Grover Beach is being sued over its residency restrictions on sex-offenders, and there shouldn’t be anyone surprised about it. Officials with the city, which is one of only two in SLO County that passed restrictions on top of those required by state law, likely knew the ordinance would eventually be challenged in court, but moved forward with its creation and enforcement anyway, according to documents obtained by New Times. Full Article
Read MoreTag: Residency Restrictions
Janice’s Journal: Senate Bill 54 – Is the Battle Over? Maybe, Maybe Not [updated with sample letter and contact info]
The Senate Public Safety Committee conducted a hearing on June 30 during which it considered Senate Bill 54 (SB 54). The bill, if passed, would (1) overturn a recent CA Supreme Court decision that declared blanket residency restrictions for registered citizens on parole to be unconstitutional and (2) prevent most registered citizens from obtaining judicial relief from those restrictions. The bill would not, as described by Senator Runner’s staff, break a stalemate created by the CA Supreme Court, and prevent 5 to 10 years of litigation. Instead, the bill would…
Read MoreBill To Revive Restrictions On Sex Offender Housing Stalls
SACRAMENTO (AP) — A bill seeking to revive broad restrictions on where sex offenders can live in California has stalled in a state Senate committee. Republican Sen. Sharon Runner of Lancaster introduced SB54 after the state Supreme Court ruled that prohibiting all sex offenders from living within 2,000 feet of schools or parks goes too far. State parole officers now impose the restriction only on pedophiles and others whose sex crimes involved children. Full Article Related Senate committee kills public safety measure designed to clarify sex-offender restrictions
Read MoreCourts are reconsidering residency restrictions for sex offenders
In 2006, California voters passed “Jessica’s Law,” a ballot initiative that prohibited registered sex offenders from living within 2,000 feet of a school or park. In 2011, crime analyst Julie Wartell of the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office analyzed how much housing was left for those offenders. Consulting land-use files, she concluded that just 0.7 percent of multifamily parcels in the county were compliant. Full Article
Read MoreSex offender files lawsuit against Grover Beach
A registered sex offender filed a federal lawsuit last week against the city of Grover Beach challenging an ordinance that makes it a crime for sex offenders to set up residency in most of the city. The law suit is the first filed against a city since the California Supreme Court’s decision declared such restrictions unconstitutional. Full Article
Read MoreGrover Beach Ordinance challenged in Federal Court
A lawsuit was filed today in federal district court challenging an ordinance recently adopted by the City of Grover Beach. The ordinance prohibits California sex offenders (“registrants”) from living within 2,000 feet of any school, park, or day care center. This is the first lawsuit to be filed challenging a city’s residency restrictions after the California Supreme Court’s decision which declared such restrictions unconstitutional. Civil rights attorney Janice Bellucci filed the lawsuit on behalf of Frank Lindsay, who has resided in Grover Beach for 18 years. According to Bellucci, the…
Read MoreCity of El Monte Repeals Residency Restrictions
The El Monte City Council agreed to repeal the city’s residency restrictions for registered citizens during its meeting on June 2. This was the second of three steps necessary to rid the city of its residency restrictions. The repeal will go into effect on July 1 unless it is contested in court. The City of El Monte is the second city to repeal its residency restrictions following a decision by the California Supreme Court earlier this year. The first city to repeal its residency restrictions is the City of Downey.…
Read MoreSenate Public Safety to Consider Residency Restrictions Bill [UPDATED with Public Safety Committee Hearing Date]
UPDATE: The Senate Public Safety Committee has scheduled the hearing for SB 54 on June 30. The hearing will begin at 9:30 a.m. and be held in Room 4203 in the State Capitol building. Senate Bill 54 (SB 54) has been referred to the Senate Public Safety Committee. Although a specific hearing date has not yet been set, the committee must hear the bill in either June or July to the Senate schedule. As currently written, SB 54 would prohibit most registered citizens from living within 2,000 feet of a…
Read MoreOUR OPINION: Restricting where sex offenders can live will not stop abuse
Maine – It’s hard to fault the Biddeford City Council for wanting to do something, anything, to help assuage the fears and frustrations related to the sexual abuse allegations that have come to light in recent months. The stories of abuse and the subsequent shame, anger and depression are enough to make your heart ache and blood boil, and to compel you to do whatever you can to make sure it doesn’t happen again. Restricting where child sex offenders can live, as Biddeford councilors did on Tuesday, is the most…
