Articles to Stay Informed:

Why Sex Offender Laws Do More Harm Than Good, ACLU of NJ:
http://www.aclu-nj.org/issues/criminaljustice/whysexoffenderlawsdomoreha.htm

Agency Won't Renew Sex Offenders Licenses, March 4, 2010:
http://www.pioneerlocal.com/pioneerpress/2070484,pioneer-press-sexoffenders-030410-s1.article

Lake Michigan College Suspends Students for Being Child Sex Offenders, March 4, 2010:  http://www.southbendtribune.com/article/20100304/News01/3040343/1130

Tragedy Fallout: Don’t Trust Jessica’s Law proponents for Good Ideas, March 4, 2010:  http://www.signonsandiego.com/weblogs/americas-finest/2010/mar/04/tragedy-fallout-dont-trust-megans-law-proponents-g/

Chelsea King Case: Outrage Over Sex Offender Monitoring Reaches White House, March 4, 2010:
John Walsh Said President Obama Vowed to Fund Federal Sex Offender Law
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/TheLaw/chelsea-king-case-outrage-sex-offenders-reaches-white/story?id=10006593
  
Obama featured on milestone America's Most Wanted, March 4, 2010:
http://www.examiner.com/x-8357-DC-TV-Examiner~y2010m3d4-Obama-featured-on-milestone-Americas-Most-
Wanted-broadcast

Bill to Increase Sentences for Sex Offenders Breezes Through Committee (MN), March 4, 2010:   http://www.twincities.com/ci_14513467?nclick_check=1

Sexting Bill Passes through Kentucky House, March 4, 2010:
Kentucky teens may see new repercussions if caught sexting.
http://www.wbko.com/news/headlines/86395237.html

Experts: Predator Laws Not Working, March 3, 2010:
Virtually every study done of the subject has concluded that Megan’s Law hasn’t reduced sex offenses,” said Shaun Martin, a law professor at the University of San Diego. “So it’s pretty clear at this point that the law doesn’t reduce crime.”
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/mar/03/experts-predator-laws-not-working/

Erik Estrada Urges Va. Fund for Child-Sex Investigators, March 3, 2010:
http://hamptonroads.com/2010/03/actor-erik-estrada-urges-va-fund-childsex-investigators

Erik Estrada Working With Virginia Task Forces March 3, 2010:
http://www.nbc29.com/Global/story.asp?S=12078121

Opinion: Let's Focus on the Most Dangerous Sex Offenders, March 3, 2010:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/readersrespond/bal-sexoffenderletter0303b,0,3910788.story

Sex Offender Lists have Their Limits, March 3, 2010:
"I worry more about the people that don't have to register," Naperville Sgt. Brian Cunningham said.
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/foxvalleysun/news/2080273,2_1_AU03_PEDOPHILE_S1-100303.article

Benton Harbor College Bans  Convicted Sex Offenders, March 3, 2010:
http://www.wlns.com/Global/story.asp?S=12076428
(What if they aren’t allowed to have Internet or they can’t afford to have it?)

Opinion: Sex Offender Laws Go Too Far, March 3, 2010:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/readersrespond/bal-sexoffenderletter0303,0,2240196.story

Filler-Corn Apparently Wins Virginia House Race in Fairfax, March 3, 2010:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/02/AR2010030202321.html

Keenan Confirmed for 4th Circuit Judgeship (Virginia) March 3, 2010:
http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/state_regional/article/KEEN03_20100302-221006/327929/

Threat Painted on Door of Chelsea King’s Accused Killer’s Parents, March 3, 2010:
http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/dpps/news/dpgonc-threat-painted-on-door-of-chelsea-king-accused-killer-parents-fc-20100303_6377863

Warsaw's Proposed Sex Offender Law Draws Mixed Reaction (NY) March 3, 2010:
http://www.thedailynewsonline.com/articles/2010/03/03/news/6534841.txt

Jindal Highlights Bills to Crackdown on Sexual Predators (LA), March 2, 2010:
http://www.kplctv.com/Global/story.asp?S=12073937

Offender Tracking with GPS has Flaws, March 2, 2010:
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/03/02/offender_tracking_with_gps_has_flaws/

Opinion: Is State Wise to Treat All Sex Offenders the Same? (MD), March 2, 2010:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/bal-op.rodricks0302,0,7241241.column

House Panel Passes Sex Offender Bill (SD) March 2, 2010:
http://www.argusleader.com/article/20100302/NEWS/3020331/1001/news

House Panel Advances King Bill on Indecency (CO), March 2, 2010:
http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/articles/house_panel_advances_king_bill/

Bill Would Ease Penalty for ‘Sexting’ (RI), March 2, 2010:
http://www.projo.com/news/content/RI_SEXTING_FOLO_03-02-10_BHHINLA_v9.3b41bcd.html

Proposed Law To Restrict Sex Offender Internet Use (CA), March 2, 2010:
http://www.ktvu.com/news/22722713/detail.html

Mich. State Police Accused of Ignoring Judicial Orders, March 1, 2010:
Dispute centers on interpretation of landmark DiPiazza underage sex offender case
http://michiganmessenger.com/35279/mich-state-police-accused-of-ignoring-judicial-orders

Wisconsin Bill May Override Local Sex-Offender Residency Rules, March 1, 2010:
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20100301/GPG0101/3010514/1207/GPG01/State-bill-may-override
-local-sex-offender-residency-rules

Lobbyists running in Tuesday's election for Va. House seat (Virginia) March 1, 2010:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/28/AR2010022803784.html

Letters: Sex Offender Registration, March 1, 2010:
http://www.argusleader.com/article/20100301/VOICES09/3010318/1057/COLUMNISTS

Wyoming Senate Advances House Sex Offender Bills (WY), March 1, 2010:
http://www.laramieboomerang.com/articles/2010/03/01/ap-state-wy/wy_xgr_sex_offenders.txt

Sandwich Requiring Sex Offender Registration Every 90 Days (IL), March 1, 2010:
http://www.daily-chronicle.com/articles/2010/03/01/85286304/index.xml

State Lawmakers Consider Sex Offender-Residency Bill (WI), March 1, 2010:
http://www.wbay.com/Global/story.asp?S=12064963

'Love' No Defense in Teen Sex Crimes, February 28, 2010:
Officials say teens, parents often don't know penalties for violating legal age of consent
http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/news/local/article_bc66e671-8b2b-5983-a28d-2ce42ec6b984.html

Opinion: Wary of Predators -- and Politicians, February 28, 2010:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bal-op.rodricks0228,0,622244.column

Danaher: Common Sense on Nudity (CO), February 28, 2010:
In our zeal to prevent another child from being molested, we are throwing the sex offender label at anyone who is convicted of any sex crime, no matter how minor. In Colorado, as in many other states, conviction of an indecent exposure crime was added to the list of those having mandatory sex offender registration. The list also includes things like child molestation, abduction and rape. And registration is for life. Giving streakers and rapists the same label is absolutely irrational.
The idea of a sex offender registry is that those identified can't be rehabilitated and therefore pose a danger to the public. And, logically, alerting an ex-con's neighbors and potential employers is a reasonable thing to do. Imagine that you had a toddler in a neighborhood with a repeat child molester living a few doors down. Or that you owned a day care, or ran a youth camp and were hiring help. You would like to know if you were making the children in your care accessible to a predator.
Adding streakers' names to the registry is ridiculous for two reasons. First, it isn't fair to the offender to have to live with such a shameful -- not to mention, inaccurate -- tag, forever. Second, because so many convicted of minor crimes are being added to the registry, the label is rapidly losing its significance. Nationwide, the sex offender registry is approaching 1 million people. But only a fraction of those are dangerous.
http://www.dailycamera.com/ci_14478956#axzz0gqXEyyaa

Sex Offender Laws Dominate Session (MD), February 27, 2010:
http://www.mdcoastdispatch.com/article.php?cid=30&id=8225

Salem Delegate Morgan Griffith Files to Run for Congress (Virginia), February 26, 2010:  http://www2.wsls.com/sls/news/state_regional/govtpolitics/article/salem_delegate_morgan_griffith_
files_to_run_for_congress/84040/

Sheriff's Office Gets Grant for Iris Scanning Technology (Virginia), February 26, 2010:  http://www.nvdaily.com/news/2010/02/sheriffs-office-gets-grant-for-iris-scanning-technology.php

Griffith Undecided About Whether to Fundraise for Congressional Run During Legislative Session (Virginia), February 26, 2010:
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/virginiapolitics/2010/02/post_609.html

Julia Tuttle Causeway Sex Offender Enclave Being Dismantled, February 26, 2010:
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/02/26/1502172/julia-tuttle-causeway-sex-offender.html

House Panel OKs Bill on Teen 'Sexting' (KY), February 25, 2010:
http://www.kentucky.com/2010/02/25/1155871/house-panel-oks-bill-on-teen-sexting.html

Opinion: Will Sex Offender Have to Pay for Old Crimes? February 25, 2010:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bal-op.rodricks0224,0,360096.column

High Court Considers Retro Effect of Sex Offender Law, February 24, 2010:
http://www.courthousenews.com/2010/02/24/25014.htm

Caution Urged on Sex Offender Legislation (MD), February 24, 2010:
Experts disagree on effective reform as 30 proposals await lawmakers
http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20100224/NEWS01/2240404/1002/Caution-urged-on-sex-offender-legislation

Stricter Laws Asked for Sex Crimes (MD,) February 24, 2010:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/legislature/bal-md.sexoffender24feb24,0,1354803.story

Breaking a Law…That Doesn’t Exist Yet, February 23, 2010:
Why the Supreme Court should overturn the retroactive application of a sex-offender statute.    http://www.newsweek.com/id/234031

Death Shows Gaps in Maryland's Supervision of Sex Offenders, February 23, 2010:
On Tuesday, Curran is scheduled to testify before the state House Judiciary Committee. He will probably voice support for so-called civil commitments of sex offenders beyond their prison terms. But most lawmakers say the economic reality for a state facing a nearly $2 billion budget gap -- as well as long-standing suspicion of civil commitments by liberal factions of Maryland's legislature -- will preclude them from launching a costly new program to hold violent sexual offenders indefinitely.
The committee is scheduled to begin hearing the first of at least 52 bills to tighten restrictions on sex offenders introduced since the December killing of Sarah Haley Foxwell.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/22/AR2010022204723.html?hpid=newswel

I-Team: Sex Offender Woes Pt. 2 (GA), February 23, 2010:
http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/dpp/news/i-team:-sex-offender-woes-pt.-2-022310
(Your Crime was Not Sexual, but you are Required to Register as a Sex Offender)

Five Years Later, State Sex-Offender Laws Revisited, February 23, 2010:
But now -- after time, a trial and the killer's death have dissolved the zeal that spurred the Jessica Lunsford Act in 2005 -- a number of lawmakers are rethinking how the state monitors sex offenders and whether current laws are really making children safer.
``The emotion and publicity and political science that comes into play after a horrific situation tends to create an overreaction,'' said Rep. Mike Weinstein, R-Jacksonville, a prosecutor.
``There is no empirical support that restrictions on where sex offenders live prevents sexual abuse or re-offending,'' said Levenson, a clinical social worker. ``Not every person who commits a sex crime is a predatory pedophile.''
This is the message Jennifer Dritt, a leading victim's advocate at the state Capitol preaches. As executive director of the Florida Council Against Sexual Violence, Dritt supported tougher restrictions on sex offenders. But she said the lesson from the Jessica Lunsford case was misunderstood. Most sexual offenders are not strangers across the street. The overwhelming majority are those with familial authority.
``In a positive vein, [Jessica's case] really raised awareness of sexual offender management issues,'' Dritt said. ``But I think it also sponsored a lot of knee-jerk reactions.''
Some lawmakers are starting to agree.
State Rep. Rich Glorioso, R-Plant City, is sponsoring legislation to revamp Florida's sex offender laws by implementing a ``circle of safety'' to protect children instead of strong residency restrictions on sexual offenders. The main provision of the bill (HB119) would prohibit sexual offenders from loitering within 300 feet of locations where children are present.
``Sometimes we focus on where those people live,'' Glorioso said. ``Where they are sleeping last night really isn't the issue. It's what they are doing when they are awake.''
He said he wants to protect children but readily acknowledges the problems in the existing laws. ``These people, whether we like it or not, still have constitutional rights,'' he said. ``I don't want to infringe upon their rights but I don't want to jeopardize my kids either.''
Glorioso said even though research shows the restrictions don't help, he plans to strike that part of his bill, blaming political opposition.
It's tough for lawmakers to walk the fine line.
``I think after a period of time you have to determine whether it's working the way you designed it to work,'' said Ron Book, a prominent lobbyist whose daughter was a victim of sexual abuse. But, he added, ``nobody wants to read a piece of mail in a campaign that they have somehow lessened child safety laws.''
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/02/23/1496249/five-years-later-state-sex-offender.html

I-Team: Sex Offender Woes Pt. 1 (GA), February 22, 2010:
http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/dpp/news/i-team%3A-sex-offender-woes-022210

Groups to Oppose Proposed Sex Offender Bills (MD) February 22, 2010:
http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/crime/blog/2010/02/groups_to_oppose_proposed_sex.html
(Yes!)

Boise Man Files Suit over Sex Offender Label, February 22, 2010:
http://www.fox12idaho.com/Global/story.asp?S=12023170

Editorial: Locked Up and Vulnerable, February 21, 2010:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/20/AR2010022002950.html
(It's good to see Congress discussing this issue, especially since Virginia had two facilities in the top 13 worst facilities for the country. http://judiciary.house.gov/hearings/hear_100223.html)

Connecticut Bill Would Reduce Penalty For 'Sexting' Between Consenting Minors, February 21, 2010:
http://www.courant.com/news/politics/hc-ct-sexting-0220.artfeb21,0,2706746.story

North Mason Students Get a Different Kind of Sex Education (WA), February 19, 2010:  http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/feb/19/not-too-taboo-north-mason-students-examine-sex/#ixzz0g74E7FDE
(Does consensual sex between an 18 year old and a 14 year old deserve the lifetime stigma of a Sex Offender? 8th grade students who happen to be 14 years old, studied the issue and concluded, No!)

