March 8, 2014

Assembly Bill Would Increase Sex Offender Rights

3-8-2014 California:

The State Assembly is actively considering a bill, AB 1640, that would eliminate the registration requirement for sexual offenses that the California Supreme Court and several Courts of Appeal have ruled violate the equal protection rights of registered citizens. The bill was introduced by Assembly member Jones-Sawyer (Democrat, Los Angeles) and is sponsored by Los Angeles District Attorney Lacey.

Assembly Bill 1640, if passed, would be an important step toward restoring the civil rights of registered citizens,” stated CA RSOL President Janice Bellucci. “The bill would ensure that courts throughout the state of California consistently enforce recent court decisions.”

Recent court decisions to which the bill refer are based upon the case People v. Hofsheier in which the California Supreme Court ruled that mandatory lifetime sex registration was unconstitutional for those convicted of Penal Code Section 288a(b)(1). Since that case, the Hofsheier ruling has been applied to additional Penal Code Sections including 286(b)(1), 286(b)(2), 288a(b)(2), 288.7, 289(h) and 289(I).

California RSOL supports AB 1640 and will devote resources to its passage. Registered citizens and family members can help to support the bill by contacting their Assembly members by phone, by E-mail and/or by letter. ..Source.. by CA-RSOL

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