Source: timesunion.com 11/10/21 Danielle Marocco readily admits feeling a huge sense of relief when she noticed the “For Sale” sign on the lawn of a new neighbor. That’s because she and others along a quiet suburban street in East Glenville fear the resident, a paroled Level 3 sex offender who victimized a boy, might hurt other young children. “We just love the area, we love the neighborhood — in the summertime the ice cream truck goes by,” said Marocco, who has lived on the street with her husband and their children…
Read MoreTag: New York
NY: Nicki Minaj’s husband Kenneth Petty sues to have his name removed from New York’s Sex Offender Registry
Source: the-sun.com 8/19/21 NICKI MINAJ’S husband Kenneth Petty is suing to nix his name off New York’s Sex Offender Registry and reportedly arguing that some imposter signed the documents while he was imprisoned. Petty filed papers against the state’s Criminal Justice Services division to clear his name from the registry because he claims he wasn’t able to plea his case back in October 2004 while he was serving out a prison sentence. The 43-year-old is hoping that he can delete his name off the humiliating and costly registry because he…
Read MoreNY: A 7-Year-Old Was Accused of Rape. Is Arresting Him the Answer?
[news.yahoo.com – 6/3/21] At the forested edge of the Canadian border this spring, state police arrested a person from the hamlet of Brasher Falls, New York, population about 1,000. He was charged with rape. The pain of such crimes often tears small towns apart without rippling beyond their borders. But following the March 23 arrest, news of the arrest ricocheted far beyond the hamlet. The resident charged with rape was a 7-year-old boy. Little is known about the circumstances of the arrest, the specifics of the allegations or the case’s…
Read MoreNY: Lawmakers wrestle with parole bills as session deadline nears
[thedailystar.com – 5/31/21] ALBANY — Proposals aimed at giving a second chance to well-behaved prison inmates are gaining traction at the statehouse in the final days of the 2021 legislative session. Perhaps the most controversial bill would require parole consideration for inmates who have served at least 15 years of their sentence and are 55 years or older. … One other criminal justice bill getting attention would seal the criminal records of thousands of offenders once they complete their sentences, provided the individuals are not on probation or parole, or…
Read MoreNY: Endicott Sex Offender Fails to Register Email Accounts
[wnbf.com – 5/7/21] An Endicott man is facing up to ten years in prison after he admitted failing to register his email accounts as a convicted sex offender. 72-year-old Thomas ____ was convicted in 2004 of child pornography and crossing a state line to engage in sex with a child under the age of 12. He was required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life and report personal identifying information, including email accounts. Officials with the U-S Attorney Northern District say ____ failed to register…
Read MoreNY: Motel’s Lawsuit Says Small Town’s Effort to Kick Out Sex Offenders Is Unconstitutional
[lawandcrime.com – 4/21/21] A small city in Upstate New York is being sued by the owners of a local motel who say they should be allowed to offer their services to people formerly convicted of sex-related offenses. Shree Granesh LLC, the owner of an EconoLodge on Main Street, filed a lawsuit against the Town of New Paltz over a recent ordinance which aims to limit (and ultimately reduce) the number of registered sex offenders who can reside at a certain commercial address. In fact, it might be a bit more…
Read MoreNY: Town of Rotterdam, police department face lawsuit over arrest
[dailygazette.com – 3/31/21] A man who was falsely arrested by the Rotterdam Police Department for improperly submitting a photo for the sex offender registry list is now suing the department and the town over the four days he spent in jail. William Harwood filed paperwork March 25 in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York seeking a jury trial and damages after he said he suffered emotional distress from the incident. Harwood, who is representing himself, said in court documents that in 2018 he was required to provide…
Read MoreNY: 7-year-old charged with rape, lawyer calls it ‘absurd’
[wwnytv.com – 3/29/21] BRASHER FALLS, N.Y. (WWNY) – A 7-year-old boy from Brasher Falls has been charged with rape. State police didn’t release much information, but said the unidentified child was charged with third-degree rape on March 23. Troopers say the incident was reported on Thanksgiving. The child was cited and released. The case will be handled in Family Court. Police say the investigation is continuing. We spoke with a New York City attorney, who is with a group that handles youth defense cases. “Instinctually, it shouldn’t happen that a…
Read MoreNH: New York Must Offer Vaccine to All Prisoners Immediately, Judge Rules
[nytimes.com 3/29/21] A judge in the Bronx ruled that people incarcerated in the state’s prisons and jails had been arbitrarily excluded from the coronavirus vaccine rollout. New York must immediately begin to offer Covid vaccines to all incarcerated people in the state’s prisons and jails, a judge ruled on Monday, making the state one of few in the nation to provide doses to such a broad population behind bars. The order, the first involving any of the country’s largest correctional systems, comes as the coronavirus continues to roar through facilities in New York.…
Read MoreNY: New York Proposes “Clean Slate” Bill to Seal and Expunge Criminal Records [Except Registrants]
