Book Review: Justice Perverted: Sex Offense Law, Psychology, and Public Policy

[littlefieldtccc.com – 1/13/21] Book review by Charles Patrick Ewing [The author is a first rate attorney who has worked with registrants for decades] Over the past quarter century Congress, state legislatures and the courts have radically reshaped America’s laws dealing with sex offenders in an effort to reduce the prevalence of sex offenses. Most convicted sex offenders must now register with the authorities, who then make information about them available to the public. Possession of child pornography has been made an extremely serious crime often punishable by prison sentences that…

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MA: Child Rapist Bill Triggers Debate Over Punishment, Process

[wbur.org – 6/27/18] Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito appealed to lawmakers Tuesday for new sentencing and civil commitment laws targeting repeat child rapists, but opponents of Gov. Charlie Baker’s bill argued the proposal is unnecessary and would be costly and ineffective. Baker’s proposal calls for changes to the civil commitment process under which sexually dangerous people are reviewed for possible release and for a mandatory minimum sentence of life without parole for anyone who uses force to rape two or more children, or uses force to rape a child after being…

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Beyond The Carceral Logic of Civil Commitment

[thenextsystem.org – 11/10/17] A key component of the current system is its reliance on imprisonment as a response to behaviors and populations which are understood as sources of actual or potential harm. Unfortunately and unsurprisingly, this carceral response seems to multiply and perpetuate harm rather than reducing it. As we envision a path towards a next system in which communities are able to flourish instead of being torn apart, it is imperative to tackle the question of harm, and dismantle the instincts that lead us too often to reinforce its…

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IL: Must Watch – Argument in IL Supreme Court in People v. Bingham

[floridaactioncommittee.org 5/22/18] The below video is from the recent argument before the Illinois Supreme Court in People v. Bingham. Jerome Bingham, who committed a sexual offense more than 30 years ago, was arrested for stealing pallets. As a consequence of his stealing these wooden pallets and a further consequence of a 2012 change in the Illinois law that required anyone with a previous sexual offense, who is subsequently convicted of ANY offense, be added to the registry (even if their sex offense predated the registry). Watch the video  

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Sex Offender Laws are Grounded in Cruelty, NOT Reality (A Response to the Oklahoman OpEd)

[once-fallen.blogspot.com 4/23/18] Back on April 10th, The Oklahoman published a biased pro-registry Op-Ed entitled “Sex Offender Laws Grounded in Reality, not Cruelty.” I wrote and submitted a rebuttal piece but they’re too cowardly to publish the truth. Thus, I thought I’d share the OpEd here: Sex Offender Laws are Grounded in Cruelty, NOT Reality By Derek W. Logue of OnceFallen.com, Anti-Registry Activist In response to a similarly titled Op-Ed, I wish to counter that numerous CO registry laws were properly struck down as unconstitutional in a US District Court and…

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FL: Gov. Rick Scott Signs Two Sex Offender Bills Into Law

[UPDATED LINKS 3/26/18] [flsenate.gov, spacecoastdaily.com] As reported on spacecoastdaily.com State website links: https://flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2018/01301 CS/HB 1301: Sexual Offenders and Predators.  GENERAL BILL by Justice Appropriations Subcommittee ; Fitzenhagen ; (CO-INTRODUCERS) Hager ; Spano Sexual Offenders and Predators; Reducing aggregate & consecutive number of days used to determine residency for purposes of sexual predator or sexual offender registration; provides for mandatory sentence of community control with electronic monitoring for certain offenses committed by sexual predators & sexual offenders if court does not impose prison sentence. Related links for CS/HB 1301: Governor Scott…

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MI: Felony charges dropped against Clinton Township sex offender in Ferndale

[macombdaily.com] Felony charges have been dismissed in Ferndale against a convicted sex offender accused of failing to give his correct address and vehicle information under the state’s Sex Offender Registration law. Joshua Owens, 26, of Clinton Township was arraigned on the two felonies in Ferndale 43rd District Court earlier this month. Owens was convicted in Macomb County Circuit Court in 2006 when he was a minor for third-degree criminal sexual penetration with a person under 16, and second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a person under 13. His attorney, Steve Lynch,…

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Professor Catherine Carpenter: The Unconstitutionality of Sex Offense Laws [video]

[www.sfc.edu] Professor Catherine Carpenter (Southwestern Law School), a nationally renowned criminal law scholar in the area of sex crimes and sex offender registration laws, came to St. Francis College on September 26 to talk about The Unconstitutionality of Sex Offense Laws. Watch Catherine Carpenter on Sex Offender Laws Her scholarship has been cited by numerous courts and used as a guide by attorneys; she is also one of the foremost authorities on law school curricula and accreditation. Among her important law review articles is, “Against Juvenile Sex Offender Registration.” The…

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RI: Letter: Leo Carroll: Base sex offender laws on facts rather than myths [opinion]

[providencejournal.com] Two decades of research regarding the effects of sex offender laws have produced no evidence that such laws achieve their stated purposes. A recent review of research on community notification and residency restriction laws in the Oxford Handbook of Sex Offences and Sex Offenders concludes that such legislation is “misinformed and simply incorrect.” These laws are knee-jerk reactions to hysteria fueled by media narratives of sensational but exceptional tragedies; they are based on myths rather than facts. The first myth is that sex offenders are strangers, when in fact…

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