An Iowa Park man was turned down after asking the City Council on Monday night to consider an exemption to the code of ordinances. After recently writing a letter to the city of Iowa Park, James H. Pappas stood in front of the City Council and requested an exemption for his son, ___ ____, who is in his 60s and was convicted of having child pornography in Duluth, Minnesota. However, the City Council denied the exemption based on Texas state law. Councilwoman Sherrie Williams said, “We’d have to void the…
Read MoreTag: Residency Restrictions
WI: Sex offender ordinance hasn’t worked as planned, putting public at greater risk
Last summer, ____ ____ got a notice from the Milwaukee Police Department: He had to move out of his north side rental home. ____, a registered sex offender, hadn’t done anything to violate the terms of his sentence, which stemmed from groping a 13-year-old girl he met online when he was 19. In fact, ____ had stayed out of trouble since his conviction in 2002. The notice alerted ____ that a new Milwaukee ordinance had gone into effect, severely restricting where sex offenders can live. ____’ home was too close to…
Read MoreCO: Sex offenders sue Englewood claiming city ordinance effectively bans them from city
Three convicted sex offenders have sued the city of Englewood in federal court claiming that its zoning ordinances effectively banish them from living in the city. Full Article Related Sex offenders fearing eviction sue Englewood over residency restrictions
Read MoreTustin City Council Begins Repeal of Residency Restrictions
The Tustin City Council, in a vote of 4 to 1, voted yesterday in favor of repealing the city’s residency restrictions which prohibit registered citizens from living in most of that city. The only “no” vote was cast by Mayor John Nielsen who did not explain his vote. This is the first of two steps required by the City Council to repeal the restrictions. The second step is expected to be taken at the next City Council meeting which is scheduled for September 6. “This is a significant victory for…
Read MoreWI: Pleasant Prairie under legal fire for sex offender ordinance
A federal judge has been asked to order the village of Pleasant Prairie to notify residents that it is temporarily not enforcing an ordinance that effectively banishes registered sex offenders from living in the village. A preliminary injunction was filed Friday on behalf of 10 registered sex offenders who are challenging the constitutionality of the ordinance. Their attorney, Mark Weinberg, said he filed the injunction request after village officials lacked the “political will” to post notice on the village’s website that the ordinance would not be enforced under the lawsuit…
Read MoreMurrieta Residency Restrictions Stopped Again
A federal judge issued a Preliminary Injunction (PI) on Monday that stops enforcement of residency restrictions in the City of Murrieta. The judge’s decision, in effect, continues a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) she issued about three weeks ago. Although the PI applies only to the plaintiff in this case now, its effect is expected to be extended to all registrants at a later time. “This is a significant victory for registrants and families living in the City of Murrietta,” stated attorney Janice Bellucci. “It is unfortunate that the City did…
Read MoreFL: Facing legal challenge, Pasco County changes strict sex offender law
The Pasco County Commission on Tuesday amended its sex offender ordinance, the 2015 law that severely restricts where certain registered offenders can live or even go in the county. But why the commission changed the law — which is being challenged in court — is in dispute. Patrick Leduc, the attorney who is challenging the county’s ordinance on behalf of three registered sex offenders, said the changes were designed to protect the ordinance from his legal challenge. Full Article
Read MoreFederal Judge Temporarily Stops Residency Restrictions in Murrieta
Federal judge Virginia Phillips issued a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) today that prohibits the City of Murrieta from enforcing its residency restrictions against a registrant who moved to his sister’s home earlier this month. The TRO will remain in effect until August 15 when a hearing will be held to determine whether the judge will grant additional injunctive relief. “This is a great victory for registrants,” stated attorney Janice Bellucci. “For the first time, a federal judge has stopped the enforcement of a city’s residency restrictions in the state of…
Read MoreNC: Bans sex offenders from spots children gather
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) – North Carolina has banned some sex offenders from places children gather while a similar state law from 2009 remains under federal review. Gov. Pat McCrory signed a bill Thursday that would prohibit sex offenders who have been identified as threats to minors from places like arcades, parks, libraries and the State Fairgrounds during the fair. It takes effect in September. Full Article Related House Bill 1021
