Cobb Co GA registry officer will now have to register himself

You hate to see it. On the one hand, I love seeing so many of these self-righteous agents who lord this government blacklist get called out on their hypocrisy. At the same time I never wish the registry upon ANYONE, even my worst enemies, and even if this guy worked in the registry office and made everyone he dealt with miserable. 

https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/deputy-in-cobb-county-sex-offender-unit-sentenced-to-prison-on-child-porn-charges-doj-says

Deputy in Cobb County Sex Offender Unit sentenced to prison on child porn charges, DOJ says

By FOX 5 Atlanta Digital TeamPublished December 2, 2022Cobb CountyFOX 5 Atlanta

COBB COUNTY, Ga. - A former Cobb County deputy will spend five years and 10 months in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release after he was convicted of possessing and distributing child pornography. 

The U.S. Department of Justice said 52-year-old Peter Bilardello pleaded guilty to one count of distributing child pornography in August. 

A tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children indicated a user on social media platform MeWe uploaded about 12 sexually explicit images of children in Marietta. 

The Cobb County Police Department traced the account to Bilardello, a 17-year veteran of the Cobb County Sheriff's Office. Prosecutors said he worked in the Sex Offender Unit of the Cobb County Sheriff's Office where he maintained a database of registered sex offenders in the county. 

Police obtained warrants to search Bilardello's phone and home to confirm the tip. Investigators found more than 300 pornographic videos depicting young children on his phone. 

Police arrested Bilardello, who resigned from his position with the Cobb County Sheriff's Office.

"Bilardello’s actions erode the trust the public places in law enforcement officers," Cobb County Sheriff Craig Owens said. "I commend the Cobb County Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their swift action in investigating these heinous crimes and stopping the spread of child pornography. Justice was served, and this sentence makes clear that no one is above the law, especially those sworn to protect and serve the public." 

Bilardello has been in federal custody since his arrest.

"When a law enforcement officer breaks that trust, it reflects on all officers across this profession," Cobb County Police Chief Stuart VanHoozer said. "I stand with the honorable women and men of the Cobb County Police Department, with Sheriff Owens and those who serve under his command, and with the remainder of law enforcement professionals across this nation who find acts such as these by law enforcement officers abhorrent."

Georgia Congressional Candidate Hershel Walker is getting a nomination but I'm kind of unsure how to categorize it

Hershel Walker pretended he is a law enforcement agent. So should be be added to me Keystone Cop of the Year? Or, for dumbest politician? What if he wins? Should I give out the award in badge form if he wins just to confuse him? 

But since he is running for office, it makes sense to put him in Dumbest Politician category, something he's proven to be in most areas. 

https://www.newsweek.com/herschel-walker-sparks-fury-over-warnock-camp-abuse-claims-1761276

Herschel Walker Sparks Fury Over Warnock Camp Abuse Claims

BY DARRAGH ROCHE ON 11/22/22 AT 4:48 AM EST

U.S. Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker has been met with an angry response online after he accused Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock of being responsible for abuse at a youth camp.

The video of Walker's remarks shared to Twitter has now been viewed more than 400,000 times, with some social media users strongly criticizing the Republican and suggesting his comments were defamatory.

The footage was shared on Monday by Twitter account PatriotTakes, which describes itself as "researchers monitoring and exposing right-wing extremism". It also said Walker's comments as "a potential defamation lawsuit."

Walker was discussing Warnock and told his audience: "You all know what he did at that camp as well. You all may not have heard this."

Herschel Walker Speaks at a Campaign Rally

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Herschel Walker speaks to supporters at a campaign rally on November 16, 2022 in McDonough, Georgia. Walker will face Senator Raphael Warnock in a runoff on December 6.

"This young man said that was sexual abuse and that was physical abuse and I'm like, who did that? It had to be Senator Raphael Warnock because he was responsible for it. You all didn't hear about that, did you?" Walker said.

"He doesn't want to talk about those things because he doesn't want you to know that," Walker went on.

The Republican appears to have been referring to allegations made by a former camper at a summer camp run by Warnock, reported by The Washington Free Beacon in December 2020.

Anthony Washington alleged in an interview that when he attended the camp aged 12 in 2002, counselors tossed urine on him and locked him outside a cabin overnight.

Warnock was taken away in handcuffs after reportedly interrupting a police interview with a camp counselor in 2002 and though Warnock was charged at the time, the charges against him were dropped and law enforcement later called what happened a "miscommunication."

At that time, and as reported by the New York Post, Warnock defended himself by arguing he and the other religious leaders had acted "within the framework of the law", with Warnock claiming he "cooperated fully" with the police investigation.

Social media users reacted with anger to the Republican's remarks.

"Desperate and disgusting. There is no bottom to the Walker campaign," wrote the official Twitter account of MeidasTouch PAC, sharing PatriotTakes' video.

"Defamation," tweeted social media user Rex Chapman, while other Twitter users also described Walker's comment in similar language.

"Enough. Sue him for defamation Senator," wrote user Andrea R MD, whose bio identifies her as a retired E.R. doctor.

Democratic political organization Occupy Democrats tweeted: "Herschel Walker sinks to a disgusting new low and falsely accuses Sen. Raphael Warnock of being 'responsible' for 'sexual abuse' and 'physical abuse' at a youth camp—in truth, Walker is the one with a history of violence."

