diego County Supervisors vote to keep protecting sexual predators in court
[kusi.com – 3/2/21] SAN DIEGO (KUSI) – The San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 today against supporting legislation aimed at keeping court hearings for Sexually Violent Predators open to the public. Supervisors Joel Anderson sponsored the proposal backing Senate Bill 248 and voted in favor of it, along with colleague Jim Desmond. The bill would require that court proceedings remain public for the civil commitments of Sexually Violent Predators — or SVPs — offenders convicted of sexually violent offenses and diagnosed with a mental disorder that makes them…
Read MoreCA: Lawsuit Challenges Halloween Restrictions in Rialto
[ACSOL] A lawsuit has been filed in San Bernardino County Superior Court challenging the Halloween restrictions of the City of Rialto. Specifically, there is an ordinance adopted and enforced by the City of Rialto that prohibits all registrants on Halloween from decorating their front yards and exteriors with “typical Halloween decorations”, from opening the doors of their residence to trick-or-treaters and from leaving on any exterior residential, decorative and ornamental lights. If this ordinance is violated, registrants may be fined up to $1,000 and sentenced to up to six months…
Read MoreCA: Los Angeles district attorney faces recall effort less than 3 months into term
[yahoo.com – 2/27/21] LOS ANGELES — A campaign to oust Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón kicked off Saturday evening as pressure mounts over his criminal justice reforms that critics claim have gone too far. Recall advocates, including victims’ families and law enforcement officials, claim Gascón, who ran on a progressive campaign to implement sweeping change in the district attorney’s office, has prioritized criminals over victims since taking office less than three months ago. In an emailed statement, Gascón said that “the pain and trauma of losing a loved one…
Read MoreCA: Lawsuit Challenges Tiered Registry Law Provision
[ACSOL] A lawsuit has been filed challenging a provision of the California Tiered Registry Law that assigns individuals convicted of similar offenses to two different tiers. Specifically, the law assigns individuals convicted of Penal Code 288(a) to Tier 2, which requires a minimum of 20 years registration, and yet assigns individuals convicted of Penal Code 288(c) to Tier 3, which requires lifetime registration. “The only difference between these two offenses is the age of the victim,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci. “And the current language of the law punishes…
Read MoreCA: Senator Brian Jones introduces bill to prohibit violent sex offenders from getting out of prison early
[kusi.com – 2/19/21] SANTEE (KUSI) – Senator Brian W. Jones (R-Santee) has introduced Senate Bill 445, a measure to stop violent sex offenders from being eligible for early release from prison. Senator Jones joined Good Evening San Diego to discuss his bill. “Violent sex offense victims, and the families of victims, should not have to wonder if their attacker will suddenly get out of prison long before they finish their sentence,” stated Senator Jones. “Right now the law is rigged and forces the Board of Parole Hearings to justify why…
Read MoreCA: ‘Nobody cares about sex offenders.’ COVID deaths spike at state hospital in Fresno County
[fresnobee.com – 2/15/21] A spike in coronavirus-related deaths at a state-run psychiatric hospital in Fresno County has angered and alarmed patients, who blame hospital staff for a massive outbreak that infected hundreds and killed more than a dozen patients over the past six months. One patient who spoke with The Bee said he struggled to bring attention to the outbreak at Coalinga State Hospital in Fresno County. He said he’s been “ignored” and “neglected” for one simple reason — most of the patients in Coalinga are rapists, child molesters, and…
Read MoreWest Covina Repeals Residency Restrictions
[ACSOL] The City of West Covina, located in Los Angeles County, has repealed its residency restrictions which prohibited registrants from living within most of the city. The repeal took place on February 2 during a regularly scheduled meeting of the West Covina City Council. “We commend the City of West Covina for repealing its residency restrictions,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci. “Registrants and their families can now lawfully reside anywhere in that city.” The city’s repeal followed the filing of a lawsuit in March 2020 in Los Angeles Superior…
