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Cities of Anaheim and Grand Terrace Repeal Sex Offender Ordinances

Posted by Seth Chazin | May 06, 2014 | 0 Comments

The cities of Anaheim and Grand Terrace have decided to suspend enforcement of local sex offender ordinances that banned registered sex offenders from visiting public parks and other recreational areas for fear of children being kidnapped or assaulted. ( CA Penal Code 209) and Penal Code section 245(a) (4) . The organization California RSOL (CARSOL) argued that recent appellate court decisions were unconstitutional and could not legally be enforced. These decisions could have a significant impact on registered sex offenders throughout California and the United States. The City of Pomona repealed a similar ordinance not long ago, you can find more on it here Pomona Sex Offender Ordinance Challenged in Federal Court .

Such legislative changes will allow more than 105,000 citizens who are registered sex offenders and their families to enjoy recreational opportunities in those cities.

CARSOL sent out letters to 72 cities in January notifying them of the recent appellate court decisions which voided restrictions such as these. The letters demanded that the remaining cities get rid of such ordinances within 60 days or be faced with the possibility of a legal challenge. Since then, over 10 cities have repealed or stayed enforcement of their ordinances until the California Supreme Court decides whether to grant review of the Court of Appeals decision.

CARSOL is ready to file a lawsuit in federal court if any of the cities fail to repeal or stay enforcement of its ordinance. Most of these ordinances are based on myths regarding the danger of strangers in parks, when in fact most sexual assaults (Penal Code section 288 (a) and Penal Code section 243.4 ) on children are as a result of someone familiar, such as a family member, teacher, member or clergy, etc. These ordinances need to be repealed because they unlawfully deprive citizens of their constitutional right to freedom of association and movement and they are not based on actual reliable factual data.

To learn more about sex offender registration check out : http://www.bayarea-attorney.com/CM/Articles/Sex-Offender-Registration.asp

About the Author

Seth Chazin

Seth P. Chazin has aggressively defended clients in thousands of felony and misdemeanor cases for over 30 years. He has extensive experience representing criminal defendants in federal and state court, while handling both state and federal appeals as well.

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ABOLISH THE DEATH PENALTY

“The death penalty is a lie, a misguided mistake born of anger and frustration. Capital punishment has become a perverse monument to inequality, to how some lives matter and others do not. It is a violent example of how we protect and value the rich and abandon and devalue the poor. The death penalty is a grim, disturbing shadow formed by the legacy of racial apartheid and bias against the poor that condemns the disfavored among us, but corrupts us all. It’s the perverse symbol elected officials use to strengthen their ‘tough on crime’ reputations and distract us from confronting the causes of violence. It is finally the enemy of grace, redemption and all of us who recognize that each person is more than their worse act.”
- Bryan Stevenson

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