[kron4.com – 5/5/20] An emergency order to release non-violent inmates from jail due to COVID-19, appears to have been used to release a violent sexual assault suspect, according to an East Bay city official. The council that wrote the order says that was not the intention. “When the bail motion was made we strenuously objected to it,” Alameda County District Attorney spokesperson Teresa Drenick said. “The attorney specifically petitioned Judge Reardon to reduce his bail,” Livermore Mayor John Marchand said. There is controversy regarding the an Alameda County Superior Court…
Read MoreTag: California
CA: ACSOL Sues Fresno Cops For Forcing Sex Offenders To Appear Amid COVID-19
[law360.com – 5/3/20] Authorities in Fresno, California, are inflicting “cruel and unusual punishment” on registered sex offenders and violating the U.S. Constitution by requiring the individuals to appear in person for registration updates during the coronavirus pandemic, three offenders contend. In an April 28 complaint filed in the Eastern District of California, those John Doe plaintiffs say the Fresno Police Department and the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office are running afoul of the Eighth and 14th Amendments and the California Sex Offender Registration Act by requiring convicted sex offenders to physically…
Read MoreCA: 7 Sex Offenders Released Early Due to COVID-19 in Orange County Despite Parole Violations
[nbclosangeles.com – 4/30/20] Seven sex offenders who violated parole were released from jail early as part of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department reducing its inmate population during the COVID-19 pandemic. The sex offenders were released months before schedule, despite being charged with violating their parole by cutting off their GPS monitors and tampering with their tracking devices, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Public Information Officer Kimberly Edds. California law requires sex offenders who violate their parole in this way to serve six months in jail, but many of…
Read MoreACSOL Challenges In-Person Registration in Federal District Court
[ACSOL] The Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws (ACSOL) filed a lawsuit today in a federal district court challenging in-person registration requirements of both the City of Fresno and the County of Fresno. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California. According to the lawsuit, the city and county’s requirement to register in person violates the due process clause of the 14th Amendment as well as the 8th Amendment’s prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment. The lawsuit requests that the court permanently enjoin the city…
Read MoreCA: Town repeals sex offender ordinance
[hidesertstar.com – 4/24/20] YUCCA VALLEY — Facing costly litigation, the Yucca Valley Town Council discussed repealing the ordinance restricting where paroled sex offenders can live within town limits. The urgency ordinance repealing part of the Yucca Valley municipal code was approved 5-0. “It’s a tough decision for us to make,” said Councilman Robert Lombardo, adding he believed the town could prevail in a lawsuit. “I think we could successfully fight this, but at a great cost. I feel comfortable appealing the ordinance.” In early February, the town of Yucca Valley…
Read MoreCA: Los Angeles Superior Court Allows In-Person Registration to Continue
[ACSOL] A Los Angeles Superior Court judge ruled today that the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department may continue to require in-person registration during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ruling was made during a telephonic hearing in response to ACOL’s request for a Temporary Restraining Order. Although the judge noted that infection to COVID-19 is a “significant concern”, she interpreted state law requirements to obtain fingerprints and photos as to require that all registrants, including those at high risk due to age and/or medical condition, must register in person. She did not address…
Read MoreCA: California Courts Temporarily Change Rules To Ease Stress On System
[wbhm.org – 4/7/20] California’s court system, the nation’s largest, announced a series of emergency measures this week to address vulnerabilities related to the coronavirus pandemic. The 11 emergency measures include temporarily eliminating bail for defendants charged with misdemeanors and most nonviolent felonies, conducting pretrial hearings remotely, and placing new limits on evictions and foreclosures. The California Judicial Council adopted the changes Monday. It’s the policy making arm of the state’s courts. Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye says the moves aim to reduce jail populations and protect Californians from losing their homes…
Read MoreCA: Placentia to open homeless ‘navigation center’ Tuesday without registrants
[ocregister.com – 3/30/20] Placentia is racing to put the final touches on what city leaders say is a first-of-its kind facility that will offer emergency shelter, help finding jobs and housing and other types of counseling and aid to homeless people in north Orange County. The shelter is expected to start accepting people Tuesday, March 31. … (The centers will take clients by referral only, and no one with sex offender status, certain felonies or active arrest warrants will be admitted.) Read the full article
Read MoreACSOL Files Fourth Lawsuit Challenging DOJ and L.A. In-Person Registration During COVID-19 Pandemic
[ACSOL] The Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws (ACSOL) today filed a fourth lawsuit challenging in-person registration. This lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court against both the California Department of Justice as well as the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department. “We added the CA Department of Justice as a defendant in this case because several registration officers in the LA Sheriff’s Department said they could not stop in-person registration until and unless the CA Department of Justice authorized them to do so,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci. Earlier…