Bill: Ban Sex Offenders from Living Near Schools (WY) February 19, 2010:
http://www.trib.com/news/state-and-local/article_580f776d-a4e4-5cbe-9796-c0d96c4797c3.html

13 Va. Legislators in Millionaire Club, February 19, 2010:
http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/state_regional/state_regional_govtpolitics/article/MILL19_20100218-223008/325365/

Governor Jindal Announces New Legislative Priorities to... (LA) February 19, 2010:
http://arklatexhomepage.com/content/fulltext/?cid=95422

Schools Security System Fight Suffers Blow (Virginia), February 19, 2010:
http://www2.insidenova.com/isn/news/local/article/schools_security_system_fight_suffers_blow/52565/

Tougher Sex-Offender Bills Die in Committee (Virginia), February 18, 2010:
http://www.henricocitizen.com/default.asp?sourceid=&smenu=141&twindow=Default&mad=No&sdetail=1894&wpage
=&skeyword=&sidate=&ccat=&ccatm=&restate=&restatus=&reoption=&retype=&repmin=&repmax=&rebed=&rebath=
&subname=&pform=&sc=1910&hn=henricocitizen&he=.com

Man Can Sue Officer Over City Pool Ban, Court Says, February 18, 2010:
http://www.courthousenews.com/2010/02/18/24820.htm

Bill Would Allow Sex Offenders in Shelters (SD), February 18, 2010:
http://www.argusleader.com/article/20100218/NEWS/2180330/1001

Marsden Bill Moves Forward (Virginia), February 17, 2010:
http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/article.asp?article=337757&paper=63&cat=104
(In reference to SB365, see Bulletin Board Posting #187 for details on this bill,
http://www.rsolvirginia.org/blog_187.html)

General Assembly Bill Would Remove Employer Names from Sex Offender Registry (Virginia), February 16, 2010:
http://www.wtkr.com/news/wtkr-va-sex-offender-bill-change,0,5941056.story
(In reference to SB365, see Bulletin Board Posting #187 for details on this bill,
http://www.rsolvirginia.org/blog_187.html)

Opinion: Employers Should Not be Marked for Offenders (Virginia) February 16, 2010:   
http://www.newsleader.com/article/20100217/OPINION01/2170305
(In reference to SB365, see Bulletin Board Posting #187 for details on this bill,
http://www.rsolvirginia.org/blog_187.html)

Bills Regulating Sex Offenders, Death Penalty Discussed (Virginia), February 16, 2010:   http://www.nvdaily.com/news/2010/02/bills-regulating-sex-offenders-death-penalty-discussed.php
(This article is so biased and filled with mis-information based totally on hysteria not facts that the RSOL of Virginia wrote to the author and sent a letter to the editor.
We then attempted to leave comments but it said the comments had to be approved by the blog administrator, as expected our comments were never posted.
We imagine the author and possibly the four sheriffs’ are friends, family or donors of Delegate Athey's. This article could be considered a political advertisement for Delegate Athey veiled as news.
In reference to HB1004, see Bulletin Board Posting #186 for details on this bill, http://www.rsolvirginia.org/blog_186.html)

Sex Offender Agency Faults Megan's Law Drawbacks (CA), February 16, 2010:
Sacrament- California's free-swinging approach to laws aimed at sex offenders has made thousands of them homeless, bloated the parolee database and spawned costly programs with little evidence they make residents safer, according to members of a state board that recommended several changes Tuesday.
Those laws also failed to help nab Phillip Garrido, the paroled rapist accused of abducting Jaycee Dugard, said lawmakers at a Capitol hearing Tuesday.
Just what they figure to do about it remains uncertain. A handful of state lawmakers at the hearing openly mulled the political risks of a "soft on crime" tag.
Homelessness has spread among the parolees, said Matthew Cate, secretary of corrections and rehabilitation. More than a quarter of the 8,750 offenders on parole are transient, and another 900 are at large, he said.
Before Jessica's Law, which barred sex offenders from living within 2,000 feet of a school or park where children regularly gather, fewer than 100 were homeless.
Cate said about 7,100 parolee sex offenders have GPS anklets, at a cost of more than $55 million a year.
Again expressing regret for the agency's handling of the Garrido case, Cate cited several changes made since, including more training for agents, a new level of parole management and closer scrutiny of GPS signals.
Some lawmakers asked whether some of the money would be better spent on treatment.
The state has largely ignored treatment, despite studies that show it significantly reduces recidivism, said Tom Tobin, a Contra Costa County psychologist and board member.
"Treatment is not coddling sex offenders. It's tough. Most sex offenders don't like it," he said. "It isn't a cure. It isn't magic. It doesn't have a positive outcome in all cases. But what does?"
Part of the trouble, said Deputy Attorney General Janet Neeley, is "stranger danger." High-profile abductions or murders often spawn expansive laws, when more than 90 percent of child sex abuse victims know their abusers.
Changes in Jessica's Law that could be seen as weakening it would need voter approval.
State Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, recalled being labeled "pure evil" by his own party when he balked at tough residency restrictions for sex offenders, before 70 percent of voters backed them in 2006.
"How we untie this knot now, I can tell you, is not going to be easy," he said.
http://www.mercurynews.com/top-stories/ci_14412670?nclick_check=1

Iris Scan to Help Track Sex Offenders (TN), February 16, 2010:
http://www.wsmv.com/news/22583612/detail.html

Global Sex Offender List Proposed, February 16, 2010:
http://michiganmessenger.com/34862/global-sex-offender-list-proposed

Board: Overhaul Sex Offender Rules February 15, 2010:
Proposed changes include targeting residency restrictions only to serious child predators and doing away with lifetime registration for some low-risk sex offenders.
The report concludes "that the significant increase in the rate of homelessness among sex offenders and lack of appropriate housing in California is the most serious issue facing the field of sex offender management."
http://www.kcra.com/news/22574426/detail.html

Bill Protects Employers of Sex Offenders (Virginia), February 15, 2010:
http://www.vagazette.com/articles/2010/02/15/news/doc4b7958701d8c3651100894.txt
(In reference to SB365, see Bulletin Board Posting #187 for details on this bill,
http://www.rsolvirginia.org/blog_187.html)

Bill Aims to Limit Where Sex Offenders Can Live (Virginia), February 15, 2010:
http://hamptonroads.com/2010/02/bill-aims-limit-where-sex-offenders-can-live
(In reference to HB1004, see Bulletin Board Posting #186 for details on this bill, http://www.rsolvirginia.org/blog_186.html)

Bill Further Restricts Sex Offenders (Virginia), February 14, 2010:
http://www.roanoke.com/politics/wb/236500
(In reference to HB1004, see Bulletin Board Posting #186 for details on this bill, http://www.rsolvirginia.org/blog_186.html)

Bill Re-Writes Rules for Sex Offenders (Virginia), February 14, 2010:
http://www.nbc12.com/Global/story.asp?S=11985321

Sex Offenders Face Housing Limits in Oklahoma, February 13, 2010:
http://newsok.com/sex-offenders-face-housing-limits/article/3439271

Sex Offender Law Could Go Global with California Lawmaker's Bill, February 12, 2010:
California Republican Rep. Dan Lungren is proposing a worldwide crackdown on high-risk sex offenders and sex trafficking.
Under his bill, convicted sex offenders would have to tell local law enforcement of their travel plans 21 days before leaving their country. That information would then be shared with diplomatic officials in foreign countries, who could keep track of the offenders. Lungren is already working with the Mexican government on the proposal.
The American Civil Liberties Union opposes the plan, saying it would be wrong to impose new restrictions on people who already have served their sentences.
However, Michael Macleod-Ball, the ACLU's chief legislative and policy counsel, said he fears the bill will pass because no one in Congress will want to cast a vote that could be interpreted as supporting sex offenders.
"Absolutely, we're worried about something like this passing because it's very easy to get a yes vote," he said. "Maybe we should say the converse: If you vote against something like this, you sort of stick out like a sore thumb."
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics/AP/story/1477121.html

Opinion: Pawlenty Plans to Get Tougher on Sex Offenders, February 12, 2010:
http://www.dl-online.com/event/article/id/51008/group/Opinion/

Opinion: Sex Offender Legislation Would Go Too Far (MD), February 12, 2010:
In fact, registration of so many very low risk offenders, those who are first-time, non-violent, non-contact offenders, for example, or "Romeo and Juliet" offenders, or those whose offenses were many years ago and who have not re-offended, renders the registry far less useful as a tool for parents and law enforcement. Tightening registration, expanding the list, lengthening the term of registration, and imposing residency restrictions and public notification requirements, as has been proposed in the legislature, will only bloat the registry even more. It will make it harder for former offenders who pose little or no risk to reintegrate into society, expose them and their families to serious risk of harm at the hands of those who misuse registry information to harass, threaten and even kill registrants, and cost the state money that would be far better spent on closer supervision of the truly predatory.
The Maryland legislature needs to think again before it responds to this senseless tragedy with knee-jerk, feel-good laws that would not have saved Sarah and will not protect other children from a similar fate.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/readersrespond/bal-sexoffenderletter0212,0,2109123.story

Jessica's Law: How to Punish Child Molesters, February 12, 2010:
http://www.helium.com/items/1735914-jessicas-law-one-size-fits-all-is-bad-law-prevention-of-child-abuse

Offender House is Needed, February 12, 2010:
http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/268795/

Editorial: Chandler Flap Illustrates Sex Offender Conundrum, February 12, 2010:
http://newsok.com/chandler-flap-illustrates-sex-offender-conundrum/article/3438907

Sexting Leads To Teen Having To Register As A Sex Offender, February 11, 2010:
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1631734/20100211/index.jhtml

New Laws Meant to Protect Causing Problems (NE), February 11, 2010:
http://www.kptm.com/Global/story.asp?S=11974871

Lawmakers Struggle with Sex Offender Issues (ME), February 11, 2010:
http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/136677.html

No Longer a Registered Sex Offender, but the Stigma Remains
February 11, 2010:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/02/11/oklahoma.teen.sex.offender/index.html?hpt=C1
(A Must Read!)

Proposals Seek 'Sensitive Balance' in Teen Sexting (IL), February 11, 2010:
"If our job is to protect our children, why in the heck would we want to make them sex offenders for the rest of their lives?" said Richard Wistocki, a Naperville police officer who investigates juvenile Internet crimes and testified in support of the proposed legislation.
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=358446&src=109

Opinion: Targeting Sex Offenders, February 11, 2010:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/editorial/bal-ed.sexoffenders0211,0,7617461.story

Lawmaker Wants Juvenile Sex Offender Registry (TN) February 11, 2010:
http://www.wsmv.com/news/22525278/detail.html

Allen Hunt Radio Show: Sex Offenders Revisted, February 10, 2010:
http://www.allenhuntshow.com/Listen/1033-sex-offenders-revisited
(Audio, 39 minutes)

Juveniles Crowd Mich. Sex Offender Registry, February 10, 2010:
More than 3,500 teen and pre-teen sex offenders on state list
All sex offenders in Michigan -– juveniles and adults alike -– face a minimum of 25 years on the state registry, along with requirements to check-in regularly with law enforcement and other restrictions. The maximum registration requirement is life.
While there are relatively few 9-12 year olds on the registry (145 cases adjudicated) there are many more registered teenage sex offenders age 13-17 (2,361 cases).
“It’s shocking,” said Shelli Weisberg, legislative director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan, referring to the juvenile sex offender statistics. “I’m pretty surprised at the numbers. They’re bigger than I thought they would be.”
Most of the juvenile sex offenders are likely only listed on the private or “law enforcement-only” registry -– not the public online registry -– but they are still subject to the quarterly registration requirements. Further penalties loom if the registrant fails to check-in on time with law enforcement.
Under the provisions of the federal Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act that Michigan must comply with later this year, the state may have to do away with the private registry all together -– which could force most juvenile sex offenders onto the online registry for the duration of their registration requirements.
“Under Adam Walsh, all those kids over 14 would be on the public registry,” said Weisberg. “Every single one of them.”
The federal sex offender definition excludes juveniles less than 14 years old.
http://michiganmessenger.com/34538/juveniles-well-represented-on-mich-sex-offender-registry

Pawlenty: Keep Sex Offenders in Prison (MN) February 10, 2010:
Sex offenders could have their sentences doubled -- serving up to 25 years -- under a proposal by Gov. Tim Pawlenty on Tuesday.
The proposal came on a day when Pawlenty and legislators jousted over the expansion of a controversial program to treat the state's growing sex offender population.
In the past decade, Minnesota has witnessed a 40 percent increase in incarcerated sex offenders, Pawlenty said -- the biggest increase in state history.
Longer sentences would not affect those already in prison, but new offenders convicted of first-degree criminal sexual conduct would see their presumptive sentence go from 12 to 25 years.
http://www.startribune.com/politics/state/83980552.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUUZ

YMCA's Policies for Sex Offenders Causing Some Problems for Members, February 8, 2010:  http://www.newswest9.com/Global/story.asp?S=11953938

Bills Split on Residency Rules for Sex Offenders (NH), February 7, 2010:
http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100207/GJNEWS_01/702079872/-1/fosnews

Is Long Arm of the Law Too Long? February 7, 2010:
http://www.vindy.com/news/2010/feb/07/is-long-arm-of-the-law-too-long/?newswatch

Assembly Disposes of Hundreds of Bills (Virginia), February 6, 2010:
Cross-over Day is February 16th.
http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/state_regional/state_regional_govtpolitics/article/LEGI06_20100205-210208/322584/

Debate Over ‘Sexting' Heats Up, February 6, 2010:
http://www.vvdailypress.com/news/debate-17171-phone-known.html

Are New Laws Making Sex Offender Tracking Tougher (FL)? February 5, 2010:
New laws have increased the price for new identification, and the amount of paperwork needed to show proof of residency at the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
Officials said many sex offenders are homeless or move around a lot.
A sex offender’s license must have the correct address listed, or they could face a third-degree felony charge.
Authorities said in certain cases, the new laws are making it much tougher on sex offenders trying to register.
“The identification law is something that Homeland Security came up with, so when people come in, they are who they say they are,” said Lt. Todd Goodyear, with the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office. “It wasn’t aimed at sex offenders, but for a lot of these guys, particularly with residency, it’s hard for them to prove it.”
Before October 2009, it cost $10 to renew a license. Now, it costs $25.
Brevard County officials said many sex offenders move around several times a year, which can become a financial strain.
Officials said in some cases, these new rules make it more difficult for them to track the offenders, and more difficult for the offenders to comply
http://www.cfnews13.com/News/Local/2010/2/5/are_new_laws_making_sex_offender_tracking_tougher.html

Mississippi Senate Pushes Sex Offender Bill Through, February 5, 2010:
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2010/02/mississippi_senate_pushes_sex_offender_bill_through.html

On Ethics: Should the Sex Offender be Invited to the Party? February 5, 2010:
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/life/religion/6851589.html

YMCAs Revoke Memberships of Registered Sex Offenders, February 4, 2010:
Offender Advocates Say the YMCA Should Help One-Time Criminals Reform
The new policy by the Connecticut YMCAs is the latest in a spreading movement by YMCAs. Similar programs already exist at Ys in Florida, Wisconsin, Indiana and Michigan.  
http://abcnews.go.com/US/ymca-community-centers-membership-sex-offenders/story?id=9737459