Walker's ex-wife, Cindy Grossman, has accused him of holding a gun to her head. He has the denied her allegations but said some of his actions were a result of his struggles with mental health.

"The Republican lie machine has no bottom," tweeted user Bryan Dawson on Monday. "A desperate Herschel Walker falsely accuses Raphael Warnock of sexual and physical abuse at a youth camp."

"Walker: 'It has to be Senator Raphael Warnock because he was responsible for it.' Or was it vampires?" Dawson added, referring to Walker's recent comments about a vampire movie.

Walker is facing Warnock in a runoff election for Georgia's U.S. Senate seat on December 6 after no candidate won 50 percent of the vote on November 8.

Though the outcome will not affect which party controls the Senate, Democrats are hoping to retain the seat that Warnock won in a special election in January 2021.

Newsweek has asked the Walker and Warnock campaigns for comment.

Atlanta GA resident Ali Abdulrab is promoting Nazi-era State ID marks for Registered Persons

Anyone who tries passing a named law, especially when it attempts to place marks of infamy on Registered Persons, deserves a Shiitake Award in my book. Ali can take his Nazi marks and shove. 

https://www.wrdw.com/2022/06/21/mariams-law-georgia-loophole-frees-convicted-sex-offender-now-accused-murder/

Mariam’s Law: Georgia loophole frees convicted sex offender now accused of murder

By Rachel Polansky

Published: Jun. 20, 2022 at 10:59 AM CDT|Updated: Jun. 21, 2022 at 9:44 AM CDT

ATLANTA, Ga. (CBS46) - A brother whose sister was brutally murdered last summer is urging the state to take legislative action to better identify sex offenders, including closing a loophole he believes may have prevented his sister’s attack.

Mariam Abdulrab, 27, was kidnapped, shot and killed last August, prosecutors said, by a stranger who abducted her from her boyfriend’s driveway.

Police arrested DeMarcus Brinkley soon after. He has since been indicted on nine felony counts including murder, kidnapping and attempted rape; his final plea hearing is set for June 23 and a trial is scheduled for October.

Brinkley is a repeat offender in Georgia, with a lengthy rap sheet, including child molestation.

From judges in the court system to mental health counselors, Brinkley has encountered many state officials throughout his life. Had any of them handled his prior convictions differently, Ali Abdulrab believes his sister might still be alive today.

That’s why Ali, along with some family and friends, created Mariam Forever, an organization advocating for substantial change in legislation to protect the community from preventable violent crimes. The group also created a document with a number of initiatives, including one that would require sex offenders carry identification cards which disclose their sex offender status. They’re calling the document “Mariam’s Law” and they’re looking for a state legislator to sponsor it...

CBS46 investigates took these findings to Tracy Alvord, Executive Director of the Georgia Sex Offender Registration Review Board (SORRB), who blamed a backlog for offenders not getting leveled.

“SORRB does have a backlog, which is due to understaffing and difficult hiring/keeping experts in this field, which is due to lack of funds. This is one possible reason Brinkley was not classified prior to his release,” Alvord said in a statement. “We are so glad Ms. Abdulrab’s family and friends are speaking out. We all need to listen. We want them to know SORRB is listening.”

Unlike some states where sex offenders are leveled on the day of their sentencing, Georgia levels sex offenders when they are released from prison.

Mariam’s Law

The family’s proposed Mariam’s Law is comprised mainly of two policies.

Requiring sex offenders who have not received a risk level assessment to be fitted with an ankle monitor. Once they are assigned, Level 3 offenders would be required to wear the monitor for the duration of their sentence, while Level 1 and 2 sex offenders could have them removed.

Requiring sex offenders to carry an identification card with a specific symbol that is recognizable to law enforcement. A sex offender assigned Level 1 would have a red hexagon on the right side of their ID card. A sex offender assigned Level 2 would have two red hexagons on the right side of their ID card. And, a sexual offender assigned Level 3 would have three red hexagons on the right side of their ID card.

“There might be more DeMarcus Brinkley’s out there,” Ali said. “We don’t want this to happen to anybody else.”

Should it get sponsored, it’s likely Mariam’s Law will face some legal challenges. In 2019, the Georgia Supreme Court struck down a law requiring lifetime ankle monitoring of high-risk sex offenders.

Also, critics in other states call ID cards disclosing sex-offender status as modern-day scarlet letters. Nonetheless, CBS46 Investigates found at least eight states have such cards: Kansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Florida, West Virginia, Delaware, and Alabama.

The family has also received support from Keisha Waites, a former state legislator and now a Post-3-At-large Atlanta city councilor.

“I am very sensitive to an individual’s privacy,” Waites said. “I understand that. However, when it comes to a Level 3 and only a Level 3 sex offender, the dynamics are different. It’s about the greater public good. And in this particular case, had we had something like that in place, we could have tracked this individual, monitored him and perhaps saved her life.”

Waites is helping the family to get Mariam’s Law in front of the right people, and has sent the policy initiatives to her old colleagues in the General Assembly. “There is no cost that is too high to protect human life,” she said.

State Rep. Mesha Mainor, D-Atlanta, is a supporter.

