[8/23/22] NEW FREEDOM, Pa. – Today, Chester County Court Judge Allison Bell Royer ruled that Pennsylvania’s Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act is unconstitutional in Commonwealth v. George Torsilieri. “PARSOL and our affiliates across the country have long advocated against sex offender…
Category: Court Findings
SCOTUS Says You Can’t Sue the Cops for Violating Your Miranda Rights
A 6–3 ruling undermines attempts to hold police accountable for misconduct. The Supreme Court ruled today, 6–3, that if a police officer fails to inform you of your right to remain silent and avoid self-incrimination when you’re suspected of a…
Mindlessly Punitive Federal Sentencing Guidelines
When Joseph Jenkins went on vacation in May 2009, he brought his collection of child pornography with him. That decision led to a prison sentence so severe that a federal appeals court yesterday deemed it “substantively unreasonable” in a decision…
Website editor found guilty of falsely reporting child abuse
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – A Brevard County website editor is facing up to five years in prison after being found guilty of falsely accusing a man of sexually abusing his elementary school-aged daughter. According to the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office,…
Burden must be on the State to PROVE sexual motivation or intent
Here’s a case that may be of interest to those of you with a loved one serving time for child molestation which occurred after approximately August 1997 and where there was a question of sexual intent or motivation. In other…
Win in California
A win in California! Under threat of litigation the Seal Beach City Council repealed what are politely known as ‘residency restrictions’ which dictate where individuals required to sign the sex offense registry can reside. Statewide regulations still apply but those…
Constitutional Law and the Role of Scientific Evidence
Just published: A new article by legal scholar Melissa Hamilton spotlights the key role of *scientific evidence* in a ground-breaking 2016 federal appeals court decision known as Doe v. Snyder—and how that holding is already impacting other challenges to draconian…
2016 Crime Review: A look at the effectiveness of sex offender registries
The number and rate of substantiated claims of child sexual assault peaked in 1992, four years prior to the passage and implementation of the state’s original Megan’s Law, according to data from the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. Between 1992…
Informant Use Has FBI on Defense in Child-Porn Case
FBI agents and prosecutors usually strut inside Santa Ana’s Ronald Reagan Federal Courthouse, knowing they’ve focused the wrath of the criminal-justice system on a particular criminal. But an unusual child-pornography-possession case has placed officials on the defensive for nearly 26…
A Nebraska case that is interesting
There are some interesting public comments on this story. Please take the time to read what Nebraska has in mind. More laws for more reasons of panic. Law makers seem to think that using the “safety” of a child is…