 To ‘Fix’ Sex Offender Registry (IN) February 4, 2010:
At issue is the state Supreme Court’s ruling last year that Richard P. Wallace, convicted of child molesting in 1989, no longer had to register as a sex offender because the crime was committed before the law that created the registry was enacted in 1994.
In the aftermath, some sheriff’s departments – including Allen County’s – took the ruling to mean anyone who committed a crime before the registry existed should come off the list. Those departments began scrubbing names from local registries.
But officials with the Indiana Department of Correction, keepers of the official statewide registry, interpreted it as applying only to Wallace.
Anyone who wants to be removed from the registry must appear before a judge and obtain a court order, according to the department.
As a result, some local registries of sex offenders began to conflict with the statewide registry.
The Attorney General’s Office counseled the Department of Correction to interpret the ruling as applying only to Wallace, a spokesman for the Department of Correction told The Journal Gazette last month.
The situation changed recently with a recent court filing in Hendricks County.
In that filing – part of one man’s lawsuit against the Department of Correction – Deputy Attorney General Scott L. Barnhart wrote that the Wallace ruling does indeed apply to everyone in Indiana who committed a sex crime before 1994.
The Supreme Court’s decision effectively changed Indiana law, Barnhart wrote.
It’s still up to offenders to obtain a court order from a local judge to be removed from the state’s list, according to Corbin.
The Department of Correction will not remove a name without one.
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20100204/LOCAL07/302049953/1043/LOCAL07

Arizona Senate Panel Endorses 'Sexting' Bill, February 4, 2010:
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2010/02/03/20100203sexting-bill-arizona.html

Oregon Sex Offender Terms Apply to Nonoffenders, February 4, 2010:
http://www.ktvz.com/Global/story.asp?S=11935431

Obama Juvenile Justice Budget Down; Earmark Disputes Loom, February 4, 2010:
http://thecrimereport.org/2010/02/04/obama-juvenile-justice-budget-down-earmark-disputes-loom/

Funding Internet Crime Task Forces a Struggle (Virginia) February 3, 2010:
http://www.nbc29.com/Global/story.asp?S=11927661

Del. Charles Poindexter's Report (Virginia), February 3, 2010:
Another bill I submitted, HB 855, relates to the Sex Offender Registry website. This bill would require that entries on the website include an indicator if a registered offender is wanted for any other criminal offense.
We were able to reach an agreement with the Virginia State Police on this issue and, in the future, the Sex Offender and Crimes Against Minors Registry website will also include this indicator.
As this matter was resolved administratively with the State Police, I removed that bill from consideration. I appreciate the State Police willingness to work with us on this improvement.
http://www.wpcva.com/articles/2010/02/03/chatham/opinion/opinion08.txt
(The RSOL of Virginia finds it very interesting that the 2010 version of this Bill is being done without a bill rolling through the Legislative process. The 2009 version was sent from the 2009 General Assembly to be reviewed by the Virginia Crime Commission last summer and autumn and they practically ignored it.)

Father of Teen "Sexter": My Child's Not a Sex Offender, February 3, 2010:
http://www.mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=279116

Schuyler Lawmakers Reconsider Residency Law for Sex Offenders, February 3, 2010:
County legislature may rescind measure
http://www.stargazette.com/article/20100203/NEWS01/2030352/1113/Schuyler-lawmakers-reconsider-residency-law-for-sex-offenders

Allen Hunt Radio Show: It Isn't Just Trolls Under Bridges These Days, February 3, 2010: 
http://www.allenhuntshow.com/Listen/1017-it-isnt-just-trolls-under-bridges-these-days   
(Audio, 39 minutes)

Acting Your Age Continues To Be A Felony, February 2, 2010:
If, increasingly, sex offenders are just teens who got caught goofing off, the label "sex offender" should eventually lose some of its stigma. Uh...don't think that's a good thing, and it's especially not a good thing that a minor violation that should be dealt with with a stern talking-to by parents ends up dogging kids for the rest of their lives.
http://amyalkon.mensnewsdaily.com/?p=1188

Opinion: Focusing on Sex Offenders, February 2, 2010:
If the court does not uphold this ruling, North Carolina could still pass its own state civil commitment law, following in the footsteps of states that already have such laws in place but have not produced evidence that there has been a drop in the rate of sex crimes as a result of such policies.
Recent research has now questioned the efficacy of policies designed to identify and intensely monitor sex offenders. In a 2008 study from New York State's Department of Corrections, rates of sex crimes were compared for the 10 years prior to the passage of Megan's law (sex offender registry) to the 10 years after the registry was put into effect. This study found that even after the passage of the registration law, there was no change in the rate of sex crimes because more than 96 percent of all sexual crimes are committed by first-time offenders.
In other words, the law had no effect on reducing the number of sexual assaults because less than 4 percent of these crimes were committed by repeat offenders. So although state and federal governments have spent billions of dollars to contain and monitor offenders in the community, these efforts have not reduced the number of victims who have suffered through the experience of a sexual assault, as they do not capture the range of individuals at risk of committing a sex crime.
http://www.newsobserver.com/opinion/columnists_blogs/other_views/story/316063.html

Court: Calif. Sex Predator Law Needs More Hearings, February 1, 2010:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/02/01/national/a110236S35.DTL

Mixed Ruling on Sex Offender Residency Law (CA), February 1, 2010:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/feb/01/mixed-ruling-sex-offender-residency-law/

A Law for the Sex Offenders Under a Miami Bridge, February 1, 2010:
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1957778,00.html?xid=rss-topstories

Granados Column: The Last Word on the Strange Case of Joshua Curtis (Virginia), January 31, 2010: http://www2.insidenova.com/isn/news/opinion/columns/article/granados_column_the_last_word_on_the_strange_
case_of_joshua_curtis/51395/

CA Court Questions Legality Of Indefinite Sex Offender Terms, January 29, 2010:
http://thecrimereport.org/2010/01/29/ca-court-questions-constitutionality-of-indefinite-sex-offender-terms/

Two Lacey Teens Arrested in 'Sexting' Case (WA), January 29, 2010:
Lacey police arrested two Chinook Middle School students Tuesday - a 14-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl - for allegedly sending photo messages of a naked 14-year-old girl to classmates via a cell phone.
http://www.theolympian.com/localhighlight/story/1119293.html

Legislature Debates Changing Sex Offender Registry (Maine) January 29, 2010:
Supreme Court Ruling Necessitates Changes
http://www.wmtw.com/mostpopular/22372813/detail.html

Web Letter by Dan Headlee: Sex-Offender Restrictions Lead to Joblessness, Homelessness January 29, 2010:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20100129/EDIT09/301299975/1021/EDIT

Pete Townshend: Super Bowl Pariah? January 29, 2010:
http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/child-porn-past-make-townshend-super-bowl-pariah/story?id=9688641

Plan to Change Registry Altered (SD, January 29, 2010:
AG proposal means sex offenders must petition to move to lower tier
http://www.argusleader.com/article/20100129/NEWS/1290322/1001/news

Wisconsin State Senate Approves Sex-Education Bill, January 29, 2010:
The amendment would require teachers to tell students they could face criminal charges and wind up on the sex offender registry for having sex with fellow students younger than 16.    
http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_14290987

Ministering to Sex Offenders, January 29, 2010:
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/episodes/january-29-2010/ministering-to-sex-offenders/5591/

Man Admits to Cartoon Porn, Now Sex Offender January 29, 2010:
An Australian man has admitted to having pornographic images of cartoon characters, including those from The Simpsons and The Powerpuffs Girls, and now must register as a sex offender, reported The Queensland Times .
Ars technicia reported that the Australian Supreme Court ruled in 2008 that sexually explicit illustrations of children qualify as child pornography.
In 2008 another child pornography case also featuring characters from The Simpsons, an Australian judge ruled that though the cartoons may not be realistic depictions of children, they should still be considered people and therefore could be ruled as child pornography .
Though not considered pornography, cartoon mother Marge Simpson recently graced the cover of Playboy magazine .
http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/dpps/news/dpgo-man-admits-to-cartoon-porn-now-sex-offender-fc-20100129_5845041

Legislators, Governor Introduce Sex Offender Bills (MD) January 29, 2010:
With no less than 24 bills introduced thus far in the General Assembly, including two co-sponsored by Senator Lowell Stoltzfus, who represents Worcester County and the Lower Shore, it is clear some substantial changes in the state’s sex offender laws will come out of the current session.
“There is going to be a whole battery of bills debated this session and all of them deserve careful consideration,” said Mathias. “I’m not sure at this point how it will all work out, but Maryland’s laws will be strengthened.”
Meanwhile, Governor Martin O’Malley on Wednesday introduced his own legislation aimed at strengthening Maryland’s sex offender laws. The governor’s series of initiatives includes, among other things, lifetime supervision for certain sex offenders, stronger notification and registration procedures, the addition of those convicted of indecent exposure of the possession of child pornography on the registrations and criminal background checks for employees of facilities that care for or supervise children.
“There should be absolutely no mercy shown to anyone who harms a child in our state, and our legislation serves to impose the strictest standards of supervision to ensure that Maryland’s children are protected,” O’Malley said this week. “There is a lot we do better than we used to as a state with regard to public safety, and there still a lot of work to be done.”
Another of O’Malley’s initiatives announced this week is reconvening the state’s Sexual Offender Advisory Board, which was first established in 2006 and charged with making recommendations on policy. However, members of that initial board were not required to have any special skills necessary for certifying programs, conducting training or even making policy decisions. For that reason, O’Malley announced this week he is tapping former Maryland Attorney General Joseph Curran to chair the panel this time around.
“I have long been a supporter of lifetime supervision for our state’s most violent sexual predators,” Curran said this week. “The proposed board will ensure that experts with specialized experience working with both victims and offenders are addressing these extremely serious cases.”
http://www.mdcoastdispatch.com/article.php?cid=30&id=8014

Jessica's Law Dilemma: Homeless Sex Offenders (CA) January 28, 2010:
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/iteam&id=7245220
(IF HB1004 passes in Virginia the same will happen here! For more about HB1004, see Bulletin Board Posting #186, http://www.rsolvirginia.org/blog_186.html )

Registered Sex Offender Worries About Crime Printed in Publication (TN) January 28, 2010:
This man was charged with statutory rape more than thirteen years ago.  But now his crime is publicized in a magazine and he's concerned because he says it's happened several times.
In 1997, he was charged with statutory rape.  he was 18 and his girlfriend was 15.
"She found out she was pregnant, the victim's family was gonna let us get married. Before we had a chance to get married the police found out about it. The age difference and decided to prosecute me," said the man.
But now his name is on the sexual offender registry and is public record.
"The main part that concerns me is it affecting my children, I want my children to have as normal a life as they can," said the man.
He worries about how his crime will affect their lives.  He says it's been publicized in a weekly magazine called Busted several times.
"If you're gonna pick 10 or 15, the next week it should be a different set of 15 people, not the same ones," said the man.
The publication only says he was charged with statutory rape not why he was charged.
http://www.wrcbtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=11892672

Sex Offender Registries a Problem Across the Country January 28, 2010:
http://www.wbez.org/Content.aspx?audioID=39675

13- and 12-Year Old Charged With Sexting Nude Photos, January 28, 2010:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35129006/ns/local_news-chicago_il/

Panel Looks At Changes In Sex Offender Registry (SD) January 28, 2010:
http://www.keloland.com/News/NewsDetail6375.cfm?Id=95805

Views Differ on Changing Sexual Offender Registration System (SD) January 28, 2010:
http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/news/article_2e75fc80-0bbb-11df-98f7-001cc4c002e0.html

Editorial: Close the Sex Offenders' Camp (FL) January 28, 2010:
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/story/1450075.html

Pete Townshend Labeled 'Sex Offender at Large' as Miami Residents Protest at him Performing at Super Bowl with The Who, January 28, 2010:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1246676/Pete-Townshend-labelled-sex-offender-large-Miami-residents-
protest-performing-Super-Bowl-The-Who.html

Ordinance Limiting Where Sex Offenders Can Live Heads to State Supreme Court (PA) January 28, 2010:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10028/1031646-454.stm

Oklahoma Lawmakers Propose New Laws Targeting Sex Offenders, January 28, 2010:    
http://www.newson6.com/Global/story.asp?S=11861413

O'Malley Hopes To Improve Sex Offender Monitoring (MD) January 27, 2010:
http://wjz.com/wireapnewsmd/O.Malley.pushes.2.1452510.html

Bill to Increase Sex Offender Penalties Clears Committee (DE) January 27, 2010:
http://www.sussexcountian.com/newsnow/x231960197/Bill-to-increase-sex-offender-penalties-clears-committee

Defense Attys Challenge Sex Offender's Sentence, January 27, 2010:
Georgia defense attorneys on Wednesday challenged the 30-year federal minimum mandatory sentence for those convicted of aggravated child sexual abuse in a case prosecutors warn could set a sweeping precedent throughout the nation.
The case before the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals has provoked criticism from the House Republicans who drafted the sex offender crackdown that calls for the stiff penalties. It also played a key role in the confirmation hearing for Beverly Martin, the circuit's newest appeals judge, who was the federal judge in the case at hand.
Led by U.S. Rep. Eric Cantor, the No. 2 House Republican, several lawmakers filed an amicus brief warning upholding the ruling would "abridge Congress' authority to impose punishment" that it deems appropriate. It also warned it would undermine penalties aimed at criminals who cause "debilitating psychological, emotional and physical trauma" to victims.
http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/dpp/news/Attys-Challenge-Sex-Offender's-Sentence-012710

Teen “Sexting” Case Reaches U.S. Appeals Court, January 26, 2010:
http://blogs.alternet.org/speakeasy/2010/01/26/teen-sexting-case-reaches-u-s-appeals-court/

Lifetime Supervision Sought for Some Sex Offenders (MD) January 26, 2010:
http://www.hometownannapolis.com/news/gov/2010/01/26-07/Lifetime-supervision-sought-for-some-sex-offenders.html

Sex Offender Tries to Hide Status on Driver's License, January 26, 2010:
http://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/sex-25129-offender-line.html

Second Opinion: Time to Depoliticize Sex Offenders, January 25, 2010:
http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/2010/01/time_to_depoliticize_sex_offen.html

Legislative Committees to Take Up Sexting Bills Tuesday (IN), January 25, 2010:
http://www.wibc.com/news/Story.aspx?ID=1188534

Voters May ‘Regulate’ Sex Offenders (MO), January 25, 2010:
http://www.stjoenews.net/news/2010/jan/25/voters-may-regulate-sex-offenders/?local

'Sexting' is No Felony, Bill Says (PA) January 25, 2010:
'Dumb thing' shouldn't scar teens for years, lawmaker argues
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10025/1030881-454.stm
(Yes!)

Granados Column: Further Down the Rabbit Hole We Go (Virginia), January 24, 2010:
http://www2.insidenova.com/isn/news/opinion/columns/article/granados_column_further_down_the_rabbit_hold_we_go/50938/
(Very Good!)