“If you’re a Level 3 sexual assault criminal, people need to know that,” said Mainor, who does have concerns regarding identification cards.

“Everyone in the adult beverage store doesn’t need to know what your past is, but there are some people who need to know where you are,” Mainor said. “That’s why an ankle monitor is more important.”

Ali Abdulrab hopes Mariam’s legacy will go beyond murals and sketches, and into Georgia state law.

https://www.cbs46.com/2022/08/14/family-celebrates-life-mariam-abdulrab-push-continues-mariams-law/

Family celebrates life of Mariam Abdulrab as push continues for Mariam’s Law

By Jasmina Alston

Published: Aug. 13, 2022 at 10:18 PM CDT

ATLANTA, Ga. (CBS46) - Friends and family of Mariam Abdulrab, who was kidnapped and killed in Atlanta, gathered to celebrate her life on Saturday night.

It has been a year since the 27-year-old bartender was kidnapped near her home and later killed after returning from work.

The celebration of life event was a time to remember Abdulrab, but also to continue to push for a change in the law to help prevent what happened to her from happening to anyone else.

“Even though she’s not here with us, her overwhelming love is felt here, “ Ali Abdulrab, Mariam’s brother, said. “She still brings all these people here.”

The man charged with the crime, Demarcus Brinkley, is a repeat offender, including a child molestation conviction in 2015.

He was ordered to register as a sex offender after getting out of prison in 2020.

CBS46 found that he never received a risk level assessment due to backlog.

Abdulrab’s family is pushing for lawmakers to pass ‘Mariam’s Law’, which would require sex offenders who haven’t received a risk level assessment to wear an ankle monitor until they do.

It would also require sex offenders to carry an ID card with a specific symbol, recognizable to law enforcement.

Last month, Atlanta City Council approved a resolution urging state lawmakers to adopt ‘Mariam’s Law’.

“It can happen to anybody, so if this law goes through it will definitely prevent any situation that could happen, that happened to my sister,” Ali Abdulrab said.

I think Butts Co GA Sheriff Gary Long is still "Butts"-hurt over losing the yard sign case

He's no stranger to the Shiitake Awards, and I think he's still smarting over getting rebuked by the courts over his blatantly unconstitutional yard signs. 

https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/ga-sheriff-says-sex-offender-should-spend-rest-his-natural-born-life-caged/5MFB5OODIJATVCQWBGB6ZEJ3VA/

“I am a firm believer in rehabilitation, but a person convicted of committing the act of child molestation, in my opinion, can not, and will not be rehabilitated,” (Sheriff Gary) Long said.

The sheriff showed his disdain for those who victimize children, saying that he believed drug addicts, alcoholics and thieves could be rehabilitated, but not those “capable of victimizing a child.”

Darius McGowan of Atlanta, GA starts online petition to place unconstitutional marks on Georgia State IDs

I think it is a bit of irony for a person of a race that claims to hate oppression based on a group status openly promoting an act of oppression based on group status. Guess he'll be promoting sundown towns next time he gets 15 minutes of fame. 

Of course, SCOTUS has refused to hear the appeal of the state of Louisiana, whose Supreme Court had just struck down such marks as unconstitutional. 

https://eminetra.com/her-death-would-not-be-in-vain-petition-could-create-new-sex-offender-id-policy-for-atl-nightlife-news-atlanta-georgia/768577/

‘Her death would not be in vain’: Petition could create new sex offender ID policy for ATL nightlife | News – Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta, Georgia 2021-10-01 07:30:00 –

Atlanta (CBS46) — New petitions can make it difficult for sex offenders to enter metro Atlanta bars and nightclubs.

The petition already has nearly 10,000 signatures and was initiated by a friend of a local bartender who was kidnapped and raped.

Chris Anthony said it seems less than two months after his friend Mariam, 27. Abdulab Taken from him, “Honestly, when you don’t have an answer, what you know is still fresh.”

Police believe DeMarcus Brinkley kidnapped Abdullah from his boyfriend’s front yard and shot her shortly thereafter.

Her murder caused anger all over the city, “We need a community leader to start talking about this, “a community member said in a city protest.

Now, a new petition launched by a friend of Mariam aims to limit access to women like Mariam by sex offenders like Brinkley.

“”This is great for simply checking someone’s ID and raising their head, “said her friend Chris Anthony.

More than 7,000 people have already signed a petition for a new law requiring sex offenders to put some marker on their Georgia ID.

“I think it’s a perfect idea,” said Chris Anthony.

Markers allow bars and clubs to closely monitor known predators.

And this isn’t the first time this has happened in Georgia.

In 2019, the most risky sex offenders in Georgia had to wear a GPS ankle monitor.

But last year, the law was considered unconstitutional by the Georgia Supreme Court.

Sex offender Tom Church said the petition might have a chance to fight.

“”The Georgian Parliament has just lost the requirement for ankle bracelets and may consider this a good compromise. So now they could think of this as something they could use instead, “said the Church of Lawyers.

Mariam’s friends, like Chris Anthony, now want state leaders to take a closer look at this.

“As her friends, we are really grateful that this happened. You know that she wasn’t just dead, but her death wasn’t a waste, but rather a call to awaken. I know.”

