O.C. sex offender law is ruled illegal

A controversial Orange County sex offender law that bans some people from visiting parks and beaches has been ruled illegal by a panel of Superior Court judges, who have asked the state appeals court to now review the get-tough rule. The panel reached the decision after overturning the conviction of a registered sex offender who was ordered to serve 100 days in jail after he was caught attending a Cinco de Mayo party at Mile Square Park in Fountain Valley. Full Article

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Lake Forest Parks Ban Repeal – Dec 04

The City of Lake Forest is expected on December 4 to repeal its existing “sex offender” ordinance which prohibits all registrants from entering the city’s parks.  City staff have recommended that the City Council repeal that ordinance in an 11-page report from the city manager which states several reasons for its recommendation, including (1) no supporting evidence that the ordinance has had a measurable effect on public safety, (2) no violations of the ordinance since its passage a year ago, and (3) recent court rulings stating that “this type of…

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Alabama fan guilty in post-BCS assault, sentenced to 2 years

The Alabama man who rubbed his genitals on a drunken LSU football fan at the Bourbon Street Krystal Burger after the 2012 BCS Championship game was sentenced Thursday to spend two years in prison. _____ _____, 33, pleaded guilty last month to two obscenity counts and agreed to the deal, skirting a trial on his original charge of sexual battery, a possible 10-year sentence and registration as a sex offender. Full Article

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Facebook Must Remove Page Outing Sex Offenders, Says UK Judge

According to a UK High Court, Facebook is not allowed to host a page that publicly outs convicted sex offenders. A Judge has given Facebook 72 hours to remove a page called Keeping our kids safe from predators, which routinely posts personal information and photos of child predators in Northern Ireland. The decree stems from a suit brought by a convicted sex offender, only referred to as “XY.” XY claims that the Facebook page amounts to harassment, misuse of private info, and a violation of his privacy. He fears that…

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Sex offender suit against Ayer, police chief, gets underway

BOSTON – A civil rights suit launched by a local couple against the Town of Ayer and it’s police chief began Tuesday in U.S. District Court. Level 3 sex offender ____ ____, 39, and his wife ____ ____ , 23, seek to overturn as unconstitutional a new Ayer by-law that restricts where Level 2 and 3 sex offenders may live and loiter, and to stop the Ayer police from enforcing the bylaw against ____ ____ . Full Article

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Orange County Pervs-in-Parks Ban Violates State Constitution: Judicial Panel

[UPDATED with OCDA Reaction:] See the update at the end of this post with the district attorney’s reaction to the judicial panel’s decision and vow to continue fighting for the ordinance. The County of Orange ordinance that bars registered sex offenders from entering county parks and recreational areas has been ruled unlawful, according to a decision issued Nov. 15 by a panel of three Superior Court judges. The unanimous ruling does not apply to the ordinances several Orange County cities adopted at the urging of county Supervisor Shawn Nelson and…

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COURT DETERMINES ORANGE COUNTY SEX OFFENDER ORDINANCE UNLAWFUL

The ordinance passed by Orange County which prohibits all registrants from entering public parks, beaches, harbors and other recreational areas is unlawful, according to a panel of three Superior Court judges.  The unanimous decision was issued on November 15. According to this decision, the county ordinance violates the constitution of the State of California because it preempts existing state law which prohibits registrants from entering public parks but only if the registrant is on parole and offended against a child who is less than 14 years old.  That law is…

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California Law Isn’t Unfair to Sex Offenders, AG Says

A new California law that imposes harsh penalties on human trafficking is not unconstitutional toward sex offenders, the state attorney general told a federal judge. Californians Against Sexual Exploitation Act, or CASE, enacted by voters on Nov. 6, will require sex offenders to give police a complete list of their user names, screen names, email addresses and Internet service providers. Noting that sex offenders will be reluctant to participate in Internet forums if their identities will not remain anonymous, the American Civil Liberties Union and Electronic Frontier Foundation say the…

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Wasserman Schultz’ child-porn bill passes Congress

A bill designed to protect children from sexual predators has cleared Congress and is headed to the White House to be signed into law. “With President Obama’s signature, this law will help to rescue the thousands of children suffering from unthinkable abuse,” said Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Democrat from Weston, who sponsored the bill along with House Judiciary Chairman Lamar Smith, a Texas Republican. The bill’s passage is one sign that Congress can still get something done, especially when leaders from each party push a non-controversial measure. The bill…