Virginia State Police Monitor Registered Sex Offenders, January 24, 2010:
http://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-local_sexualpredators_0124jan24,0,6192860.story

Few Holes in State's Sex Offender Laws, (Virginia) January 24, 2010:
http://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-local_sexualpredatorsside_01jan24,0,4079754.story

Fed. Judge Addresses Challenges to Statutes (NB), January 23, 2010:
http://www.nptelegraph.com/articles/2010/01/23/news/60005341.txt

Officers Face ‘Balancing Act’ When Sex Offenders are on Probation, January 23, 2010:
http://www.bristolpress.com/articles/2010/01/23/news/doc4b5baa6d75436397525121.txt

Miami-Dade OK's New Sex Offender Law, January 22, 2010:
A new Miami-Dade sex offender ordinance will supersede some of the stricter city ordinances passed by local municipalities, including Miami's.
http://www.miamiherald.com/460/story/1439053.html?storylink=omni_popular

School Board Approves Sex Offender Policy (Virginia), January 22, 2010:
http://www.nbc29.com/Global/story.asp?S=11867017

AG OKs Sex-Offender Bylaw (MA), January 22, 2010:
http://www.nashobapublishing.com/townsend_news/ci_14245985

Local Resident Pressures County Schools to Reveal Visitor Identities (Virginia) January 21, 2010:
In House Bill 977—submitted last week by Rich Anderson, R-51st—exceptions to the FOIA rule would include software programs, data or other records relating to electronic or automated security systems used to monitor or control access to public school buildings or other school property.
And HB 689—submitted by Del. Jackson H. Miller, R-50th—would stipulate that those being provided a writ of mandamus would be served with a copy before filing.
http://www2.insidenova.com/isn/news/local/article/local_resident_pressures_county_schools_to_reveal_visitor_identities/50853/

Bill: More Limits for Sex Offenders (Virginia), January 21, 2010:
http://www.winchesterstar.com/pages/view/offenders.html
(In reference to HB1004, see Bulletin Board Posting #186 for details on this bill, http://www.rsolvirginia.org/blog_186.html )

Keeping Tabs on Sex Offenders (OH), January 21, 2010:
State bill would increase counties' address checks
http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/01/21/CHECKUP.ART_ART_01-21-10_B1_PCGC7HS.html?sid=101

Legislators Plan to Review Sex-Offender Laws (DE) January 21, 2010:
“Rather than going for headlines, we should be going for goal lines”
http://www.capegazette.com/storiescurrent/201001/sex-offender19.html

Senate Bill could block sex offenders from social networking sites (AL) January20, 2010: http://www.waff.com/Global/story.asp?S=11855423

Panel: Rethink Lifetime Supervision for Sex Offenders (IA), January 20, 2010:
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20100120/NEWS10/1200350/-1/SPORTS09/Panel-Rethink-lifetime-supervision-for-sex-offenders

Sex Offender Property Could be Seized under Alabama House Bill, January 19, 2010:
Adults using a computer to solicit a juvenile for sexual activity could find themselves without a home, car or computer.
The Alabama House voted 95-0 to pass a bill by Democratic Rep. Ken Guin of Carbon Hill that allows authorities to confiscate the property of a person convicted of using a computer to lure a young person to meet for sexual reasons.
An exception is the house, car or other property can't be confiscated if it is needed by a spouse or child who did not know the computer was being used to solicit a child.
http://blog.al.com/live/2010/01/sex_offender_property_could_be.html

Sex Registry Called Vague (SD), January 19, 2010:
Proposals intended to better distinguish types of offenders
http://www.argusleader.com/article/20100119/NEWS/1190328/1001/news

Hecht Argues for Civil Commitment of Violent Sexual Offenders (MD) January 19, 2010:
Delegate Michael D. Smigiel Sr., an Eastern Shore Republican who serves on the House Judiciary Committee, is concerned about child predators but does not favor civil commitment.
He cited concerns about due process when someone not charged with a crime is locked up indefinitely.
"Because you're a threat to society, we're going to lock you up forever?" Smigiel asked. "Who's next? Those who speak against the philosophy of whoever's in power."
Instead, he suggests increasing criminal penalties. He has filed a bill that would prevent a prosecutor from offering plea deals with concurrent sentences in cases where a predator is sentenced for abuse of several children.
http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/news/display.htm?StoryID=100253

Lincoln Attorney Files Grievance Against AG Bruning, January 19, 2010:
http://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/article_c51a4468-0529-11df-a965-001cc4c002e0.html

Jumping Ugly in Virginia, January 18, 2010:
http://defendingsexcrimes.blogspot.com/2010/01/jumping-ugly-in-virginia.html
(In reference to HB1004, see Bulletin Board Posting #186 for details on this bill, http://www.rsolvirginia.org/blog_186.html )

Granados Column: Joshua Curtis Goes Down the Rabbit Hole, (Virginia) January 17, 2009: http://www2.insidenova.com/isn/news/opinion/columns/article/granados_column_the_surreal_world_of_sex_crime_law/50526/
(Thanks to a brave and determined mother the Piedmont Regional Jail situation http://www.rsolvirginia.org/blog_163.html) has finally made it to the press.
There will be future pieces by this reporter on Josh's story, stay tuned).

U.S. Supreme Court: Throwing Away the Key for Sex Offenders? January 17, 2010:
In January 2009, an appeals court panel in Richmond, Va., said the act's provision granted "the federal government unprecedented authority over civil commitment -- an area long controlled by the states." The appeals court panel agreed with a federal judge that the provision "exceeds the limits of congressional power and intrudes on the powers reserved to the states." The Obama administration then asked the Supreme Court for review.
The Supreme Court heard argument last week in the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act challenge. The dispute is making for some strange bedfellows.
The Obama administration, represented by Solicitor General Elena Kagan, aggressively defended the federal act in argument. The administration's brief to the high court, defining who is eligible for civil commitment, said "the term 'sexually dangerous person' requires the government to make two showings (to a federal judge) by 'clear and convincing evidence.' ... First, the government must prove that the (prisoner) has previously 'engaged or attempted to engage in sexually violent conduct or child molestation.' ... Second, the government must prove 'that the person suffers from a serious mental illness, abnormality, or disorder as a result of which he would have serious difficulty in refraining from sexually violent conduct or child molestation if released.'"
The committed prisoner can request regular re-evaluation at six-month intervals, but the commitment can be open-ended.
The government's argument relies, not on the ubiquitous Commerce Clause -- which gives Congress the power to regulate interstate commerce and is used to underwrite a broad category of federal laws -- but the Necessary and Proper Clause of the Constitution: "The Congress shall have power ... (to) make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and all other powers vested by this Constitution in the government of the United States. ... "
Besides the Obama administration, 31 state attorneys general told the Supreme Court they support the federal act.
And not everyone agrees that recidivism is inevitable for sexual offenders. In 2008, columnist Carl Bialik wrote in The Wall Street Journal: "It's common to hear claims that (past sexual offenders are) sure to commit more sex crimes. ... But ... the numbers don't bear this out. Recidivism rates vary widely depending on which crimes are counted, the time frame of the studies and whether repeat offenses are defined by convictions, arrests or self-reporting. But even the author of a widely published report suggesting a recidivism rate of 52 percent, Wisconsin psychologist Dennis Doren, told me of the notion that all sex criminals are likely to re-offend, 'There is no research support for that view, period.'"
But such questions are not part of the current debate. No court, not even the Supreme Court, wants to appear timid or soft when it comes to those who prey on children or the defenseless. The question is only which level of government will do the committing.
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2010/01/17/US-Supreme-Court-Throwing-away-the-key-for-sex-offenders/UPI-43591263717000/

Group Seeking Reform of Texas Sex Offender Registration Requirements, January 17, 2010:   http://www.24-7pressrelease.com/press-release/group-seeking-reform-of-texas-sex-offender-registration-requirements-132958.php

Courts Want 'Sexting' To Be Punishable By Law, January 16, 2010:
Pennsylvania prosecutor told a U.S. appellate court on Friday that a teenage girl found topless in a "sexting" cell phone picture should face child-pornography charges.
http://www.redorbit.com/news/technology/1810223/courts_want_sexting_to_be_punishable_by_law/

Appeals Court Considers: Is "Sexting" Pornography? January 16, 2010:
In 2008, then-Wyoming County District Attorney George Skumanick Jr. threatened to prosecute the girls unless they attended what their lawyers called "re-education" classes and wrote an essay about why sexting was wrong. In response, the girls and their parents won a lower court ruling that blocked the district attorney, who appealed.
Yesterday, before the three-judge panel, a lawyer for Skumanick said the intent was a legitimate effort to protect the teens from themselves and potential child predators, and compared it to other state laws - such as motor-vehicle rules - that regulate teen behavior.
That outraged ACLU lawyer Witold J. Walczak, who argued that the prosecutor cannot accuse the girls of being pornographers under the guise of protecting them from pornographers.
"We've been mystified how anyone can look at these photos as pornography," he said. "These photos are not even close calls."
This is the first appeals court case concerning sexting, the reach of the state child-pornography law, and the First Amendment, said Scranton lawyer Michael J. Donohue, who is representing Skumanick.
Donohue argued that prosecutors have the right to prevent behavior by a child that could endanger that child. Children "are putting themselves and other children at risk" of being exploited by sex offenders who may see the photographs, he said.
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/81849207.html

Wrongfully Convicted Man Says Compensation Too Low (Virginia) January 16, 2010:
A Richmond man convicted of a 1979 rape he did not commit is upset with a proposed $107,078 payment to compensate him for eight years he spent in prison.
"I feel like I've been slapped in the face," said Victor Anthony Burnette, 56, wrongfully convicted of the August 1979 rape of a 19-year-old woman in the city and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/crime/article/BURN16_20100115-220606/317965/

N.C. Law Doesn't Address Freed Sex Offenders, January 15, 2010:
U.S. Supreme Court to rule if feds can indefinitely hold inmates labeled dangerous.
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/local/story/1181555.html

Commentary: Adam Walsh Act Might Go Too Far, January 15, 2010:
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/82460.html

Boulder DA wants State to Ease Up on Streakers (CO), January 15, 2010:
If Boulder County District Attorney Stan Garnett gets his way, anyone convicted of streaking in Colorado -- including the unabashed Halloween revelers known for running naked with pumpkins on their heads in Boulder -- no longer will be forced to register as sex offenders.
Garnett has proposed legislation that would make streaking, public urination and other "Pumpkin Run-type behavior" in Colorado a petty offense rather than a class 1 misdemeanor that forces people to register as sex offenders.
Changing the law also will keep the sex-offender label meaningful, he said.
"If everyone who does something goofy gets identified as a sex offender, it doesn't mean anything," Garnett said. "I believe it's a public safety issue."
http://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-county-news/ci_14204671

Sex Offender Restrictions Far From Being Resolved, January 15, 2010:
Child safety zones continued to dominate discussion at Monday’s New Richmond City Council meeting.
http://www.newrichmond-news.com/event/article/id/28172/group/News/

Four Teens get 2 years Each in Rape of Girl, 12 (Virginia), January 15, 2010:
While defense attorneys argued yesterday that the girl had indicated she was 16, Giroux said she emphatically asserted to investigators that the defendants knew she was 12, an age consistent with her physical level of maturity. There was no testimony yesterday that the girl objected to her involvement with the defendants.
State law presumes that a child younger than 13 does not have the mental capacity to consensually engage in sexual activity. Giroux said information provided to investigators that the sexual acts were part of a gang-initiation rite was not verified.
Lawyers in the case attacked the sentencing guidelines on multiple levels: arguing that the youths lacked knowledge about the nature of sexual activity; are repeatedly given mixed messages in society about appropriate sexual conduct; and, in some cases, had been subjected to abuse, drugs, a lack of parental involvement or sex at very early ages.
http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/crime/article/GANG15_20100114-223206/317801/

Ill. Soldier's Family Says Pictures Aren't Porn, January 15, 2010:
http://hosted2.ap.org/PAWES/APODD/Article_2010-01-15-US-Soldier-Pornography-Charge/id-p73448fea95e645a1bc93c000cdbffc9c

Sex Offender Registry Change Hits Resistance, January 14, 2010:
AG's criticism of tiered plan stuns committee
http://www.argusleader.com/article/20100114/NEWS/1140327/1003/BUSINESS

Prosecutor: High Court Ruling on Sex Offenders Complicates Process (MO), January 14, 2010:
http://www.semissourian.com/story/1602284.html

Her Crime? Sex Work in New Orleans, January 13, 2010:
http://www.colorlines.com/article.php?ID=673

Supreme Court Weighs Authority, Not Legality, of Civil Confinements, January 12, 2010:
The question was not whether the continued civil commitment of prisoners for fear that they remain “sexually dangerous” violates due process principles. It was, rather, whether Congress had the constitutional power to authorize the practice at all for federal prisoners. State civil confinement laws are not at issue in the case.
Last year, a three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, in Richmond, Va., unanimously ruled that none of the powers granted to Congress in the Constitution empowered it to authorize such civil commitments.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/13/us/politics/13scotus.html

Sex-Offender Commitment Law Gets Support at U.S. Supreme Court, January 12, 2010:
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-01-12/sex-offender-commitment-law-gets-support-at-u-s-supreme-court.html

Supreme Court Justices Appear Split on US Sex Offender Law, January 12, 2010:
The 2006 law permits the US government to hold convicted sex offenders even after they've served their sentences. Hearing arguments Tuesday, the Supreme Court justices sparred over whether Congress has exceeded its authority.
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Justice/2010/0112/Supreme-Court-justices-appear-split-on-US-sex-offender-law

High Court Debates Federal Authority in Sexual-Violence Cases, January 12, 2010:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB126332921615526621.html?mod=WSJ_latestheadlines

Missouri Supreme Court Limits Use of Two Sex Offender Laws, January 12, 2010:
Laws regulating where sex offenders live and what they do on Halloween cannot apply to those convicted before the laws took effect, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled today.
The 4-3 decision in two cases from eastern Missouri addressed the 2004 law preventing convicted sex offenders from living within 1,000 feet of a school or child-care facility and the 2008 law that controlled the activities of registered sex offenders on Halloween night.
The court’s majority found that both laws violated the Missouri Constitution’s protection against retrospective laws if applied to offenders convicted prior to the enactment of the laws.
http://www.kansascity.com/news/breaking_news/story/1679456.html
(Yes!)