Georgia State Rep. Mitchell Scoggins thinks increasing registration for low level Registrants is somehow "helpful"

Trying to keep people already determined to be a low risk on the registry for longer is not helpful in any way, Rep. Scroggins. 

https://daily-tribune.com/stories/two-bartow-legislators-co-sponsor-sex-offender-registration-bill,27010

Two Bartow legislators co-sponsor sex offender registration bill

JAMES SWIFT/THE DAILY TRIBUNE NEWS

Posted Saturday, February 13, 2021

BY JAMES SWIFT

Both District 14 State Rep. Mitchell Scoggins  (R, Cartersville) and District 15 State Rep. Matthew Gambill (R, Cartersville) have co-sponsored a piece of proposed legislation seeking to reform the State’s sex offender registration requirements.

“The benefit of this bill is that it will help sex offenders stay on the registry longer,” said Scoggins. “Now they’re able to get off after three years if they’re Level I.”

The primary sponsor of House Bill 347 is District 19 State Rep. Joseph Gullett (R, Dallas.)

“Someone that he knew or had dealings with had got off the registry, he thought too early,” Scoggins said. “This bill will help solve that problem.”

Under the proposed bill, those convicted of certain sex offenses would be able to petition for release from registration after “10 years have elapsed since the individual completed all prison, parole, supervised release and probation for the offense.”

The amendment, however, would only be applicable to those “classified by the Georgia Sexual Offender Registration Review Board as a Level I risk assessment classification.”

If a risk assessment classification has not been conducted, HB 347 indicates “the court shall order such classification to be completed prior to considering the petition for release.”

“It changes the ‘or’ to ‘and’ so that the two provisions outlined there both have to be met,” Gambill said. “This just increases the rigors in our sex offender laws, ensuring that nothing is slipping through the cracks, if you will.”

In Georgia, Level I offenders are designated as “low sex offense risks” and are deemed unlikely to commit any additional sex offenses by the State board.

“Level II, III offenders are mostly all repeat offenders and they stay on the registry longer, anyway,” Scoggins said. “This just puts everybody on notice that this person’s been convicted of a crime and if he or she is living next to you, you would want to know that, especially if you had young children.”

Gambill summarized why he co-sponsored the proposed legislation.

“These are very concerning situations and I think that we always want to make sure that when we’re looking into the laws, that they are appropriate and meet the needs of what’s needed to protect our citizens,” Gambill said. “I think this puts some additional teeth into that process.”

Forest Park GA Councilman Dabouze Antoine thinks vegetable stands attract "pedophiles" and "sex traffickers"

I think Dabouze needs to lay off Da Booze.

https://www.news-daily.com/news/forest-park-farm-stand-ordinance-passes---antoine-warns/article_cb954b0e-51a3-11ea-8f98-afc778aa238d.html

Forest Park farm stand ordinance passes 4-1; Antoine warns of produce-seeking pedophiles
By Robin Kemp robin.kemp@news-daily.com Feb 18, 2020 Updated Feb 18, 2020

A zoning ordinance that would allow farm stands at a day care center in Forest Park passed 4-1 Monday. Councilman Dabouze Antoine voted no, saying he was concerned a farm stand at the day care might attract pedophiles and human traffickers who would visit under the pretense of shopping for produce. Councilwoman Latresa Akins-Wells said she had planned to vote against the ordinance but was persuaded to vote yes by its supporters.

About 25 backers of Little Ones Learning Center’s farm stand, including State Rep. Sandra Scott, D-Rex, showed up to speak in favor of the ordinance. No one spoke in opposition.

The change comes after the city shut down the award-winning Little Ones Learning Center farm stand last year. The day care was selling produce that it had grown, along with produce from nearby farms. News of the shutdown garnered international media attention. Critics had claimed that parking was an issue.

However, the day care’s owner, Olutoyin Okunore, said there had never been any issues with parking related to the farm stand and that only Councilman Hector Gutierrez had come to see what the school was doing with its educational farm. The school’s Jazmine Green Memorial Garden is dedicated to the memory of a child who died after being left in a hot day care van in 2011.

“We want to have a healthy community,” Okunore said. “Forest Park, Clayton County, if we keep getting obstacles like this, we’re going to be at the bottom.”

Mayor Angelyne Butler said that there had been two versions of the ordinance, “the ordinance that the Planning Commission unanimously approved, but then there was one that followed, that was e-mailed afterwards.”

City Attorney Mike Williams said, “The one that the Planning Commission approved, the applicant is going to be requesting a couple of modifications during the hearing, so I’ll leave it to them to relay those.”

The public packet posted to the city’s website before the meeting included one version of the ordinance.

Stating his opposition to the ordinance, Antoine said, “We do not want sex offenders, we do not want human trafficking that goes on within this city of Forest Park and putting our police officers in a dangerous place. If you want to open up a fruit stand, we have places on Main Street. If you want violence or kidnapping and human trafficking, which is big in Atlanta, by the way, you give permission to these places to open up what’s supposed to be a day care, and you invite people that maybe can’t handle being around kids.”

Georgia law prohibits convicted sex offenders from living or working within 1,000 feet of child care centers, churches or schools. It also bans them from loitering “at any child care facility, school, or area where minors congregate.” A check of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Sex Offender Registry found no registered sex offenders within the 1-mile radius around Little Ones Learning Center.