Read MoreNY: Sex offenders are moved out of North Buffalo
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB)- Parents are relieved after two sex offenders are moved from a group home in North Buffalo. “I’m thrilled that they’re out of our neighborhood,” said Andy Bus, who lives down the road from the home. Full Article
Read MoreWI: Sex offenders contesting Pleasant Prairie ordinance
Six convicted sex offenders living in Pleasant Prairie allege the village’s restrictions on where offenders can live are so broad, they effectively banish them from the village in violation of their constitutional rights. A federal lawsuit filed in June alleges the ordinance violates the Ex Post Facto Clause of the U.S. Constitution because it retroactively applies the restrictions to offenders who committed qualifying crimes before the ordinance was enacted in April. Full Article
Read MoreJanice’s Journal: Hand-to-Hand Combat in California Cities
Today we are conducting hand-to-hand combat with cities throughout the state of California in order to challenge their residency restrictions. There are more than 100 cities that have such restrictions and thusfar we have filed nine lawsuits. The series of lawsuits began last year when we challenged residency restriction in the City of Grover Beach that prohibited registered citizens from moving into most of that small city. It also prohibited registered citizens already living in that city from moving into a new home within the same city…..including Frank Lindsay who…
Read MoreNY: Sex Offenders Sue City, State
____ ____ needed to satisfy his crack habit. So he grabbed a sawed-off shotgun and robbed two women in the elevators of Brooklyn apartment buildings. During one of the 1985 holdups, he reached into a woman’s bra looking for cash, he said. Last June, Mr. Griffin was paroled after serving nearly 30 years in prison for robbery, grand larceny and sexual abuse. He wanted to move back home, to New York City. “I have brothers and sisters that have apartments, and nieces and nephews in Brownsville,” said Mr. Griffin, now 52…
Read MoreCity of Arcadia Repeals Residency Restrictions
The Arcadia City Council unanimously voted on June 21 to repeal its residency restrictions. This action was the second and final step needed to permanently rid the city of restrictions that prohibited registered citizens from living within 2,000 feet of “residential exclusion zones”, which includes schools, parks, swimming pools and hotels. The repeal will take effect on July 31. “This is a significant victory for registered citizens and their loved ones,” stated CA RSOL president Janice Bellucci. “No longer will families in Arcadia be torn apart.” Residency restrictions in the…
Read MoreLong Beach Residential Restrictions For Sex Offenders to Be Amended After State Rules Buffers Unconstitutional
The City of Long Beach is amending the portion of its municipal code dealing with where sex offenders are allowed to live in the city, a move that comes as the city fights a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of its restrictions. Full Article
Read MoreArcadia City Council Moves Toward Repeal of Residency Restrictions
The Arcadia City Council took the first step toward a total repeal of its residency restrictions during its meeting on June 7. The Council is scheduled to take the next step toward repeal on June 21. If the Council approves the repeal during that meeting, the repeal will take effect after 30 days. The residency restrictions within the City of Arcadia were challenged in a lawsuit filed in federal court in July 2015. The City filed two unsuccessful motions to dismiss the case in September 2015 and January 2016. “This…
Read MoreInside ‘Pervert Park’: Safe Haven For Sex Offenders
There are over 500,000 convicted sex offenders in the United States, according to a text crawl at the start of Pervert Park, a documentary that aims to do the near-impossible for the most stigmatized of crimes: stir sympathy for child molesters and sex offenders. Full Article
Read MoreSen. Runner Withdraws Bill From Hearing
Senator Sharon Runner has withdrawn Senate Bill 1021 from further consideration. The bill, which would have allowed local governments to prohibit some registered citizens from living in their cities and counties, was scheduled to be heard on April 19 by the Senate Public Safety Committee. Runner’s withdrawal of the bill is reported to be linked to her failing health, however, it may also be linked to the strong opposition to the bill voiced in letters submitted to the Committee by CA RSOL, the ACLU, the CA Sex Offender Management Board…
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