Can Sex Offenders be Held after Serving Criminal Sentences? January 12, 2010:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/01/12/scotus.sex.offender.law/

Atkins Proposes Chemical Castration (DE), January 12, 2010:
http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20100112/DW01/1120316

Court to Rule on Keeping Sex Offenders Locked Up, January 12, 2010:
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/crime_safety/story/279782.html

Federal Prisoners Kept Beyond Their Sentences, January 12, 2010:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122452485

Supreme Court to Hear Sex Offender Imprisonment Case, January 11, 2010:
Court considers whether prosecutors can hold offenders beyond their original sentences
http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/national/2010/01/11/supreme-court-to-hear-sex-offender-imprisonment-case.html

Missouri Judge Disagrees with Federal Sex Offender Law, January 11, 2010:
http://ozarksfirst.com/content/fulltext/?cid=223962

Plan Would Trim Sex Offender List (SD), January 10, 2010:
As it is now, Tacy Chrispen's son probably will spend the rest of his life on South Dakota's sex offender registry.
The then-18-year-old high school senior's crime: Having consensual sex with his 15-year-old girlfriend, who was 3 years, 23 days younger.
Because of that age difference, and the fact that she was younger than 16, he was convicted of statutory rape, spent a year and a half in prison and now is classified as a sex offender.
It is this kind of situation - described by some as a "Romeo and Juliet" story, that has spurred state Sen. Gene Abdallah to push for a change in the law.
He and others, including prosecutors, think it's unfair to treat people convicted of less serious crimes - such as Chrispen's son - the same as people convicted of rape and other heinous crimes. Currently, both types of convicts appear side-by-side on the registry of sex offenders on the Internet, and most stay on the list for life.
But under the plan being proposed by Abdallah and a legislative committee, the state would move to a three-tier system to classify sex offenders, and those convicted of lesser crimes would have a better opportunity to get their names removed from the list.
An Argus Leader analysis of the sex offender registry data shows that 18 percent of the 2,600 people on the list in December were convicted of less severe crimes and could qualify to be placed on the lowest level.
More than 10 years has passed since the convictions of 40 percent of the possible Tier I offenders, making them potentially eligible for removal.
Under the tier system, those convicted of rape or other severe crimes would be placed on Tier III of the registry for life. Those convicted of crimes on Tier II, such as possession or sale of child pornography, would have to be on the list for at least 25 years before they could petition for removal. People convicted of less severe crimes, such as indecent exposure or statutory rape, could end up on Tier I for at least 10 years.   
http://www.argusleader.com/article/20100110/NEWS/1100332/1001

Budget Cuts Front and Center in Upcoming Slate of Measures (Virginia), January 10, 2010:
Delegate Robert Bell will file a bill that would require homeless sex offenders to provide some sort of location as their “residence” to be listed in the state’s sex offender registry. “It was creating a loophole in the registry,” Bell said. “The whole point is that we need to know where you are if we need to find you. And if you leave, you have to tell somebody.”
Another Bell bill would ban registered sex offenders from the children’s museum on the Downtown Mall.
http://www2.dailyprogress.com/cdp/news/local/local_govtpolitics/article/budget_cuts_front_and_center_in_upcoming_
slate_of_measures/50801/

Presentation Examines Sex Offender Myths, January 10, 2010:
Program takes stand against residency requirements
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20100110/GPG0101/1100625/1207/GPG01

Survey: SD Lawmakers Support Sex Registry Changes, January 8, 2010:
Many state lawmakers support a plan to change South Dakota's registry of sex offenders so those convicted of less severe crimes get a chance to get their names removed from the list, according to a survey by The Associated Press.
House Republican Leader Bob Faehn of Watertown said he expects the bill to pass because lawmakers have noted for many years that it's unfair to treat those convicted of less serious crimes the same as those convicted of rape and other more serious crimes. He said both kinds of convicts appear side-by-side on the current registry of sex offenders, which is posted on the Internet.
http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/news/state-and-regional/article_508d45dc-461d-5a43-b8b5-5453f3bb658d.html

Family of 7 Paying for Dad's Crime, January 9, 2010:
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2010/jan/09/pa-family-of-7-paying-for-dads-crime/

Ruling Clouds Sex-Offender Registry, January 8, 2010:
Work is hard to find for Shane Call these days.
After someone found his photo on the Indiana Sex and Violent Offender Registry along with the words “child molesting,” he was no longer welcome.
“It’s really, really affected my life in the past five years,” said Call, who claims he was wrongly convicted by a jury of child molesting in 1991 and had to appear on the state sex offender registry after it was created in 1994. “Before I was on the list, I hated the fact I was accused of that crime, but as soon as I got on the list, things got hard.”
A ruling by the Indiana Supreme Court last year, though, found that Richard P. Wallace, a man convicted of child molesting in 1989, no longer had to register with the state as a sex offender because he committed his crime before the law that created the registry was enacted.
That ruling has thrown the state and local sex offender registries into disarray.
Allen County officials say that like Wallace, Call is no longer required to register as a sex offender. His name and face have been scrubbed from the Allen County sheriff’s online registry. Officials with the Indiana Department of Correction, though, are refusing to erase any names from the state’s official registry without a court order.
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20100108/LOCAL/301089961/1002/LOCAL

City Schools Affirm Sex Offender Ban, (Virginia) January 8, 2010:
http://www2.dailyprogress.com/cdp/news/local/education/article/city_schools_affirm_sex_offender_ban/50743/

Report: Sex Abuse High at 13 Juvenile Centers (Virginia), January 7, 2010:
"Were we surprised that we had two facilities in the top 13? Yes," said Twyman. He noted that some of the reported incidents were no more than allegations "which investigation could conclude were unfounded."
http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/crime/article/JUVE08_20100107-190001/316037/
(Interesting that the Virginia DOC doesn't take accusations seriously when it's abuse by their employees but an accusation alone amongst the citizens in VA isn’t investigated and will result in a conviction, prison time and being stigmatized as a sex offender. Seems like a double standard)

For Julia Tuttle Sex Offenders, No Escape from Cold, January 7, 2010:
With more cold weather coming over the weekend, homeless sex offenders living under or near the Julia Tuttle Causeway are banned from shelters, and with no place to go, they have little choice but to remain there.    
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami-dade/story/1414991.html

Homeless Sex Offenders Banned from Cold-weather Shelters, January 7, 2010:
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/breaking-news/story/1414674.html

An ‘Ornery’ Judicial View of Mich. Sex Offender Laws, January 7, 2010:
Retiring judge says 'root problem is that our registry includes so many more people than it needs to include'
http://michiganmessenger.com/32878/an-ornery-judicial-view-of-mich-sex-offender-laws

Watro Takes Oath as McAdoo's first Republican Mayor (PA), January 7, 2010:
He noted that the ordinance would prohibit a sexual offender from living within 5,280 feet of a school, day care center, or any place where children and young people frequent. The borough would give a known sex offender up to 60 days to re-locate or face possible jail time and/or a fine.
http://standardspeaker.com/news/watro-takes-oath-as-mcadoo-s-first-republican-mayor-1.529847

Sex Offender Bill Contains Loophole (IA), January 6, 2010:
http://iowaindependent.com/25123/sex-offender-bill-contains-loophole

Atkins Plans to Introduce Zero-Tolerance Bill Package for High-Risk, Repeat Sex Offenders (DE) January 6, 2010:
http://www.sussexcountian.com/news/x1793472992/Atkins-plans-to-introduce-zero-tolerance-bill-package-for-high-risk-repeat-
sex-offenders

Top Stories: Laws that Went into Effect (IL), January 6, 2010:
HB712: parents who marry or live with a sex offender must tell their children’s other parent.
http://www.rochellenews-leader.com/v2_news_articles.php?heading=0&page=72&story_id=3748

Court Nixes Juvenile Sex Offender Registration, January 6, 2010:
The 9th Circuit rejected as unconstitutional a legal provision requiring juvenile sex offenders to register and report four times a year, saying it could "wreak havoc" on the lives of former offenders who are now law-abiding adults.
http://www.courthousenews.com/2010/01/06/23402.htm
(Yes!)

Local Legislators Express Concerns on Budget (ID) January 5, 2010:
Amending Idaho's rape statute. Under current law, consensual relations between an 18-year-old and a 17-year-old are treated the same as forcible rape. While I do not condone premarital sex, I do not believe a young person using poor judgment should be punished as a rapist."
Hill chairs the Senate Local Government and Taxation, the Agricultural Affairs and the Judiciary and Rules committees.
http://www.rexburgstandardjournal.com/articles/2010/01/05/news/24.txt

Delaware Lawmaker Proposes Tough New Sex Offender Laws, January 4, 2010:
Sussex County Rep. John Atkins, D-District 41, plans to introduce several measures into the General Assembly next year aimed to protect children.
According to Atkins, one measure would require repeat high risk sex offenders to have the words "sex offender" stamped on their drivers' licenses.
And yet another plan would require sex offenders who target children younger than 12 to be chemically castrated if they are over the age of 21. 
Atkins said he may also introduce another piece of legislation requiring the worst sex offenders to place a special license plate on their car designating them as sex offenders.
http://www.wboc.com/Global/story.asp?S=11753242

Attorney: Sex Offender Law Unconstitutional January 4, 2010:
Law Took Effect Monday When Judge Lifted Restraining Order
http://www.ketv.com/news/22121599/detail.html

Controversial Change to Sex Offender Registry Takes Effect (NE), January 4, 2010:
http://www.kptm.com/Global/story.asp?S=11766636

Enfield Resident Wants Sex Offenders Banned From Parks (CT) January 4, 2010:
http://www.courant.com/community/enfield/hc-enfield-sex-offenders-0104.artjan03,0,1284414.story

The Dangers of a Bigger Sex Offender Registry, January 4, 2010:
http://criminaljustice.change.org/blog/view/the_dangers_of_a_bigger_sex_offender_registry

An Unfair Stigma? January 3, 2010:
http://www.heraldpalladium.com/articles/2010/01/03/local_news/1036929.txt
(Great article!)

Lower-Risk Offenders: New Law Unfair (NE), January 3, 2010:
http://journalstar.com/article_e2043794-f81a-11de-b000-001cc4c002e0.html

OUR OPINION: Sex Offender Ordinance Likely Won’t be Effective (MA), January 3, 2010:
http://www.patriotledger.com/opinions/x1444028527/OUR-OPINION-Sex-offender-ordinance-likely-won-t-be-effective

Study: Third of Juvenile Sex Offenders Target Other Kids, January 3, 2010:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-01-03-kid-sex-offenders_N.htm

Online Sex Offender List Blocked (NE), January 2, 2010:
http://www.omaha.com/article/20100102/NEWS01/701029871

Neb. Attorney: More Work Ahead on Sex Offender Law, January 1, 2010:
http://www.ktiv.com/Global/story.asp?S=11756123

Petitions Call for 'Sarah's Law' (MD), January 1, 2010:
http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20100101/NEWS01/1010301

Looking Ahead: News to Watch in the Weeks to Come, December 31, 2009:
U.S. Supreme Court January 12: A day after the Supreme Court of the United States reconvenes from its winter break, the justices will hear arguments in United States v. Comstock. Justices must decide whether Congress overstretched its authority in passing the Adam Walsh Protection and Safety Act, signed into law in 2006, to create a national sex offender registry.
http://www.worldmag.com/articles/16268

Vote on the Initiatives for Justice - Create Your Initiative for Change, December 31, 2009:  http://www.examiner.com/x-14981-Treasure-Coast-Legal-News-Examiner~y2009m12d31-Vote-on-the-initiatives-for-justice--Create-your-initiative-for-change

Judge Blocks Part of New Neb. Sex Offender Law, December 31, 2009:
A federal judge yesterday blocked portions of Nebraska's new sex-offender registry law, including provisions that sought to monitor convicted sex offenders' computer usage and prevent them from visiting certain Web sites.
Judge Richard Kopf did leave most of the law intact, saying it came close to meeting criteria set for the state by Congress.
Kopf said lawmakers may have gone too far in two areas — both provisions that weren't required under the federal legislation. Those provisions prohibit sex offenders from using social-networking sites used by children, like MySpace and Facebook. They also require that sex offenders have hardware or software installed on their computers and other electronic communication devices to monitor their activities, and that they consent to such searches.
http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/news.aspx?id=22452

Prosecutors Weigh Reforms to State Sex Offender Registry, December 31, 2009:
Michigan's overly broad sex offender list includes some kids younger than 13
http://michiganmessenger.com/32526/prosecutors-weigh-reforms-to-state-sex-offender-registry
(Michigan is moving in the right direction!)

Pastor Hopes to Renovate House into Safe Haven (GA), December 30, 2009:
http://romenews-tribune.com/pages/full_story/push?article-Pastor+hopes+to+renovate+house+into+safe+haven%20&id=5356536&instance=home_news_lead_story

Sex Offenders Among Homeless Population, December 30, 2009:
http://gazettextra.com/news/2009/dec/30/sex-offenders-among-homeless-population/

Exonerating Eric Frimpong, December 30, 2009:
Was the Former UCSB Soccer Player Unfairly Convicted of Rape?
What makes Eric Frimpong’s wrongful conviction so important and compelling is the ease with which the Sheriff’s Department, District Attorney, and defense acted both wittingly and unwittingly to deprive an innocent of his liberty. If the appeal fails, when Eric is released from prison after serving his time he will be deported back to Ghana and spend the rest of his life as a convicted sex offender, unable to visit the vast majority of countries for either work or pleasure. In other words, a lifetime sentence will have been imposed for a crime he didn’t commit.
http://www.independent.com/news/2009/dec/30/exonerating-eric-frimpong/

Neb. Attorneys ask to Combine Sex Offender Cases, December 28, 2009:
http://www.kcautv.com/Global/story.asp?S=11739141

Striking a Balance: Restricting Sex-Offender Residency (WI), December 28, 2009:
http://dailykenoshan.com/index.php?option=com_kunena&Itemid=60&func=view&catid=2&id=800

Is The WHO’s Pete Townshend A Sex Offender? Depends On What The Definition Of Is, December 28, 2009:     http://www.rightpundits.com/?p=5240

Md. Girl's Death Sharpens Criticism of Sex Offender Laws, December 27, 2009:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/26/AR2009122601674.html

Opinion: Sex Offender Registry Laws Driven by Fear, Not Reason, December 27, 2009:
http://www.annarbor.com/news/opinion/sex-offender-registry-laws-driven-by-fear-not-reason/

Editorial: Smart Answers to Recidivism, December 24, 2009:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/25/opinion/25fri1.html

Child Abuse Protesters: Ban The Who from Super Bowl, December 24, 2009:
http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/dpps/entertainment/dpgonc-Protesters-Ban-The-Who-Super-Bowl-fc-20091224_5248867

Ban Pete Townshend from Super Bowl, say Child Abuse Protesters, December 24, 2009:
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/article6966965.ece

Plainfield East High School Sexting Scandal, December 24, 2009:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-plainfield-sexting-24-dec24,0,2032911.story

Sex Offender Law Faces Ruling (NE), December 24, 2009:
http://www.omaha.com/article/20091224/NEWS01/712249886

Kentucky Asks Supreme Court To Review Sex Offender Law, December 23, 2009:
http://www.wlky.com/news/22047187/detail.html

Sex-Offender Case Appealed to U.S. Supreme Court, December 23, 2009:
http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20091223/NEWS01/912230388/Sex-offender+case+appealed+to+U.S.
+Supreme+Court

Sex Offender Guidelines (ND), December 23, 2009:
http://www.kfyrtv.com/News_Stories.asp?news=36433

Warehouses Eyed for Homeless Sex Offenders (NY), December 23, 2009:
http://www2.timesreview.com/NR/stories/R122409_Offenders_mw

Housing Homeless Sex Offenders in Industrial Parks Could be New Standard (NY), December 23, 2009:    http://www2.timesreview.com/ST/stories/T122409_edit

Maine Court Rules on Retroactive Sex Offender Law, December 22, 2009:
Maine's highest court has upheld a lower court ruling that a 1999 law requiring certain sex offenders to be placed on a sex offender registry for life cannot be applied retroactively.
In its ruling Tuesday, the Maine Supreme Judicial Court gave the Legislature until March 31 to revise the law.
In its ruling, the court said it was unconstitutional to apply those changes retroactively.
http://wbztv.com/wireapnewsme/Maine.high.court.2.1386356.html
(This is HUGE!)