Backers of the ordinance said they thought Antoine’s concerns were unfounded.

“This is a zoning ordinance,” Okunore said. “They are approving all the go-go dancers and everything. We are not making money .... It is not a business. You know what? This is good for the kids.”

Christa Leonard, an urban farmer with Greenleaf Commuity Farms, drives her son Huck, 3, “30 minutes specifically to this school to support their mission.” She pointed out that farm stands meet a food desert need that the State Farmers Market cannot. “It doesn’t have to be a change in zoning. It’s an overlay that can be passed.”

Leonard also said she was offended by Antoine’s comments. “I took that very personally, coming from somebody from abuse, and it’s actually statistically proven that any sort of abuse, especially typically on pedophiles, is typically within the family or somebody the family knows. I have never felt safer in a school environment as I do with Little Ones .... Why is this an issue?”

Councilwoman Kimberly James pointed out that the ordinance “has nothing to do with the day care center. This is for the city in itself.” She added that Little Ones would have to come before council for a conditional use permit to run its stand.

The ordinance would allow temporary farm stands to sell fruits, vegetables and field crops from sustainable farmers within a 50-mile radius but no livestock or livestock products. Each stand must keep records of where its produce came from, have at least two parking spaces for every 200 feet of selling area, not block sidewalks, and follow existing city sign codes.

It also would not allow farm stands within a mile of each other, although it’s possible a zoning variance could be granted on a case-by-case basis.

Before the vote, State Rep. Valencia Stovall, who has backed Little Ones’ farm stand, said, “I don’t think it should have had a limit on the 1-mile radius because a lot of early learning centers are less than 1 mile apart. It [the ordinance] should have stated ‘for educational purposes.’”

Mayor Butler said, “I have always supported Little Ones Learning Center and their farm stand. I am pleased both sides were able to amicably work together towards a reciprocal resolution. It’s a new day in Forest Park!”

If at first you don't suceed: GA poised to pass same bad lifetime GPS law that was declared unconstitutional in their on Supreme Court

Georgia's lifetime GPS monitoring bill was struck down, but it isn't stopping Jawja from trying again.

You can find a copy of Ga HB 720 HERE.

https://www.law.com/dailyreportonline/2020/01/17/new-legislation-would-allow-lifelong-gps-monitoring-of-sex-offenders/

New Legislation Would Allow Lifelong GPS Monitoring of Sex Offenders

The bill comes after the Georgia Supreme Court last year ruled that forcing individuals who had served their sentences to submit to lifetime monitoring was unconstitutional.
By Greg Land | January 17, 2020 at 06:36 PM

When the Georgia Supreme Court declared unconstitutional a law allowing convicted sex offenders to be ordered to wear GPS ankle monitors for the rest of their lives after release from prison, several justices offered a concurring opinion saying the Legislature could write a law requiring such monitoring that would pass constitutional muster.

New legislation dropped on the first day of the General Assembly aims to do just that.

Anyone convicted of a sexual offense under current Georgia law must already serve a split sentence including prison time and at least one year of probation.

House Bill 720 stipulates that a judge may order probation for life and that it may include electronic monitoring.

The bill notes that it is intended to “provide a response to Park v. State,” the March 2019 opinion deeming statutory lifetime monitoring after an offender has served his court-ordered sentence constituted a “lifelong search” in violation of the Fourth Amendment.

The unanimous opinion authored by Chief Justice Harold Melton rejected the state’s arguments that convicted sex offenders who served their sentences had a “diminished expectation of privacy” subjecting them to searches other citizens must not endure.

“We find such searches to be patently unreasonable,” Melton wrote, deeming the statute “unconstitutional on its face to the extent that it authorizes such searches of individuals … who are no longer serving any part of their sentences in order to find evidence of possible criminal conduct.”

A separate concurrence penned by Justice Keith Blackwell, joined by Justices Michael Boggs, Charles Bethel and Augusta Circuit Superior Court Judge J. Wade Padgett, sitting by appointment, said they agreed with the majority.

“I write separately, however, to emphasize that our decision today does not foreclose other means by which the General Assembly might put the same policy into practice,” Blackwell wrote.

The opinion centered on the law’s subsection requiring “some sexual offenders to submit to electronic monitoring even after they have completed the service of their sentences,” he wrote. “But nothing in our decision today precludes the General Assembly from authorizing life sentences for the worst sexual offenders, and nothing in our decision prevents the General Assembly from requiring a sentencing court in the worst cases to require GPS monitoring as a condition of permitting a sexual offender to serve part of a life sentence on probation.”

HB 720 is sponsored by freshman Rep. Steven Sainz, R-Woodbine, but is co-sponsored by veteran lawmakers including House Judiciary Committee Chairman Barry Fleming, R-Harlem; and Non-Civil Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Efstration, R-Dacula.

Among its provisions is that when a court imposes statutory probation for a felony sexual offense, “such probation in the court’s discretion may be for life.”

There are several provisions that such individuals must follow as part of that probation, including that they wear a “device capable of tracking the location of the probationer by means including electronic surveillance or global positioning satellite systems” and that they pay monitoring fees “set by regulation of the Board of Community Supervision.”

The Daily Report was unable to reach Sainz for comment Friday.