Read MoreLA Times Editorial: End irrational sentencing
[latimes.com – 12/30/20] The explosion in California’s prison population can be traced to first-term Gov. Jerry Brown’s signature on the Uniform Determinate Sentencing Act of 1976, a bill that was supposed to remove racism and irrationality from prison terms but in the end did the opposite. Fourth-term Gov. Brown, who left office last year, understood the problem well. He presided over a prison system that has been under federal court order since 2011 to reduce unconscionable crowding — the result of gratuitous “enhancements” piled on by lawmakers and voters over…
Read MoreCA: Orange County sheriff refuses to release 1,800 inmates after judge’s order: ‘Serious threat’ to community
[yahoo.com Fox News – 12/15/20] Sheriff Don Barnes, Orange County, Calif., reacts to judge’s order reducing prison population amid coronavirus pandemic. Fox Newscaster (at 3:40): “We don’t want anyone to get COVID, but we don’t want anyone murdered or molested”. Sheriff: “I have no intention of releasing them.” Watch the video
Read MoreCA: High-risk inmates aren’t prioritized in state’s early releases
[calmatters.org – 12/11/20] In summary: More than 7,500 prisoners sent home in the program — which aims to slow the spread of COVID-19 — would have been released within months anyway. Thousands with health conditions remain in prison, and the virus keeps spreading. In July, amid an epidemic of coronavirus cases, California’s corrections agency rolled out early-release programs touted as a solution to protect inmates at overcrowded prisons. But nearly all of the prisoners selected were scheduled to be released within months anyway, while many inmates with longer sentences remain…
Read MoreCA: Former legislative aide accuses OC Assemblyman Bill Brough of rape
[abc7.com – 12/5/20] Orange, Calif. (KABC) — A former legislative aide is accusing Assemblyman Bill Brough of raping her in 2015. Patricia Todd, whose last name at the time was Lenkiewicz, is speaking publicly for the first time, after sending a complaint this week to law enforcement. Sacramento police confirm they are investigating the allegations. “I’ve survived this for five years and five years is too long to not have the help and support,” said Todd, as she sat in her attorney’s office in Orange. Todd was a legislative aide…
Read MoreCalifornia Fair Chance Toolkit – A Toolkit for Job Seekers with Criminal Records
[legalaidatwork.org – Nov 2020] Approximately 7 million Californians — nearly one in three adults in California — have an arrest or conviction record. In this toolkit, you will find information about laws in California that protect job seekers with criminal records and sample letters and materials you can use to exercise those rights. Literally thousands of formerly-incarcerated people around California, their family members, and a wide variety of social and racial justice organizations — most notably All of Us or None — worked together to pass the laws discussed in…
Read MoreCA: California Prison Guards Keep Jobs After Aiding Attacks on Sex Offenders
[prisonlegalnews.org – 11/1/20] A series of assaults by a group of prisoners on convicted sex offenders was carried out with the consent and assistance of 10 officers at an unnamed California correctional facility. After an investigation, the prison’s warden determined that the actions of six of the guards involved were egregious enough for them to be fired, yet only four were let go before attorneys for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) halted the proceedings. The attorneys argued that the allegations against the officers were substantiated only by…
Read MoreCA: How to Seek a Job with a Conviction History: A Fair Chance Hiring Webinar on Dec. 3
[prisonerswithchildren.org] How to Seek a Job with a Conviction History: A Fair Chance Hiring Webinar (online) Thursday, December 3 • 5:00 to 6:30 pm (PST) REGISTER HERE Please join us for a step-by-step training in how to take advantage of the Fair Chance Act, which restricts employers from denying jobs on the basis of job applicants’ conviction histories. Speakers: Tawney Jeffries Directly impacted job seeker who successfully got a job under the Fair Chance Act Nicole James Westcare Navigator and directly impacted job seeker Felicia Espinosa Root & Rebound, Fresno Site Director…
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