Read MoreCA: ACSOL Lawsuit Filed Against SDPD for In-Person Sex Registration Amid Pandemic
[kpbs.org – 3/25/20] A lawsuit has been filed against the San Diego Police Department on behalf of more than 100 local sex offender registrants who are challenging requirements that they must register in person during the coronavirus pandemic, while state and local governments ask that residents stay home to prevent the virus’ spread. The lawsuit was filed by the Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws, which also filed similar lawsuits this week in Riverside and Sacramento counties. It asks for a judge to issue an order halting the practice of…
Read MoreACSOL Files Third Lawsuit Challenging Sacramento In-Person Registration During COVID-19 Pandemic
[ACSOL] The Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws (ACSOL) filed a third lawsuit today challenging a city’s requirement that all registrants, including those with high risk COVID-19 factors, register in person. The defendant in the lawsuit is the City of Sacramento and the lawsuit was filed in Sacramento Superior Court. Today’s lawsuit alleges that the requirement to register in person during a pandemic and in contravention of state and local orders, is an abuse of discretion and therefore unlawful. The lawsuit requests that the court issue a writ of mandamus…
Read MoreACSOL Files Second Challenge to San Diego In-Person Registration Requirement During COVID-19 Pandemic
[ACSOL] The Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws (ACSOL) today filed a second lawsuit challenging a city’s requirement that all registrants, including those who have high-risk COVID-19 factors, register in person. The defendant in this lawsuit is the City of San Diego. There are multiple plaintiffs in the lawsuit including ACSOL, a female registrant who suffers from chronic diseases, and additional registrants to be identified in the future. “The City of San Diego, during this historic pandemic, is increasing the risk of spreading the COVID-19 virus by requiring people to…
Read MoreLAPD Stops In-Person Registration, Provides Registration by Telephone
[ACSOL] The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) has stopped all in-person registration of individuals required to register as a sex offender in that city. In place of in -person registration, LAPD is allowing individuals to register by telephone. “LAPD is to be commended for its decision to protect registrants and their loved ones by allowing registrants to register by phone,” stated ACSOL President Chance Oberstein. “Unfortunately, there are many other law enforcement agencies that still require registrants to register in person.” According to LAPD, signs will be posted at every…
Read MoreCA: CDCR Asks CA Supreme Court to Review Prop. 57 Decision
[ACSOL] The CA Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) filed today with the CA Supreme Court a petition requesting review of ACSOL’s successful challenge of CDCR’s regulations that prohibit all registrants from early parole consideration. The prohibition in CDCR’s regulations has been found to be unlawful by several appellate courts. In its petition, CDCR acknowledges that the Court has already granted review of a similar case, In re Gadlin, S254599. CDCR therefore requests that the Court defer action in the ACSOL case until the Gadlin case is decided. All documents in…
Read MoreFresno Co., CA, striking residency restrictions due to ACSOL suit
[narsol.org – 3/11/20] Fresno County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted this week to repeal an ordinance that restricts how close convicted sex offenders can live near schools and parks — a policy California’s Supreme Court found unconstitutional. The move by Fresno County also includes a settlement with a Sacramento-based attorney who sued over the law. The county has joined other localities across the state who have lifted the 2,000-foot or greater buffer many municipalities required of sex offenders for more than a decade. About 40 localities, like Santa Clarita, Lompoc and…
Read MoreCA: California Prisoner Confesses To Killing 2 Molesters
[sacramento.cbslocal.com – 2/20/20] CORCORAN, Calif. (AP) — A California prison inmate confessed in a letter that he beat two child molesters to death with a cane while behind bars just hours after his urgent warning to a counselor that he might become violent was ignored, a newspaper chain reported Thursday. Jonathan Watson, 41, confessed in the letter to the Bay Area News Group in Northern California that he clubbed both men in the head on Jan. 16 at the California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and State Prison in Corcoran. Prisoner…
Read MoreCA: Free Legal Clinic in Sacramento for People with Records on February 20th
[rootandrebound.org] Root and Rebound will host a FREE Reentry Legal Clinic for people with arrest and conviction records. Click here for details Sign up here Thursday, February 20, 2020 2:30 PM 5:00 PM Sacramento State University Lassen Hall RM 1013 (“The Vault”) Campus Map You can ask reentry-related legal questions or other questions about how having a record impacts clients’ lives & rights. They will also be providing free know-your-rights resources including Root and Rebound Reentry Planning Toolkit. If possible, please bring: (1) a government-issued photo ID; and (2) a…
Read MoreCA: Sacramento-Area Reentry Network Free Expungement Clinic March 7, April 4
[arc.losrios.edu – 2/13/20] Trying to get a job & need your background cleared? Clear or reduce your criminal record (California arrests and convictions only) at the clinic. YOU ARE ELIGIBLE IF 1) you do not have any pending criminal cases, and 2) you are not currently on parole. REQUIREMENT: BRING A COPY OF YOUR CALIFORNIA RAP SHEET. Request at any Live Scan location. (2 weeks in advance) For more information on requesting them, go to: https://oag.ca.gov/fingerprints/record-review Clinic dates and times are: https://arc.losrios.edu/campus-life/calendar-and-events/free-expungement-clinic-x20100 Saturday, March 7, 2020 Saturday, April 4, 2020…
Read More