The defense lawyer who successfully challenged the monitoring statute at the high court dismissed the legislation as a “shortsighted and unacceptable fix to the previously shortsighted and unacceptable legislation the bill seeks to replace. “

“The authors of this bill clearly read a portion of Justice Blackwell’s concurrence in Park then stopped without finishing, and it will have consequences going forward,” Yurachek said.

In addition to ignoring what Yurachek said were “serious Constitutional defects” in the state’s current sex offender statute, “it also creates an unwieldy system where every single individual convicted of a felony sex offense will be subject to GPS monitoring for some period of time,” said Yurachek via email.

“By failing to put real considered thought into the matter and instead seeking the quickest and most Draconian solution, the legislature invites more successful challenges to its lazily composed bill while not doing anything to protect the people who elected them,” he said.

Bigoted Georgia State Senator Greg Kirk makes it obvious the intent of GA's GPS monitoring law is punitive

Earlier this year, the GA Supreme Court declared lifetime GPS for people not on paper was unconstitutional. Now the Georgia legislature is back in session, deciding how they can try to circumvent this ruling. REPUBLICAN State Senator Greg Kirk is making his intentions clear. Greg Kirk is already a controversial figure for being discriminatory policies against the LGBTQ community, so his quotes below aren't shocking to anyone who knows this clown.

https://www.valdostadailytimes.com/cnhi_network/lawmakers-grapple-with-supreme-court-ruling-on-sexual-predator-monitoring/article_27353418-fb3e-11e9-a49d-df101a5fb7eb.html

Sen. Greg Kirk, R-Americus, sponsored a Senate resolution last session to convene a study committee to examine how Georgia laws could satisfy the court ruling but also keep communities safe from dangerous sexual predators who are likely to reoffend.

“I want to send a message that if you’re a sexual predator Georgia is not the place you want to be. You don’t want to live here, you don’t want to come here, you certainly don’t want get caught here, we don’t want you in our state and messing with our children,” Kirk said during the committee meeting. “Children are vulnerable and we need to do everything we can to protect them at all times and all costs. There’s certain lines in life that when you cross, you don’t get a redo, there’s certain things you just don’t get a redo on and that’s one of them in my opinion.”

https://georgiarecorder.com/brief/georgia-high-court-pushes-lawmakers-to-fix-sex-offender-monitoring/

“I don’t know what the answer is,” state Sen. Greg Kirk, an Americus Republican who sponsored the study committee. “But at the end of the day, if you’re a sexually dangerous predator, I want you followed for life in the state of Georgia.”

Deja BOO -- Butts County GA Sheriff Gary Long LOSES his fight to post Halloween lawn signs in yards of registrants

Sheriff Long was nominated for a Shiitake award on this exact date last year for misinterpreting a GA law to justify Halloween lawn signs, and this year, he tried th signs again. Well now that he chose to fight -- AND LOSE -- a battle to keep the signs posted in the yards of registered persons.

Court ruling can be found at https://floridaactioncommittee.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Butts-County-Halloween-Sign.pdf

Media report on the ruling:

https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/federal-judge-rules-partially-in-favor-of-butts-county-sex-offenders/85-d22c5d04-1b7b-4f4c-aaab-aba0630359fb

Judge issues ruling favoring sex offenders who sued Butts County sheriff over 'no trick-or-treat' signs
A federal judge heard arguments in court last week and handed back the decision, Tuesday.
Author: Adrianne M Haney
Published: 5:30 PM EDT October 29, 2019
Updated: 7:51 PM EDT October 29, 2019

ATLANTA — A federal judge has issued a ruling favoring - in part - three registered sex offenders who sued the Butts County Sheriff, calling the "no trick-or-treat" signs the sheriff placed in their yards an abuse of power.

Last year, Butts County Sheriff Gary Long had deputies place the signs in the yards of the registered sex offenders in the days leading up to Halloween, alerting parents and trick-or-treaters that they should avoid those homes.

"My office took precautions and placed signs indicating 'No Trick-or-Treat' at each registered sex offender’s residence in the County," Sheriff Long said. "This was done to ensure the safety of our children."

Georgia state law prohibits registered sex offenders from placing Halloween decorations on their property. But several of the sex offenders objected to the signs, saying it made them a target and was an overreach by the sheriff. Three of those offenders ended up filing suit, arguing that the yard signs went too far - breaking the law in the name of enforcing the law.

“State law does require him to notify the public in very specific ways, and none of those ways includes placing signs on registrants’ lawns," explained Mark Yurachek, one of the attorneys representing the plaintiffs.

According to the lawsuit, the offenders questioned whether the sheriff "exceeded his authority" in putting up the signs and whether deputies trespassed on their properties in doing so. The suit also says the deputies' actions caused harm, including "anxiety, embarrassment and humiliation," and damaged their ability to trust law enforcement. They sought a jury trial and damages.

A federal judge heard arguments in court last week and handed back the decision, Tuesday.

"The question the Court must answer is not whether Sheriff Long’s plan is wise or moral, or whether it makes penological sense. Rather, the question is whether Sheriff Long’s plan runs afoul of the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. It does," the ruling states.