Church/State Divide Falling for the Sake of Teenage Porn (Virginia), December 22, 2009: Virginia Attorney General's office teams up wth Donna Rice Hughes of Enough is Enough   http://www.c-ville.com/index.php?cat=141404064431134&ShowArticle_ID=11802112093241074

Second Lawsuit Challenges Nebraska Sex Offender Law, December 22, 2009:
http://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/article_0e7328ac-ef11-11de-bd0b-001cc4c03286.html

Hearing Set on Challenge to Neb. Sex Offender Law, December 22, 2009:
http://www.nebraska.tv/Global/story.asp?S=11715170

Should "Sexter" Equal Sex Offender? December 22, 2009:
http://www.masslive.com/living/republican/index.ssf?/base/living-1/1261556434238700.xml&coll=1

When is Sexting Just a Huge Mistake, and When is it a Crime? December 22, 2009:
http://www.star-telegram.com/local/story/1849573.html

Guest Commentary: Residency Laws May Not Deter Sex Crimes, December 22, 2009: http://www.htrnews.com/article/20091222/MAN06/912220471

Campsen's Bill is Designed to Thwart S.C. Sexual Predators on the Internet, December 21, 2009:
State Sen. Chip Campsen of Mount Pleasant wants to give Internet access providers the information they need to identify and ban from social networking sites the sex offenders who are required to register in this state.
The Campsen bill would require they give their e-mail and Internet identifier, which would be made available upon request to Internet entities. Further, newly convicted sexual predators whose crime involved those under 18 would be prohibited, as a condition of their parole, from having e-mail accounts.
It is Campsen's contention that it is always better to try to motivate those in the private sector rather than trying to dictate. It also should be noted that there are limitations on how far the states can go in controlling interstate commerce. That's why, according to Campsen, the state can place registration requirements on S.C. sexual predators but it can't require the Internet providers to purge their sites.
http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2009/dec/21/campsens-bill-is-designed-to-thwartsc-sexual/

Kansas Lawmakers Question Proposal to Expand Treatment Program for Sexual Predators, December 21, 2009:
http://www.kansascity.com/news/politics/story/1643574.html

Battle Brewing Over State's Sex Offender Registry Law (Maine), December 21, 2009:
http://www.mpbn.net/Home/tabid/36/ctl/ViewItem/mid/3483/ItemId/10249/Default.aspx

ACLU of Virginia: 2010 General Assembly Preview, December 21, 2009:
Lifetime Sex Offender Monitoring: Mandates lifetime monitoring of many convicted sex
offenders through the Global Positioning System, or GPS, and other technology. Because of the
current financial crises faced by the state, this expensive proposal may not be introduced—or if it is, it is not likely to receive much support. (ACLU opposes.)
“Sexting” Bill: The Virginia Crime Commission decided recently not to recommend legislation
dealing with sexting. However, given the high profile of this issue, we expect some legislators to introduce sexting bills. Under current Virginia law a teen who takes a nude picture of himself or herself and distributes it could be prosecuted under the state’s child pornography law.
Legislators are not likely to condone sexting, but there does seem to be some understanding that child pornography laws were not intended to apply to such circumstances. (ACLU supports laws clarifying that typical sexting as described above is not a criminal offense.)
http://www.acluva.org/publications/2010GeneralAssemblyPreview.pdf

Opinion: Young Men Dating Underage Girls is Dangerous, Illegal, December 20, 2009:
http://www.eacourier.com/articles/2009/12/20/opinion/letters/doc4b2c158dc6633599318858.txt

Opinion: Sex Offender Label Questioned, December 20, 2009:
http://www.bismarcktribune.com/news/opinion/mailbag/article_bf6a470e-ed03-11de-8466-001cc4c002e0.html

Sex Offenders File Suit Over Technology Law (IA), December 20, 2009:
http://www.southwestiowanews.com/articles/2009/12/20/around_the_region/doc4b2b9281851f4769282962.txt

Letter: Sex Offenders' GPS Undeserved Waste? December 20, 2009:
http://www.appeal-democrat.com/articles/undeserved-89851-gps-waste.html

Sex Registries for Youth: Better Politics than Policy, December 19, 2009:
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20091219/OPINION03/912190314/1008/OPINION01/Sex+registries+for+youth+
+better+politics+than+policy

Sex Offender Ban Too Vague (NC) December 18, 2009:
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/crime_safety/story/246537.html
(Yes!)

Sex Offender's Right to Attend Church Upheld in North Carolina, December 18, 2009:
http://crimeblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2009/12/sex-offenders-right-to-attend.html

Cook Concerned Over Bus Stops Near Sex Offenders (Virginia), December 18, 2009:
http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/article.asp?article=336272&paper=72&cat=104

Editorial: Sex Offender Residency Restrictions Don't Work, December 18, 2009:
http://www.newsday.com/opinion/editorial-sex-offender-residency-restrictions-don-t-work-1.1661888

2nd Circuit: Sex Offender Registration Rule Doesn't Violate Due Process, December 18, 2009: http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1202436703893&nd_Circuit_Sex_Offender_Registration_Rule_Doesnt_
Violate_Due_Process

New Richmond Pushes for Child Safety Zones (WI), December 18, 2009:
http://www.newrichmond-news.com/event/article/id/27916/group/News/

Judge Rules NC Sex Offender Law Unconstitutional, December 17, 2009:
A judge has ruled that a North Carolina law limiting sex offenders' ability to worship is unconstitutional.
http://www2.wnct.com/nct/news/state_regional/article/judge_rules_nc_sex_offender_law_unconstitutional1/86820/
(Yes!)

Lawsuit Challenging Neb. Sex Offender Law, December 17, 2009:
http://www.nebraska.tv/Global/story.asp?S=11693395

Editorial: Sex Offender Laws Flawed, December 17, 2009:
http://www.news-press.com/article/20091217/OPINION/91216049/1015/Editorial--Sex-offender-laws-flawed

Allen Hunt Radio Show: High School Sex Offenders, December 16, 2009:
http://www.allenhuntshow.com/Listen/930-high-school-sex-offenders
(Audio, 39 minutes)

Sex-Offender Laws Result in More Utter Insanity, December 16, 2009:
http://blogs.chicagotribune.com/news_columnists_ezorn/2009/12/sexoffender-laws-result-in-more-utter-insanity.html

Portland Residents Fear Sex Offender Backlash, December 16, 2009:
http://www.wcsh6.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=112335&catid=2

Crime Commission Refuses 'Sexting' Recommendation (Virginia), December 15, 2009:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/15/AR2009121503362.html
http://www.wtvr.com/news/dp-va--crimecommission-s1215dec15,0,1925925.story
http://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-local_wires-sexting_1216dec16,0,4879731.stor
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34435506/
http://www.examiner.com/a-2373427~Crime_commission_refuses__sexting__recommendation.html
(RSOL of Virginia)

Lee Judges: Law Restricting Sex Offender Movements Too Broad, December 15, 2009:
http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2009/dec/15/lee-judges-law-restricting-sex-offender-movements-/

Study: 15 Percent Of Teens With Cells Receive 'Sexts', December 15, 2009:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121461349&ps=cprs

Truly Homeless Sex Offenders, December 14, 2009:
http://www.cbs3springfield.com/news/local/79261457.html

Coalition: Focus Mich. Sex Offender Registry on Risk, December 14, 2009:
Coalition members point out that Michigan has highest ratio of citizens on state sex offender registry in the nation
http://michiganmessenger.com/31807/coalition-wants-mich-sex-offender-registry-reformed

In Child Sex Cases, Fact And Fiction Blur, December 14, 2009:
http://www.ctlawtribune.com/getarticle.aspx?ID=35799

Senate Passes $447 Billion Funding Bills, December 13, 2009:
Adam Walsh and Child Exploitation: $353.5 million, $63.6 million above 2009, for Adam Walsh Act activities, which includes sex offender registration requirements, and other sex offender and child exploitation prevention and enforcement programs.
http://www.talkleft.com/story/2009/12/12/144642/81

Michael Paul Williams: Kaine Should Restore Felons’ Voting Rights (Virginia), December 12, 2009:
http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/columnists_news/article/MIKE12_20091211-224211/311110/

Arizona Declines New Sex Offender Law, December 11, 2009:
http://www.kpho.com/news/21947146/detail.html

Legislators Push for Juveniles on Sex Offender Registry (TN), December 11, 2009:
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20091211/GALLATIN01/91211058/2138/Legislators+push+for+juveniles+on
+sex+offender+registry+

West Virginia Photographer Arrested After Taking Pictures of Children on Santa's Lap, December 11, 2009:
The photographer, Scott Rensberger, told MyFoxDC.com that a man came up to him on Tuesday after he took the photos and asked him to delete them. Rensberger said he complied, but then police officers approached him, questioning him why he was taking pictures of children.
Police say they arrested Rensberger after a scuffle that ensued when he started taking photos of the officers. Rensberger was charged with battery, resisting arrest and obstruction of justice, but he denies doing anything wrong.
"I would never in a million years slap a police officer in any way," he told MyFoxDC.com.
Rensberger said he plans to argue his case in court. "America's gone nuts. We can't take pictures anymore”, he said
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,580041,00.html?test=latestnews

Scott Rensberger Arrested At Mall After Shooting Holiday Photos, December 10, 2009:  
Rensberger, who was hired to take photos of government buildings as a subcontractor for the IRS, had just gotten back from taking photos of the Sidney L. Christie Federal Building in Huntington. He stopped at his hotel room, then went to the Charleston Town Center Mall to eat dinner and do some Christmas shopping at about 5 p.m.
"I took some pictures of the choir singing and I took some pictures of the Santa snow scene," he said. "I take my camera with me almost anywhere."
Rensberger is a freelance videographer and in 1991 won an Investigative Reporters and Editors award and was named the 1992 NPPA Ernie Crisp Television Nes Photographer of the Year. He said he takes photos of all the places he visits and sends them to his girlfriend in D.C.
He went into a store to shop for a scarf for his girlfriend when two men stopped him and told him he had taken a photo of one of their children with Santa Claus.
"I didn't even realize there were kids in the shot. It was a wide shot," he said.
Rensberger said he apologized and pulled out his camera and erased the photographs of Santa Claus and the children. He said he scrolled through the photos so the men would know there were no more photos of the child on the camera.
"I did think it was weird and it did shock me a little," Rensberger said. "I understood, too. I didn't want to upset the guy. I think it's a sad comment on the world we live in. ... It's never happened to me before."
When he was finished in the store he walked by "Santa's Cabin" again, talking to his girlfriend on the phone about what had just happened.
He saw one of the two men who had stopped him talking with police and mall security.
"I thought, how crazy is this, all these officers for taking pictures of Santa Claus," Rensberger said.
Rensberger said Basford stopped him and said, "Why are you taking pictures of kids?"
"I can't believe you are asking me that," Rensberger said to the officer. "Do you mind if I take a picture of you?"
When asked why he took the photo of the officer, rather than just answer his question, Rensberger said he wanted a record of who was questioning him.
"I was not under arrest and it was not illegal. ... I've taken photos all over the world and this is the only time I've ever been arrested like this," Rensberger said.
http://nppa.org/news_and_events/news/2009/12/arrest.html
(This is what the Predator Hysteria has Done!)

13 More Sites Expel NY Sex Offenders, December 10, 2009:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10413499-93.html

GPS Devices Considered to Keep Track of Homeless Sex Offenders (OH), December 10, 2009:  http://www.vindy.com/news/2009/dec/10/gps-devices-considered-to-keep-track-of-homeless/?newswatch

Claremont Votes Tighter Restrictions on Registered Sex Offenders (CA), December 9, 2009:
Mayor Corey Calaycay said he was concerned that "someone could be accused of something, even if they didn't do it" but voted for the ordinance after no one spoke out against it at the meeting.    
http://www.dailybulletin.com/ci_13963522

Sexting: Just "Kid Stuff" or Child Porn, December 9, 2009: 
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/crime-time/200912/sexting-just-kid-stuff-or-child-porn

States Face Obstacles Adopting Sex Offender Rules, December 8, 2009:
http://www.wsiltv.com/p/news_details.php?newsID=8964&type=top

15 Years since the Sex Offender Protection Movement (AR), December 8, 2009:
http://www.stuttgartdailyleader.com/state_news/x2072236744/15-years-since-the-sex-offender-protection-movement

DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN: Flaw revealed in Jessica's Law, December 8, 2009:
http://www.thedailyaztec.com/opinion/columnists/dewey-defeats-truman/dewey-defeats-truman-flaw-revealed-in-jessica-s-law-1.2116261

Commissioner Targets Nightclubs (GA), December 8, 2009:
http://www.thebrunswicknews.com/open_access/local_news/BROOKS-120809-KK

Campbell County School Board to Vote on Policy Change (Virginia), December 7, 2009:
http://www2.newsadvance.com/lna/news/local/article/campbell_county_school_board_to_vote_on_policy_change/22058/