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MI: Lifetime sex-offender registry for 14-year-old who sexually assaulted, robbed GVSU student

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — A 14-year-old Grand Rapids boy who joined another teen in a September sexual assault and robbery of a college student near John Ball Park is expected to be on the sex-offender registry for life. ____ ____, who turns 15 in January, pleaded guilty Tuesday, Nov. 27 to first-degree criminal sexual conduct and being an accessory after the fact in the Sept. 10 assault. Full Article

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Update: Simi Valley Halloween Ordinance Law Suit

California RSOL scored two victories this week in federal district court when Judge Anderson both granted a motion to protect the identities of the plaintiffs in the Simi Valley case and denied the city’s motion to dismiss the entire case.  As a result of the motion being granted, the identities of the plaintiffs will not be revealed and they will continue to be referred to us as either John or Jane Doe.  The judge’s denial of the city’s motion to dismiss means that the challenge to the lawsuit can continue.   The…

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Exonerating the Friedmans

Sometimes, after the credits roll, another—more important—story begins. In 2003, Andrew Jarecki and Marc Smerling released Capturing the Friedmans, the story of an average middle-class Jewish family destroyed by sex abuse charges against their then 18-year-old son, Jesse, and his father, Arnold. The film was nominated for an Academy Award, won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, and graced the tops of countless lists of best documentaries of all time. Amid all the praise, though, was a nagging sense—lobbed by some—that the filmmakers were ultimately too ambiguous about their main…

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CA RSOL Meeting in Bakersfield Feb 9, 2013

California RSOL will hold its first meeting in Bakersfield on February 9th, 2013. The meeting will focus upon issues of importance to registrants, such as residency restrictions and conditions of parole/probation, as well as family members. The meeting will be held at 925 17th Street, Bakersfield (please note address change on Nov 27) beginning at 10 a.m. There will be no media or government officials at the meeting. Attendance at the meeting is free. Hope to see you there!

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Suit Contests Limits on Online Activities of Sex Offenders

The ACLU and EFF argue that new law’s requirements violate the First Amendment. California’s sex offender registry, the nation’s oldest and largest, lists more than 74,000 living Californians convicted of sex crimes since 1947. Like sex offenders elsewhere in the nation, they have been increasingly restricted in recent years as communities have barred them from not only schoolyards and playgrounds but also beaches, libraries, harbors and other public places. Now, under a ballot initiative that California endorsed on Election Day, sex offenders’ movements will also be monitored in the digital…

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UPDATE: Prop 35 / TRO against collection of internet identifiers & providers

Registrants are not required to disclose their online identities to law enforcement for an extended period of time, according to a decision made by federal district court judge Thelton Henderson on November 14. As a result of this decision, law enforcement is blocked from requiring this information until at least January 11, 2013. Additional details regarding the judge’s decision can be found on the  Court Order. The judge will conduct a hearing in San Francisco on December 17 on a different issue. California RSOL is a plaintiff and an active…

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CA RSOL Meeting in LA January 19 [UPDATED]

Attorney Alex Landon will join California RSOL at its January 19 meeting in Los Angeles. Landon is a distinguished author as well as professor at the University of San Diego School of Law. He is a recognized expert on sex offender laws as is reflected in the book, “A Parallel Universe”, which he co-authored with noted journalist Elaine Halleck. Landon will make a short presentation during the meeting regarding current legal issues that challenge registrants and members of their families as well as describe why he wrote a book about…

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Collection of Internet Identifiers and Providers

The following is a screenshot of the front page of the official California Megans Law web site on November 14, 2012. This is for your information only and NOT to be construed as legal advice. Please keep in mind that, past this page “Any person who is required to register pursuant to Penal Code section 290 who enters this web site is punishable by a fine not exceeding $1,000, imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding six months, or by both the fine and imprisonment. (Pen. Code, § 290.46, subd.…

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How to Commit Internet Suicide and Disappear from the Web Forever

Note: while this is obviously does not work on all web sites, it might be of use to some extent. Sick of horribly embarrassing things showing up when potential employers Google your name? Tired of everyone knowing you live in a garden level dungeon apartment? Perhaps you just don’t like the fact the internet makes you easy to find. Thankfully, it’s not that hard to delete yourself entirely. Here’s how to do it. For mildly famous (or infamous) individuals, disappearing is essentially impossible, but for the average person it’s surprisingly…

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