ACSOL Withdraws Support from Vigil
FROM the Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws
The board of directors for the Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws (ACSOL) has decided to withdraw its support from the vigil planned for Washington, D.C., in March 2023. The decision is based upon a belief held by a majority of board members that it is no longer safe to conduct the vigil given the highly polarized environment in the nation’s capitol.
The ACSOL board of directors did not, however, withdraw its support for the conference to be held in the Washington, D.C., area on March 5 and March 6, 2023.
The original purpose of the vigil was to educate the U.S. Supreme Court as well as the public regarding the significant harm caused by the court’s decision issued in 2003, Smith v. Doe, that declared that registration is not punishment and therefore new registration laws could be applied retroactively. Subsequent to that decision, governments at every level — city, county, state and federal — have passed new laws and applied them retroactively to the detriment of almost 1 million people required to register and their families.
The 20th anniversary of Smith v. Doe will take place on March 5, 2023.
Much respect to the ACSOL board for this difficult decision. I will trust their political instincts.
Teamwork Makes the Dreamwork in DC in 2023
Sunday March 5 2023 8:00 Welcoming Address and state banner recognition
8:05 AM – Keynote Speaker – U.S. Representative Bobby Scott
8:20 AM 3 Breakouts – A) Reset Missouri Reentry Housing, B) TBA C)TBA
9:25 AM Plenary Speaker Nina Ginsberg – NACDL Attorney
10:55 AM 3 Breakouts – A) Habitual Cocooning, B) TBA C)
11:55 AM Lunch
1:00 PM Plenary Speaker – TBA
2:00 PM Breakouts
3/5/2023 3:00 PM- Mini-Plenary Speakers
3/5/2023 4:00 PM – 5 PM Sight Seeing Tour for those interested
5:00 PM Social Gathering
Monday March 6 2023 8:00 AM Collaboration Day Kickoff
8:15 AM till Lunch – Group meetings
12:50 PM 2:15 PM
2:20 PM 4:00 PM
5:00 PM Happy Hour
Collaboration Day will be open to all organizations dealing with our issue AND others. There will be an outside independent collaboration expert leading the day and NO ONE organization will control the direction of the meeting and decisions. The conference and vigil are moving forward. Janice will be at all events as an independent constitutional attorney.
Tuesday 3/7/2023 8:00 AM 9:00 AM – Gathering of vigil participants
3/7/2023 9:00 AM Travel to SCOTUS
3/7/2023 9:30 AM Vigil begins
3/7/2023 12:00 PM Travel from SCOTUS
Thank you for the update.
On the subject of the registry being punishment. Though it might seem unrelated, the Johnny Depp suit on defamation of character is using the on line comments as part of its case against his ex as is another case where a woman who met a man on line and then found out he was cheating on her so she decided to tell the world about him and what she thought of him. She is now threatened with a law suit. With 2million people reading what she said in a matter of a few minutes, twice the publication of the New York Times, it’s becoming more apparent how much damage can be done to someone by publishing information on them on line. Like face book and twitter.
If that much damage can be done how can they say it’s not punishment. The courts need to reevaluate there decision based on current information. They were wrong then and even more so now.
Because the law only protects those in such a situation where the information being published is not true, as Depp claimed in his case.
If the registry is for “advisory purposes” to give the public an “informed decision” then it’s just a form of fear mongering and qualified speculation. It IS defamation because the messaging is biased and forced perspective rooted in fear and hate. The registry is basically a reverse cry wolf.
Oh, and it DOES NOT MATTER if the information is already “publicly available” because it’s being used in a specious manner with a political agenda.
Facts
I agree completely. Defamation of character is by what is insinuated as much as what is directly stated . If someone robbed a bank and you made a comment that he had been convicted of bank robbery. That would not be defamation of character since it is a very specific statement about an established act.
But to say someone is a sex offender ,a very vague term,.Implies much more than a specific crime. It implies he is continuing to offend. Also in the publics viewpoint they are a pedophile and have victims when in reality very seldom is that true of those on the registry.