Improving Justice System Requires More Thought than Reaction, December 6, 2009:
Anger will make a comeback, however, and politicians will face the choice of defending the system or attacking it. If the past is a predictor, most will choose the latter.
That makes it all the more important that real leaders step up; take the heat and slow things down. The best politics is to act quickly in hopes that speed looks like decisiveness. The best policy, however, is to take time to understand very complex criminal justice and mental health systems.
What that examination will find is a teetering infrastructure filled with overtaxed people enforcing conflicting laws. We squeeze hundreds of people a day through a funnel set up to handle dozens. Cops and jailers and judges and prosecutors and defense lawyers and counselors are forced to perform triage in hopes that those let out are less dangerous than those kept in. For every prison and hospital space that opens up there are too many worthy – actually unworthy – bad guys and sick people who could fill them.
Speaking these ugly truths will sound to the public like excuse-making. Some will see it as a distraction from their efforts to find someone to blame now that Clemmons is dead and his alleged enablers are in jail.
But conducting a systematic and dispassionate assessment doesn’t mean no one will carry the burden of blame. Plenty of heads rolled in the wake of the Creekmore, Campbell and Shriner crimes.
Over the next weeks and months someone, perhaps lots of people, will say they want to make sure something like this never happens again. That’s an understandable goal, naive but understandable. Despite meaningful reforms, hundreds of children have died at the hands of people who should have nurtured them instead. Sex offenders still do harm. Parolees still commit new crimes.
The realistic goal for policy makers should be to reduce the numbers, empower the system, inform the public and create more space.
http://www.thenewstribune.com/callaghan/story/982568.html

Opinion: Child Porn Laws Do Need Review, December 6, 2009:
http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_13921493

Pastor Offers Sex Offenders a 'Miracle': A New Start, December 4, 2009:
Witherow is a tall, spare man, 76 years old, a former private detective.
Shortly after he entered the ministry some 30 years ago, he began working in prisons, holding prayer services and doing addiction counseling.
Then, about a decade ago, he began focusing on sex offenders. After some horrific sex crimes involving children, Florida became one of the first states to pass laws restricting where sex offenders could live after they're released from prison — effectively banning them from some communities.
Witherow has authored a book about sex offenders called The Modern Day Leper. He says he could have worn the same label as the men at Miracle Park. He was 18 years old when he met his first wife. She was just 14, and before long she was pregnant. A judge allowed them to get married but told Witherow he could have been charged with statutory rape.
"If that would have happened in today's society, I would have been charged with sexual battery on a minor, been given anywhere from 10 to 25 years in prison, plus extended probation time after that, and then been labeled a sex offender," he says.
Witherow knows that there are those who argue that's what should have happened.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121089157

Alaska Gov. Parnell Wants Aggressive Prosecution for Sexual Assaults, December 4, 2009:  http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics/AP/story/1365263.html

State (MA) is Working to Meet Sex Offender Guidelines, December 4, 2009:
http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/homepage/x29008377/State-is-working-to-meet-sex-offender-guidelines

Residency Rule for Sex Offenders Under Scrutiny (FL), December 3, 2009:
http://www.theledger.com/article/20091203/NEWS/912035072?Title=Residency-Rule-Under-Scrutiny

Things Could Get Complicated for Auburn’s Football-Game Streaker, December 3, 2009:
Streaking was huge from about 1973 to 1975. But times have changed quite a bit from a period when, in short order, a streaker ran across the stage at the Oscars telecast, the University of Georgia established a record with a throng of 1,543 simultaneous streakers, and Ray Stevens had a No. 1 hit with his song “The Streak.” Even Snoopy streaked in one Peanuts strip.
These days, a streaker caught in the act could be facing far more serious consequences than being let go with a warning. Aside from any disciplinary action the school could mete out, if the streaker turns out to be a student, a check with Auburn Police Capt. John Ruffcorn confirms that criminal charges could be in the offing. Streaking falls under the Penal Code’s “lewd and lascivious” section and is categorized as a misdemeanor. It could also result in the streaker ending up required to register as a sex offender.
http://auburnjournal.com/detail/136758.html?content_source=&category_id=&search_filter=&user_id=&event_
mode=&event_ts_from=&event_ts_to=&list_type=&order_by=&order_sort=&content_class=1&sub_type=&town_id=

Modern-Day Lepers, December 3, 2009:
Churches try to balance grace and accountability toward sex offenders.
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2009/december/5.16.html

Pending Sex Offender Law Would Tax Sheriff’s Office, December 3, 2009:
http://www.starbeacon.com/local/local_story_336193030.html

Another backlog on DNA evidence (IL) December 3, 2009:
Some ethicists suggest the tepid implementation of the 2008 law isn't such a bad thing. They oppose genetic searches of this kind and question the Big Brother nature of the state's expanding DNA databases.
It's impossible to prosecute a corpse, critics of the process point out, and if homicide victims are implicated in crimes, they have no way to defend themselves. Also, families of the victims subject to genetic searches are not being notified.
"This walks a fine line between genetic privacy and public safety," Frederick Bieber, a professor of pathology at Harvard Medical School who serves on national DNA advisory boards, said of the DNA initiative. "And without a clear, transparent protocol, you're in danger of ending up with misguided, misleading and inefficient searches."
Bieber called the genetic searches "intrusive" and worried about the consequences when DNA samples from homicide victims start linking to unsolved cases. The victim's DNA could have landed on a person or place without being part of a crime, Bieber said. If the victim is not alive to explain, the police could be led astray and the victim's family could be unfairly shamed or worse. "When you do searches with the DNA from dead people without consent, you're opening up a whole can of worms," Bieber said.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/watchdog/chi-dna-corpses-03-dec03,0,5404008.story

Reformers Take Aim at Mich. Underage Sex Laws, December 2, 2009:
“I would say to anybody, if you had sex before you were 16, you might have been in their shoes,” D’Orio added. She goes on to argue that the original purpose of the registry has been diluted.
“The purpose of the sex offender registry is to inform the public so they can keep themselves and the public safe, and there are a lot of people on the registry who are not dangerous at all,” D’Orio asserted. “There are predators out there, and I want to know who they are, but when you have everyone on that list, how do you know?”
http://michiganmessenger.com/31134/reformers-take-aim-at-michigans-underage-sex-laws  
(RSOL of Michigan, way to go!!!!!!!)

Missouri's Sex Offender-Halloween Restrictions Challenged, December 2, 2009:
http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/kwmu/news.newsmain/article/1/0/1584306/St..Louis.Public.Radio.News/Missouri's.sex.
offender-Halloween.restrictions.challenged

Can We Tell Which Juveniles Will Sexually Reoffend? December 2, 2009:
http://forensicpsychologist.blogspot.com/2009/12/can-we-tell-which-juveniles-will.html

Most States Have Not Adopted Sex Offender Rules, December 1, 2009:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h7sISEl3rYjXEN7_6XIAkZ3FKJoAD9CAOQ5O3

Editorial: Don't Prolong Persecution of Tice (Virginia), December 1, 2009:
He is one of four Navy men known as "The Norfolk Four" who were erroneously convicted of killing a fellow sailor's wife in 1997.
In August, Gov. Tim Kaine said he had "grave doubts" about their guilt but lacked sufficient evidence to declare them innocent. He ordered the release of the three men still in prison. The former emergency medical technician, who wanted to be a nurse and was studying to become a paramedic before he was convicted, is now 39 and living with his parents. Tice cannot be licensed in emergency care because he's a registered sex offender. He applied for 100 jobs before a company agreed to hire him early next year as a window washer. He'll be on probation for the next 20 years.
http://hamptonroads.com/2009/11/dont-prolong-persecution-tice

NY AG: More Than 3,500 NY Sex Offenders Taken Off Social Networking Sites, December 1, 2009:
http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/djf500/200912011109DOWJONESDJONLINE000287_FORTUNE5.htm

Thousands of Sex Offenders Purged from Facebook and MySpace, December 1, 2009:
http://www.9wsyr.com/news/local/story/Thousands-of-sex-offenders-purged-from-Facebook/Vsr4Ommp6kCTkiqkyqfcaQ.cspx

Post Office Reviving Santa Letters, December 1, 2009:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/02/nyregion/02santa.html

Sex Offenders Thumbing Their Noses at Jessica's Law (CA), November 30, 2009:
In San Diego County, the sex offender residence compliance was set at 2,000 feet. According to the State Attorney General's Office, as of Nov. 17 of this year, 73 percent of the offenders' addresses made public are in violation, and 27 percent are not.
"It dredges up old offenses, many of which had nothing to do with children, and forces people into homelessness, cutting off their ability to establish family connections and jobs and stable housing," Constitutional law attorney Ernest Galvan said.
Galvan represents two paroled San Diego County registered sex offenders who are challenging the residency restrictions.
"All you're doing is creating desperation, poverty, disease and crime, and that's a hallmark of a law that's simply oppressive and unconstitutional and the Supreme Court needs to step in and strike it down," Galvan said.
The State Supreme Court is expected to rule in February on the case involving the two San Diego County men represented by Ernest Galvan.
http://www.cbs8.com/Global/story.asp?S=11594944

One Last Word on Sex Offenders (CA) November 30, 2009:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2009/nov/30/one-last-word-sex-offenders/

State Sen. Nina Turner Proposes Changes to Ohio Sex Offender Laws, November 30, 2009: 
http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2009/11/state_sen_nina_turner_proposes.html

Rules Of Game Keep Jurors In Dark, November 30, 2009:
When we refuse to let juries know the truth about the consequences of a conviction in a criminal case, we hamper a jury’s ability to check the abuse of power. Juries that are not fully informed can’t do their job. Withholding truth from juries is dishonest.
Juries are supposed to stand between the state and an ordinary citizen accused of a crime. We expect some reasoned response from the community. But we refuse to tell jurors the consequence of their decision. We do not even permit jurors to make a recommendation about sentencing. Thus, we play Alice In Wonderland at criminal trial. “Don’t think about what happens if you find a verdict of guilty,” we say. Leap, but never look. I wonder how many jurors are shocked when they read about a sentence imposed in a case on which they sat in judgment.
http://www.ctlawtribune.com/getarticle.aspx?ID=35658

More Than 70 percent of SD Sex Offenders are Violating Laws (CA), November 29, 2009:
Jessica’s Law, which was approved by California voters in November 2006, toughened sanctions against sex offenders and bars them living within 2,000 feet of a school or park.
The Union-Tribune reported that the law doesn’t specify whether residence restrictions apply to all convicted sex offenders or only to those who were convicted or paroled after it passed. There are no penalties for violating the restrictions.
“The initiative itself was so badly written, no one knows how retroactive it is,” Tom Tobin, a clinical psychologist and member of the state Sex Offender Management Board, told the Union-Tribune.
Among California parolees — the only population of sex offenders for whom the residence restrictions have been consistently enforced — the number listed as transient has gone from 88 in November 2006 to 1,056 in June 2008, an increase of 1,100 percent, according to a Sex Offender Management Board report in December 2008.
Tobin said sex offenders in unstable environment, such as homelessness, are more likely to commit another crime.
“Why would we want to, with no apparent good reason, increase the risk of re-offending,” Tobin asked the Union-Tribune. “The reality is that we’re pushing people to the brink.”
http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2009-11-29/sports/more-than-70-percent-of-sd-sex-offenders-are-violating-laws

Residents Want Sex Offenders Banned from Town (NY), November 29, 2009:
http://www.poststar.com/news/local/article_57b3bdba-dd32-11de-adc5-001cc4c002e0.html

Louisville Considering Sex Offender Residency Restrictions, November 29, 2009:
http://www.dailycamera.com/louisville-news/ci_13890807

Gloria Allred Sends Open Letter to Carrie Prejean Regarding Sexting, November 29, 2009:
Gloria Allred began by explaining the definition of sexting and by saying that it was fair to assume that Carrie Prejean knew what sexting was. It was defined by Gloria Allred as sending sexually explicit photos via cell phone. She then asked Carrie Prejean if she knew that sexting was illegal and that those who engage in sexting are transmitting child pornography.
Gloria Allred then asked Carrie Prejean if she felt that she should be prosecuted. Gloria reminded Carrie Prejean that many who have been prosecuted for sexting have been sentenced to prison and labeled a sex offender.
http://www.examiner.com/x-12837-US-Headlines-Examiner~y2009m11d29-Gloria-Allred-sends-open-letter-to-Carrie-Prejean-regarding-sexting-video

Nearly 100 Removed from Maine Sex Offender List, November 29, 2009:
People convicted of sex offenses dating back to 1982 were previously listed on the registry. But after court challenges, the Legislature changed the law so that people convicted of offenses between 1982 and June 30, 1992, no longer had to be on the list if they didn’t have any subsequent felony-level offenses.
http://news.bostonherald.com/news/national/northeast/view/20091129nearly_100_removed_from_maine_sex_offender_list/
srvc=home&position=recent

Federal Judges Argue for Reduced Sentences for Child-Porn Convicts, November 29, 2009: 
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_13887009

With No Place to Stay, He Could Go to Prison, November 29, 2009:
http://romenews-tribune.com/pages/full_story/push?article-With+no+place+to+stay-+he+could+go+to+prison%20&id=4936035-With+no+place+to+stay-+he+could+go+to+prison&instance=home_news
(A Life and Future Destroyed All Because of Consensual Teenage Sex)

 Jessica’s Law Too Vague To Enforce? November 29, 2009:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2009/nov/29/jessicas-law-too-vague-enforce/

Father Putting his Life Back Together After Daughters Recant Stories of Molestation, November 27, 2009:
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/DN-recant_27met.ART.State.Edition2.4b74282.html

Sex Offenders Law Upheld by Courts (GA), November 25, 2009:
http://www.walb.com/Global/story.asp?S=11568344

Technology is Watching Sex Offenders' Online Habits (GA), November 24, 2009:
http://romenews-tribune.com/pages/full_story/push?article-Technology+is+watching+sex+offenders-+online+habits%20&id=4779651&instance=home_news_lead_story
NSB Explores Sex-Offender Laws, November 24, 2009:
NEW SMYRNA BEACH FL.- If Dolores Maylone had her way, New Smyrna Beach's welcome mat would read: "No pedophiles allowed."
She recently came before the City Commission demanding it adopt an ordinance limiting where such sexual offenders can live, or even walk.
"If we make life difficult for them maybe they will move on before another child's life is ruined or another child dies," the New Smyrna Beach resident said.
"This is not simple," the chief said. A law can be well intended but not practical to enforce. There is also the issue of identifying pedophiles, who are not always registered sex offenders; just as not all sex offenders are pedophiles. "You can't just go up to a person and ask if they are a sex offender," the chief said.
http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/EastVolusia/evlEAST03112409.htm

Tracking Sex-Crime Offenders Gets Trickier, November 23, 2009:
“The newest trend in sex-offender management is computer monitoring, which experts said is being done by a majority of state agencies. Maryland began using monitoring software for sex offenders last month; Virginia is researching it”.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/22/AR2009112202364.html
(See Bulletin Board Posting #169)

How Likely are Sex Offenders to Re-Offend? November 22, 2009:
Studies suggest rates lower than popularly believed
http://www.southbendtribune.com/article/20091122/News01/911220303/-1/googleNews

Imagine Minnesota Life Without Sexual Violence, November 22, 2009:
By Patty Wetterling
http://www.albertleatribune.com/news/2009/nov/23/imagine-minnesota-life-without-sexual-violence/