In the ruling, the judge granted the named plaintiffs' motion to prevent the sheriff's office from posting the signs in the named plaintiffs' yards. However, the judge declined to offer damages. The court also declined to enter into a sweeping injunction in favor of all registered sex offender, but warned the sheriff's office "should be aware that the authority for their blanket sign posting is dubious at best and even more dubious if posted over the objection of registrants."

The court continued, saying that the ruling does not limit the sheriff's discretion "to act on specific information suggesting a risk to public safety. But he cannot post the signs over the named Plaintiffs’ objections simply because their names are on the registry."

In a statement to 11Alive following the judge's ruling, Yurachek, the attorney, said his clients were "thankful" to the court's "thoughtful and measured decision."

"There is a long way to go in this action and, although we decline further comment specifically addressing the litigation, we are hopeful that this decision indicates that, as with this preliminary issue, we will prevail in the permanent injunction action and the lawsuit in general," the statement continued. "We hope for and wish that every child in Butts County and in every community in the country enjoys a joyful and safe Halloween and note, as the Court’s opinion did, that the lack of signs in front of registrants’ homes will not affect either their joy or their safety this year or any other year."

He added that he would hope the ruling gives the sheriff "pause about putting up signs this Halloween or in the future."

11Alive reached out the sheriff's office for a comment on the ruling. They posted a response on their Facebook page saying they will continue to fight the lawsuit, but will not put up any yard signs while the suit is pending.

"The judge in this matter has ruled that I can NOT put signs on the right-of-way of the three offenders that filed the lawsuit. While I respectfully and strongly disagree with the judge’s ruling, I must abide by the ruling," the sheriff said.

The sheriff added that he sought advice from the Prosecuting Attorneys Council in 2018 before deputies placed the signs, who gave specific instructions on how to place them in compliance with Georgia Law.

In lieu of the signs, the sheriff said he will keep a "very strong presence" in the neighborhoods where there are known sex offenders. He also added that while some may be disappointed with the ruling, he strongly encouraged they "NOT take matters into your own hands this Halloween."

"We understand frustration with the Judge’s ruling, but we all must abide by it unless it is overturned on appeal. Unfortunately, there is no time to appeal before this Halloween," the sheriff said. "My promise to the citizens of Butts County is to protect the public, especially the children."

Butts Co GA Sheriff Gary Long is misinterpreting notification laws to place harassment signs in registrant yards

While O.C.G.A. 42-1-12-i(5) covers some form of notification, I am sure that this was not the intent of notification. This filthy pig simply wants attention as well as cause harm to registered persons and their loved ones. If you have Facebook, educate this fool.

https://fox11online.com/news/nation-world/georgia-sheriffs-office-places-no-trick-or-treat-signs-in-sex-offenders-yards

Georgia sheriff's office places 'No Trick-or-Treat' signs in sex offenders' yards

by Chris White

A Georgia sheriff's office is placing signs that read, "WARNING! NO TRICK-OR-TREAT AT THIS ADDRESS!!" in registered sex offenders' yards. (Courtesy: Butts County Sheriff's Office)

JACKSON, Georgia (WSYX/WTTE) —
A Georgia sheriff's office is placing "No Trick-or-Treat" signs in sex offenders' yards in an effort to keep children safe.

"As Sheriff, there is nothing more important to me than the safety of your children," said Butts County Sheriff Gary Long. "This Halloween, my office has placed signs in front of every registered sex offender's house to notify the public that it's a house to avoid."

Long said Georgia law forbids registered sex offenders from participating in Halloween. That includes decorating their property or handing out candy.

The sheriff told residents to keep an eye out for signs marking the sex offenders' houses.

The sign reads, "WARNING! NO TRICK-OR-TREAT AT THIS ADDRESS!!'

Long says the signs were placed in accordance with Georgia Law O.C.G.A. 42-1-12-i(5), which states the sheriff shall inform the public of the presence of sexual offenders in each community.

https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/georgia-sheriffs-office-placing-no-trick-or-treat-signs-in-yards-of-registered-sex-offenders/275-609453487

Georgia sheriff's office placing 'No Trick Or Treat' signs in yards of registered sex offenders
Georgia state law prohibits registered sex offenders from placing Halloween decorations on their property.
Author: Michael King, Nick Sturdivant
Published: 2:21 PM EDT October 29, 2018
Updated: 3:59 AM EDT October 30, 2018
JACKSON, Ga. -- Thousands of kids will hit the streets for trick or treat in just days.

In Butts County, Sheriff Gary Long said deputies in his county are putting preventative measures in place to keep kids safe. They have started placing 'No Trick Or Treat' yard signs in front of registered sex offenders homes in their county.

"This Halloween, my office has placed signs in front of every registered sex offender's house to notify the public that it's a house to avoid," Long said in a Facebook post.

Georgia state law prohibits registered sex offenders from placing Halloween decorations on their property. The signs have the universal "no" symbol over a trick or treat bag underneath the message "NO TRICK-OR-TREAT AT THIS ADDRESS!!"

"Georgia law is very, very clear," he said. "It doesn’t say that the sheriff can or the sheriff may. It says the sheriff shall and it says that the sheriff shall in fact notify each community of the presence of sex offenders."

The idea to put yard signs in front of registered sex offenders homes came after organizers decided not to have an annual trick-or-treating event.

"The big challenge that we face here in Butts County, for years and years and years and years they’ve always done Halloween on the square and on Halloween night we would have anywhere from 2,500 to 4,000 children," he said.

