The Dobbs Wire: Major changes to California registry – governor signs reform bill
California: Major changes are coming to the country’s largest (over 105,000 individuals) and oldest (1947) sex offense registry. Anyone registered in California is listed for life; the state had become an outlier, one of just four states with such a harsh lifetime-registration law. Soon California will have a so-called tiered sex offense registry, the same type of scarlet letter machinery used by nearly every other state. Just signed by the governor, the new law comes after two reform efforts failed in recent years. The 2017 bill had law enforcement backing and got much closer to passage than the previous two, only to ‘die’ mysteriously in a key legislative committee in September. Behind closed doors the bill’s sponsors made major changes to satisfy opponents and, by using an odd procedural maneuver, the bill passed in the legislative session’s final hours. As to whether the new law is progress, the dust hasn’t settled yet so stay tuned. Let’s see what the Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws (ACSOL), a vibrant California-based advocacy group, has to say. Here’s the Los Angeles Times report, a press release from the state-wide LGBT lobby group, and a link to the new law, have a look. –Bill Dobbs, The Dobbs Wire
Los Angeles Times | Oct. 6, 2017
California will soon end lifetime registration of some sex offenders under bill signed by Gov. Jerry Brown
By Patrick McGreevy
Thousands of Californians will be allowed to take their names off the state’s registry of sex offenders as a result of action Friday by Gov. Jerry Brown. Brown signed legislation that, when it takes effect Jan. 1, will end lifetime listings for lower-level offenders judged to be at little risk of committing new crimes.
California is one of only four states that require lifetime registration of sex offenders. The others are Alabama, South Carolina and Florida. The new law signed by the governor creates a tiered registry, with high-risk offenders on the registry for life and others able to petition to be removed after either 10 or 20 years without re-offending, depending on the offense.
The measure was introduced at the request of Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey and other law enforcement officials who said the registry, which has grown to more than 105,000 names, is less useful to detectives investigating new sex crimes because it is so bulky. “California’s sex offender registry is broken, which undermines public safety,” said Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), who introduced the bill. “SB 384 refocuses the sex offender registry on high-risk offenders and treats low-level offenders more fairly.” MORE:
SB-384 Sex offenders: registration: criminal offender record information systems.
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billCompareClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180SB384
Equality California | Oct. 6, 2017
Press Release: Governor Brown signs Equality California-sponsored bill to reform California’s sex offender registry
https://www.eqca.org/384signed/
Unfortunately for all those in California with felony Child porn convictions who used to be level one and not listed on the public register will be moved to level III where they will not only be listed BUT will be listed for life with no possibility of getting off this new and improved registry!
Ask those thousands who once at least had hope how they feel now…
Lee – really? That seems counter productive in addition to just being wrong. Prime case for an ex post facto. Convictions going forward maybe but backward? I am sure Janice would jump on that one. If possession of CP is not one of the “least dangerous” then what crimes are?
California is making a great effort, but not quite their yet. But this is a win for RSO’s there. We like wins!!! And finally voices of reason!!!!!!!!!
The only thing better would be complete abolishment. I wish it was contagious lol I hope it includes “time served” I am happy for those that will get some relief. You something I never thought of in all this hell on Earth is the situation when one is off the registry in their state of residence but are still required to report in a state (like Florida) – how would that be different if the state where they were going also had a ten year thing? In other words, if I live in state X and served 10 yrs on the hit list and then went to state Y that requires me to registrar because I committed the crime in the past but state Y also has a 10 yr requirement I wonder if they would make me serve another 10 years or would I be exempt from registering. Did that make sense? LOL
I miss something? Arent the cp provisions usually on the lower end of the risk spectrum? How do they jump to level three?
That’s exactly what’s wrong with this. (actually, one of many things)
Ok please forgive me. Lets say pled to 1 cnt transmission of image (no special circumstances not under 14) in 1998. If i go to california id be a level three automatically?