OUR OPINION: Sex Offender Bill Moves, Rather than Solves, Problem, November 21, 2009:   http://www.patriotledger.com/opinions/x511160333/OUR-OPINION-Sex-offender-bill-moves-rather-than-solves-problem

Tax Dollars Pay for Offenders' Hotel Rooms (Virginia) November 19, 2009:
http://www.nbc12.com/global/story.asp?s=11541557

Tax Dollars Pay for Offenders' Hotel Rooms (Virginia) November 19, 2009:
http://www.nbc12.com/global/story.asp?s=11541557

Is The Postal Service Writing Off Santa? November 19, 2009:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120581846

Law Change finds Stuarts Draft Sex Offender in Hot Water (Virginia), November 19, 2009:  http://www.newsleader.com/article/20091119/NEWS01/91119011/1002/news01/Law+change+finds+Stuarts+Draft
+sex+offender+in+hot+water

Sex Offenders In Homeless Shelter? It's A Scare Tactic, November 19, 2009:
http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-ubinas-homeless1119.artnov19,0,7226544.column

Does the Punishment Fit the Crime for Child Porn? November 19, 2009:
http://www.news-herald.com/articles/2009/11/19/news/nh1709699.txt

Detroit Man Accused of Marching Naked 15-year-old Son into Lot, Killing Him Over Dispute, November 18, 2009:
http://www.startribune.com/nation/70402042.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUUsZ

Sex Offender Ban Sought for Homeless Shelters, November 18, 2009:
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/11/18/sex_offender_ban_sought_for_homeless_shelters/

Ashland (MA) Restricts Where Sex Offenders Can Go; Reverses Chestnut St. Zoning Decision, November 17, 2009:
The new sex offender bylaw will restrict level 2 or 3 sex offenders or people who have been convicted of a sex crime against a child from coming within 300 feet of an organized youth activity.
One of the main reasons the bylaw was drafted was because of the proximity of recreation department youth activities, such as the summer camp program, to the food pantry, both located at the Community Center.
"The real-life situation that comes up is the food pantry," said Town Manager John Petrin. "There may be people who have this history in need and they might be walking right through a youth activity."
Beth Rosenblum, a Cordaville Road resident, questioned whether the bylaw could lead to a lack of services for sex offenders.
"Does this mean a registered sex offender could not use the food pantry?" she asked.
Town officials said that while a sex offender would not be able to use the food pantry while there was a youth activity going on at the time, town officials or food pantry workers would try to make accommodations so everyone who needed to use the food pantry could.
http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/news/x1659501951/Ashland-restricts-where-sex-offenders-can-go-reverses-Chestnut-
St-zoning-decision

Opinion: Sex Offenders Easy Targets, November 17, 2009: 
http://www.trib.com/news/opinion/mailbag/article_bd7d0967-c66f-55e9-b4f1-fc0a8754b2a1.html

Editorial: Sex Crimes Laws Need Updating, November 16, 2009:
http://www.news-press.com/article/20091116/OPINION/911160318/1015/opinion/Editorial--Sex-crimes-laws-need-updating

Campbell County School Board to Review Changes to Parent Sex-Offender Policy (Virginia), November 15, 2009:
http://www2.newsadvance.com/lna/news/local/article/campbell_county_school_board_to_review_changes_to_parent_sex-offender_polic/21430/

Sex Offender to Come off Registry (IN), November 13, 2009:
State Supreme Court Ruling Paved Way
A landmark decision at the Indiana Supreme Court could allow more than a third of Allen County's sex offenders to get off the list . In the case against a man named Richard P. Wallace , the high court ruled it was unconstitutional to apply a new law to an old crime. Since then, the Indiana Department of Corrections has advised offenders to seek legal counsel, if they think the Wallace case applies to their own.
http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/local_wane_ft_wayne_Sex_offender_to_come_of_registry_20091113_rev1

Teen Decoy a 'Victim' in Sex Offender's Sentencing, November 13, 2009:
A 14-year-old decoy from an Internet sting operation can be considered a "victim" in sentencing a sex offender as a sexually violent predator, the Colorado Court of Appeals ruled Thursday.
http://www.courthousenews.com/2009/11/13/Teen_Decoy_a_Victim_in_Sex_Offender_s_Sentencing.htm

More Job Seekers Scramble To Erase Their Criminal Past, November 12, 2009:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125789494126242343.html?mod=rss_Today's_Most_Popular

Sex Offenders are Still Human, November 12, 2009:
Inhumane Treatment is Never Justified
http://mcgilldaily.com/articles/22671

Attorney says Lee County (TX) Sex Offender Law is Unconstitutional
"I'm a grandfather in this community. I have two little grandkids," Aiken said. "I don't have a problem in the world with real laws, with real penalties."
But Aiken says the "Child Safety Zone" law makes it too difficult to understand where offenders can and can't be.
"The problem with a law like this, which I call a feel-good law, is it makes the public feel good and feel safe, but it doesn't do anything," Aiken said.
The law orders offenders to stay 300 feet from areas "where children congregate" like schools, parks, and beaches; but Aiken says the language is so vague, offenders don't know where they can b e legally.
"If you read this ordinance technically, you can't go to McDonald's, because McDonald's has the playground out front."
http://www.winknews.com/news/local/69817407.html

Carrie Prejean: Conservative Sex Offender? November 12, 2009:
http://www.momlogic.com/2009/11/carrie_prejean_christian_conse.php

Holier than Thou Carrie Prejean: Star of the Religious Right - Porn Star? November 11, 2009:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/ybenjamin/detail??blogid=150&entry_id=51497

The Carrie Prejean Sex Tape is Child Pornography, November 10, 2009:
http://www.examiner.com/x-14795-Page-One-Examiner~y2009m11d10-The-Carrie-Prejean-sex-tape-is-child-pornography

Registry Couldn't Stop Ohio Deaths, November 10, 2009:
One of Ohio's foremost champions of tougher sexual predator laws concedes that probably no law could have stopped the tragedy unfolding in Cleveland.
Republican Congressman Steve Austria, a former state senator from the Dayton area, pushed for state laws that he and other supporters believed would make Ohio safer.
Yet Anthony Sowell, a compliant registered sex offender, is accused of murdering several unsuspecting women and stowing their bodies in a Cleveland house and yard that reeked of rotting flesh.
Remains of 11 people have been found.
Austria says the laws play an important role in allowing society to keep track of sex offenders, but those who want to will find ways around any safeguards.
http://www.whiotv.com/news/21571872/detail.html

Sex Offender Registry Reduced by 1/3 (IN), November 10, 2009:
Supreme Court Decision Opens Potential
http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/local_wane_allen_county_sex_offender_registry_reduced_by_hundreds_200911101305_rev1

Editorial: Sex Offender Registry: Too Broad a List, November 10, 2009:
http://www.mlive.com/opinion/muskegon/index.ssf/2009/11/editorial_sex_offender_registr.html

Domestic Violence Laws Inconsistent, November 10, 2009:
http://www.kansan.com/news/2009/nov/10/cosby/

Bus Stop Protestors Reach Agreement, November 10, 2009:
ORLANDO, Fla. After spending many nights sleeping on the side of Orange Blossom Trail in protest and after trying to get a daycare established so that high-level sex offenders living nearby would have to move, a contract between abuse survivor Barbara Farris and the HOA at the Lakeshore Village Trailer Park was forged on Monday.
Some eighty sex offenders of all types live in the community near a school bus stop. They, with the permission of the park's owner, have agreed to install internet accessible surveillance cameras throughout the park and at the bus stop.
Farris shook hands with not one, but two sex offenders who live in the Lakeshore Village Trailer Park.
"We are all happy with the outcome," said Farris, who will no longer threaten to put a daycare up to chase the high level offenders out.
Instead, Farris and her watchdog group Bee Aware, will install nine surveillance cameras. Only Farris and a select few will have the access code to access them any time online.
Farris explains, "If they're going to do something wrong, offenders will change patterns, and now we'll be able to see them on tape. We'll l be recording 24 hours."
"We've been fighting for the wrong reasons. We're really out for same resolution," said the president of the park's HOA. He is also a registered sex offender.
He says he also wants a safe community. He also wants surveillance cameras to keep a close eye on the higher level repeat offenders.
"A consensus vote was taken by the park and we came up with a high 70 percent vote for the surveillance cameras proposed by Ms. Farris. If you're not doing something wrong, what have you got to worry about?"
They hope to have nine cameras installed within the month. Each one will cost about $2,000, and Farris is footing the entire bill.
http://www.myfoxorlando.com/dpp/news/orange_news/110909-Bus-stop-protestors-reach-agreement

PERSPECTIVE: Registry Couldn't Stop Ohio Deaths, November 9, 2009:
http://www.wytv.com/content/news/ohstate/story/PERSPECTIVE-Registry-couldnt-stop-Ohio-deaths/TnEs44knk0GP8CtRzKWvaA.cspx
(Ohio is currently the only SORNA/AWA compliant state. Being compliant costs millions of dollars and won’t stop a mad-man who’s determined to commit heinous crimes)

Sex Offender Checks Quick; Deputies Can't Enter Homes, November 9, 2009:
http://www.newsnet5.com/news/21565423/detail.html

Framed for Child Porn, by a PC Virus November 8, 2009:
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=9028516

Questions Surround Lunsford's Advocacy, November 7, 2009:
http://www.theledger.com/article/20091107/NEWS/911075035/1374?Title=Questions-Surround-Lunsford-s-Advocacy

Va. Man Headed to Prison for Child Porn, November 7, 2009:
"The search of Webb's laptop was conducted under a new policy that allows international travelers' electronic devices to be searched by federal agents without a warrant".
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2009/11/07/Va-man-headed-to-prison-for-child-porn/UPI-89761257619732/
(This “new policy” is part of The US Patriot Act)

A.G. Urges Dismissal of Petition to Clear Teen in Rape-Recant Case (Virginia), November 7, 2009:
http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2009/112009/11072009/505862

Hundreds of Sex Offenders Missing from State Registry (TX,) November 6, 2009:
http://www.woai.com/content/troubleshooters/story/Hundreds-of-sex-offenders-missing-from-state/pLrsnGg7EEOD0axu1qPwFg.cspx

Virginia State Police Tracking Sex Offenders, November 5, 2009:
http://www.wtvr.com/news/wtvr-va-tracking-sex-offenders,0,1339756.story

We Can’t Execute Them, November 5, 2009:
But Should We Lock up Teens for Life?
http://www.newsweek.com/id/221286

America’s Flawed Sex Offender Laws, November 5, 2009:
http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2009/09/05/americas-flawed-sex-offender-laws

Losing Track of Sex Offenders, November 5, 2009:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/11/05/eveningnews/main5541161.shtml

Fed Appeal Court Upholds Sex Offender Requirements (GA), November 5, 2009:
http://www2.wsav.com/sav/ap_exchange/wsav_custom_regional_news/article/FedAppealCourtUpholdsSexOffender
Requirements
Ga/64755/

Lawyers Fight Law on Sex Offenders Before Ohio Supreme Court, November 5, 2009: http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/11/05/copy/CLASH_ON_SEX_OFFENDERS.
ART_ART_11-05-09_B1_FLFJ0L4.html?adsec=politics&sid=101

Court Says Sex Offender Registry Law is Cruel to Young Lovers, November 5, 2009:  http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2009/11/court-says-sex-offender-registry-law-is-cruel-to-young-
lovers------/1

Court: Registration of Juvenile Sex Offenders is Unconstitutional-Michigan, November 4, 2009:
http://www.freep.com/article/20091104/NEWS06/91104025/1320/Court-Registration-of--juvenile-sex-offenders-is-unconstitutional

State Appeals Court Limits Sex Offender Registry (MI) November 4, 2009:
http://michiganmessenger.com/29536/state-appeals-court-limits-sex-offender-registry

Analyst: Florida's Sex-Offender Restrictions May be Flawed, November 4, 2009:
Marti Harkness, a criminal-justice analyst, told the House Public Safety & Domestic Security Committee that studies from Florida, Minnesota and Colorado showed almost no link between a sex offender's residency and the crime he committed.
But onerous residency restrictions increase the chances that offenders will be homeless, hard to track and more likely to commit new crimes, said Harkness, who works for the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics/florida/story/1314881.html

Police Investigate Stillwater Teens for 'Sexting' (OK) November 4, 2009:
http://www.newson6.com/Global/story.asp?S=11438915

State's Law on Predators Put to Legal Test (CA), November 3, 2009:
http://www.insidebayarea.com/california/ci_13707591

Arrested for an Email? November 3, 2009:
http://www.wicz.com/news2005/viewarticle.asp?a=11159

Anthony Sowell and Phillip Garrido Cases Raise Questions About Sex Offender Monitoring, November 2, 2009:
http://abcnews.go.com/WN/anthony-sowell-philip-garrido-cases-raise-questions-sex/story?id=8976114

California Supreme Court to review Jessica's Law, November 2, 2009:
http://www.mercurynews.com/crime-courts/ci_13693997

Exonerated Share Their Stories with Texas Students, November 2, 2009:
http://www.northjersey.com/news/crime_courts/68456862.html

Chief Federal Judge Approves New Voice Technology To Monitor Sex Offenders US District Court Validates the CVSA(R), November 2, 2009:
http://www.einnews.com/pr-news/53359-chief-federal-judge-approves-new-voice-technology-to-monitor-sex-offenders-us-district-court-validates-the-cvsa-r-

Let Juries Determine Sex Offenders’ Fate, November 1, 2009:
Civil Commitment in Massachusetts
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/editorials/articles/2009/11/01/let_juries_determine_sex_offenders_fate/

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RSOL of Virginia strives to provide accurate and current information to the citizens of Virginia.
We do not claim to be a legal resource. Always consult with an Attorney and the Virginia State Police (804) 674-2825 where needed.
We at RSOL of Virginia do not in any way condone the sexual abuse of anyone in anyway, shape, or form.
We support appropriate punishment and treatment for offenders based on their individual case.       
We support the reform of many of the statutes that currently require registration, that an accusation alone is sufficient to convict, prosecution for “Sexting” between teens and young adults, prison time and the requirement to register for consensual acts between teens and young adults, the retroactive approach to applying new laws, the increases in offender classifications by Legislators, the harsher compliancy penalties than the original conviction, the total computer and internet banishment for those whose crimes were not computer related and all residency restrictions.
We support reform of the sex offender registries so that the public can be aware of the presence of truly dangerous, untreatable and repeat offenders while allowing the majority of offenders to re-enter society and become productive citizens that can secure housing, employment, participate in their families lives and live without fear of community threats or retaliation.
The RSOL of Virginia is an independent group as of December 2009. When we originally formed in October 2008, we were the state affiliate for Reform Sex Offender Laws.org
Unfortunately we had to make the difficult decision to break away from National RSOL due to differences in opinion. We wish RSOL National and all their state affiliates well in this very important cause, to REFORM Americas Sex Offender Registries.