[esrcheck.com – 3/10/21] A “Clean Slate” bill proposed in the New York State Senate would create a two-step process to automatically seal and eventually expunge – or erase or remove completely – certain past criminal convictions so ex-offenders may have an easier time finding employment opportunities, according to a report from the New York Daily News. Sponsored by New York State Senator Zellnor Myrie (Democrat-20th District) in January 2021, Senate Bill S1553A (SB S1553A) would amend the criminal procedure law by adding a new section so certain criminal convictions for…
Read MoreNY: Rensselaer County proposes animal abuser registry
[news10.com – 2/23/21] TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — On Tuesday, Rensselaer County legislators filed a local law to create a local animal abuse registry. “This legislation will establish an online registry for individuals who are convicted of animal abuse and neglect,” said Minority Leader Peter Grimm. “It is in the best interest of our residents and their animals that an online registry be established identifying individuals, living in Rensselaer County.” Read the full article
Read MoreNY: After 25 Years, It Is Past Time To Reform New York’s Sex Offender Risk Assessment System: Part II
[law.com – 2/9/21] In Part 1 of this article, I outlined what I believe are the significant flaws in the Risk Assessment Instrument (the RAI) New York courts are required to use to assess sex offender risk under the Sex Offender Registration Act (SORA or Megan’s Law, Article 6-C of the Correction Law). Under SORA, courts are required to designate offenders as being at low, moderate or high risk to re-offend. The rankings not only determine the length and intrusiveness of sex offender registration and community notification, which often last…
Read MoreNY: After 25 Years, It Is Past Time To Reform New York’s Sex Offender Risk Assessment System: Part I
[law.com – 1/5/21] In this article, the author outlines the significant flaws of the sex offender risk assessment instrument. A second article to be published later will explain why these deficiencies are not adequately corrected by court departure determinations. Convicted sex offenders under New York law must have their risk of reoffense assessed by courts under the Sex Offender Registration Act (“SORA” or “Megan’s Law”) with courts determining whether offenders are at low, moderate or high risk to re-offend. The rankings not only determine the length and intrusiveness of sex…
Read MoreNY: New York Issues First-In-Nation Moratorium On Facial Recognition In Schools
[forbes.com – 12/22/20] Topline New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a bill Tuesday temporarily banning the use of facial recognition in schools, making it the first state to take such a step. Key Facts The law suspends facial recognition and other biometric technology in both public and private schools until July 2022, directing the state to conduct a study and issue recommendations about whether the technology is appropriate for schools. Cuomo’s office said the study will “seek feedback from teachers and parents, as well as experts in school safety, security,…
Read MoreNY: An influx of Sex Offenders in New Paltz Causes Town to Tighten Reigns
[newpaltz.edu – 12/10/20] Following the influx of multiple sex offenders to a motel in New Paltz, the Town of New Paltz passed a law that would limit the number of sex offenders allowed to live in one building. Seven registered sex offenders moved into the Econo Lodge Motel in New Paltz between Oct. 10 and Nov. 2. Following the publication of an article notifying students of this, one more level three sex offender moved into the motel on Nov. 12, increasing the count to eight registered sex offenders: seven level…
Read MoreNY: Sex offenders can be detained after sentences completed
New York’s top court upheld a law Monday that allows the state to keep sex offenders confined under some circumstances even after they have completed their sentences. In three decisions handed down Monday, the state Court of Appeals said the law didn’t violate due process guarantees, and did not constitute cruel and unusual punishment. Full Article
Read MoreNY: Federal District Court limits ban on social media for registrants
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK [Excerpt from page 1:] While the Court appreciates the State’s compelling interest and laudable efforts to protect children from sex offender recidivists on the internet, New York’s attempt to advance this interest via blanket restrictions cannot be squared with the significant freedom of speech rights at stake. For the following reasons, Plaintiffs’ motion for a preliminary injunction is GRANTED. While parole officers remain free to impose individualized restrictions on supervisees based on the Registrant’s specific circumstances and risk of recidivating using…
Read MoreNY: Appeals Court hearing oral arguments online Oct 13 on continued detention of former sex offenders after release
[nycourts.gov] These appeals were filed by level three sex offenders to challenge their indefinite detention in prison or prison-based residential treatment facilities (RTFs) after their prison terms expired or they were granted parole. All three offenders were subject to post-release supervision (PRS) and were held past their release dates by the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) when they were unable to find housing that complied with the Sexual Assault Reform Act (SARA), which bars certain sex offenders from residing within 1,000 feet of any school grounds (Executive Law…
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