Read MoreCalif. Supreme Court Ruling Reveals Unintended Consequences of Jessica’s Law
Child welfare advocates sounded the alarm earlier this month when the California Supreme Court issued its opinion on In re: William Taylor, a case involving housing restrictions imposed on certain paroled sex offenders in San Diego County that has been weaving its way through the judicial system for years. Full Article Related: Residency restrictions loosened on sex offenders (Napa Valley Register)
Read MoreFL: Welcome to Pariahville
When you are a registered sex offender in America, you lose the right to choose where you want to live. By law. Your backstory doesnt matter. Nor does the nature of your crime or your excuse. You are exiled from society, and only a few places will welcome you. Like this place in South Florida. The City of Refuge. Jay Kirk reports on life in an American community—yes, that’s definitely the right word—like no other. Full Article
Read MoreTX: Texas Voices standing against sex offender residency restrictions
Texas Voices, a group made up of families of people on Texas’ sex offender registry and others who support reform of Texas sex offender statutes, has been quite active this session, and it’s a good thing. As Grits told their indefatigable leader Mary Sue Molnar when the organization began, every other criminal justice reform group and activist in the state, including me, will inevitably sell them out at the Legislature. When someone says of a proposal, “well, we can do that but we have to exclude sex offenders,” reform advocates…
Read MoreFL: Council toughens sexual predator ordinance
The Marco Island City Council passed a tough new ordinance Monday that council members say has made Marco Island a less likely home for a registered sex offender or sexual predator. Full Article Related: Pasco toughens regulations on where sex offenders may live Sex offender surprises Pasco County commissioners with emotional plea
Read MoreJessica’s Law status is uncertain
California Attorney General Kamala Harris is refusing to release an unpublished opinion that is being cited by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation for changing sex offender release policies. A recent state Supreme Court ruling that struck down a blanket ban on registered sex offenders living near schools or parks in San Diego County has muddied the issue of residency restrictions for prison officials and civic leaders. In early March, the high court ruled In re Taylor that blanket enforcement of Jessica’s Law’s mandatory distance requirements impeded the constitutional…
Read MoreCalifornia grapples with where sex offenders can reside
SAN FRANCISCO – California cities and counties are grappling with how far they can go to restrict where sex offenders can live amid a shifting legal landscape. The California Supreme Court last month struck down San Diego’s blanket enforcement of a state law banning registered sex offenders from living near schools or parks. The Supreme Court said sex offenders can still be banned from living near parks and schools, but such a determination must be made on a case-by-case basis. Full Article
Read MoreMT: Senate panel advances sex offender residency bill
HELENA, Mont. A plan to keep high-risk sex offenders from living near children advanced out of a Montana Senate panel Tuesday. The bill restricts adults who victimized young people from living within 300 feet of an established daycare center, playground, park, athletic facility or any place where children live. Sponsor Rep. Jeff Essmann said his constituents have repeatedly told him they don’t want known predators living near elementary schools. One woman asked “‘Can you do something about the sex offender that lives right up there?’ and pointed to an apartment…
Read MoreCounty unaffected by sex offender ruling
Lake County >> Even though the county has the highest number of sex offenders when compared to its neighbors, the recent loosening of housing restrictions will not cause any notable change in Lake County. “The supreme court’s decision doesn’t affect us,” Lake County Chief Probation Officer Rob Howe said. “With the current supervised population, there is no affect in Lake County, not to say that it couldn’t in the future.” California voters passed Jessica’s Law in 2006 with the intention of protecting children from predators; however, there is no data…
Read MoreFL: Beach to consider sexual offender ordinance
With the more people coming to St. Augustine Beach, the police department thinks it’s time to consider a sexual offender ordinance. … “We’ve seen the crowds double in the past couple years, and the ordinance will protect both the residents and tourists,” Parker said. He also said the city needs to adopt a sexual offender ordinance because there have been two related incidents within their jurisdiction. “Recently we had an incident on the beach with a guy who was using binoculars to watch girls,” he said. … “He turned out…
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