So by saying he is a sex offender is a definite defamation of character. By broadcasting it over the internet makes that statement not only false but heinous and needs to be challenged in the courts with thousands of law suits.
sometimes its worth risking your life to send a message. if they kept the date the people they are trying to get to take notice of them would take them much more seriously.
no hope…. I just turned 67 and have been following much of this registry. I live about a two hr drive from D.C. I wouldn’t even dear drive my car into D.C but I will shuttle in at that time if something does not come up unexpected comes up. Out of all the ups and down’s I have gotten into this is a serious issue for all people on the registry no matter how your classification is.
Many don’t even need to be in prison in much of this unjust.
THE VIGIL IS STILL HAPPENING!
If you only had interest in the vigil, THE VIGIL IS NOT CANCELLED.
WAR is still having the vigil!
If you were only interested in the vigil, then come to the vigil.
You DO NOT have to attend the conference to attend the vigil!
I am going to the vigil, but I have no interest in another behind-closed-doors conference where sermons are preached to choirs.
If you are there to physically attend the Vigil only, and are not staying overnight, do you have to check in with the Gestapos? do you have to register there?
that is the question!
‘they’ will demand yes, but I do not that is the case!
No. You can stay in DC or VA without having to check in. Their laws allow for stays without registration if you are not planning to move there, unlike states like FloriDUH which considers staying in the state for 3 days a move.
The last information I had was DC you had to check in if 3 days or more. Looks like surrounding states are good. My list is a couple years old though. Does anyone have an updated one?
CJ you talk about a Watergate… D.C is like a “Tightgate” now thanks to one person and I won’t mention his name.
I live in VA and planned to attend for moral support any good cause is all about even with this registry issue . That’s what its all about. Sure I just got off of a 10 yr. probation as compared to parole as some have done or are still going thru and yes I know Florida and some other states are pretty strenuous about their people in each state on the sex registry. On a scale of offenses aside from murder, alcohol, drugs, thief, DUI etc .. it seems sex offending is in the top ten of registrant offenses. Course Janice and her board know what they are doing out in CA but their will be the speaking or conference which is good.
Sure I will be their as its only a few hours from me as support is what much of this registry needs and yes change in much of this registry in many types of issues. Hey some people are blacklisted in a way from society. I can understand ACSOL’s position in many ways but still for all the groups such as NARSOL, FAC, ACSOL and a few others all these efforts are for a good cause and if that’s helping people cope with this registry or get much of this registry disbanded,or changed in many ways than much of this registry change is for the better. Its thinking of others that is more important. Sure many have lost good jobs over this pasty type of issue shamming.
There are registrars that I know personally has gone into Deep Depression due to lost of family and friends. This registry is not protecting nothing at all. A waste of taxpayers monies.
Emma I feel for the oppressed and even the depressed one’s. Sure things like these ordeals can cause even emotional damage not to mention emotional stress but many will see better days. Washington D.C is not a good place to be right now.
Oppression in government circles.. yes it is not a very good time to be in D.C. and its sad in many ways but one still has to voice out yet their is always a bright side to everything.
Isn’t that the point ? If law enforcement resources were put twords protecting the citizens against vigilantes and hate groups instead of a registry that does absolutely nothing to protect anyone but paints targets on the backs of those unfortunates that have been listed . it would be safe to have the vigil and hane a public outcry for reform.
Probably a smart move. Besides, I have to believe that given the right case, a case that the Court would agree to hear, a strong, clear cut case that directly confronts the issue of punishment vs. civil, that the Court would rule differently. The Court has heard several cases over specific issues with sex offender regulations but hasn’t been faced with reconsidering the issue of whether or not it is still punishment. Maybe one of our cases will be the one?
I would disagree there are plenty of cases where information published is false or based on lies and the law don’t help them especially if its the law who put the information out there to begin with