With no central place to go, the sheriff said he knows more kids will be going door-to-door to trick-or-treat. Instead of putting signs on offenders doors like the sheriff's office has done in years past, Sheriff Long said he decided to place them in the yard where everyone can see them.

"The activity in our neighborhoods is really going to increase," he said. "We actually launched the signs out Saturday."

There are more than 50 sex offenders in Butts County, according to Sheriff Long. The Georgia Bureau of Investigations' website shows close to 31,500 registered sex offenders in the state.

In Gwinnett County authorities will be doing compliance checks. They also plan to post their offenders watch page as well. A few years ago, The Bartow County Sheriff's Office did a similar initiative, posting "No trick-or-treat" signs on the homes and apartments of sex offenders.

‘There are some sex offenders that are not happy, "Long said. "But I’m not in the business of making them happy. I’m in the business of keeping safe communities and making sure that our children are protected."

Each county has an offender watch page on its website and a link to the statewide sex offender registry.

Georgia State Senator Michael Williams could not even spell the word Molester properly on his "deportation bus"

If you are going to make a bold, stupid claim like Georgia State Senator Michael Williams, the least you can do is learn to spell. At least he didn't add "pedifiles," if that counts. Still, using Predator Panic as a talking point in a political campaign nets you a Shiitake Award nomination.

https://politics.myajc.com/blog/politics/trump-loyalist-flails-georgia-governor-race/iv2JzIeLE3SHWCzClPRo7M/

A 'deportation bus’ candidate screeches to last-place finish 
Michael Williams’ pro-Trump campaign slams to a standstill
May 22, 2018

From the get-go, state Sen. Michael Williams built his campaign for governor on two themes: An argument that he’s Donald Trump’s most ardent champion in Georgia, and a streak of audacious proposals meant to show he’s a “fearless conservative” and his opponents are phonies.

With his dismal showing Tuesday, the Cumming Republican showed again the limitations of an arch-conservative message that relies almost entirely on Trump. In last year’s 6th District special election, Republicans who most directly tied their message to Trump flamed out.

In the end, even as he drew national attention for a “deportation bus tour,” he was universally ignored by his GOP rivals – usually a surefire sign he’s not getting any traction. At some debates, Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle wouldn’t even respond to Williams’ attacks.

His struggles started with his failure to raise significant cash to build name recognition and lack of any significant accomplishment in the Georgia Legislature. But the contest also exemplified how his rivals were able to neutralize the Trump factor.

Yes, they each conceded, Williams was the first state official to back Trump in late 2015. But they also embraced the president and talked about him on the campaign trail, pledging to support his policies while also largely staying focused on Georgia-centric issues.

Their allegiance had its limits. Only Williams supported Trump’s plan to open Georgia’s coast to offshore drilling. And while other candidates lamented Trump’s tweets or bruising rhetoric when asked what they regret about the president, Williams would say he wholeheartedly approves of all things Trump.

In the closing days of the race, Williams sharpened his attempts to paint his opponents as closeted Never Trumpers.

At an Atlanta Press Club debate, he mocked Secretary of State Brian Kemp for saying he supported Trump but was never asked to “formally” endorse him. And he tried to cast Cagle as an anti-Trump stooge, despite social media posts that showed the lieutenant governor praising the president.

But he found it harder to out-conservative his rivals, who were all intensifying their race to the right.

Late last year, he attracted national attention for raffling off a bump stock device after it was used in a mass shooting in Las Vegas. By March, the entire field was in a vicious battle for the NRA’s endorsement – and a seemingly daily test over the lengths they would go to expand Second Amendment rights.

In the end, even Williams’ “deportation bus tour” was one-upped by his opponents.

Days earlier, Kemp launched an ad featuring his pickup truck - “just in case I need to round up criminal illegals and take 'em home myself.” But unlike Williams, who spent little cash on expensive TV advertising, Kemp put about $1 million behind his last spurt of broadcast and cable spots.

So while Williams’ bus tour was beset with demonstrators – and sidelined for a time by engine problems – Kemp rode his truck to a spot in the runoff.

WSB-2 I(diot) Team Investigation is a no-Winne sutuation

I don't have to do much to make fun of a backwater reporter most known for reporting out of both sets of cheeks, but this is as close as I can get to having NARSOL guest host the Shiitakes, since they posted a lengthy report on why this article is completely Shiitake-worthy. So you can just CLICK THIS LINK then come back and read this Shiitake-level reporting.

https://www.wsbtv.com/news/2-investigates/this-is-absolutely-ridiculous-20-convicted-sex-offenders-removed-from-georgia-registry/784742828

‘This is absolutely ridiculous': 20+ convicted sex offenders removed from Georgia registry
By: Mark Winne

Updated: Jul 10, 2018 - 8:40 AM

ATLANTA - Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Vernon Keenan says 21 sex offenders who were on Georgia’s sex offender registry just weeks ago have now been removed from it.

Documents from the GBI indicate at least 15 of the cases involve child molestation or other crimes involving kids.

Keenan says his agency maintains the registry with input from Georgia sheriffs.

He says all 21 had previously received pardons or "restoration of civil and political rights" from the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles, and not because they were innocent.

“They’re still guilty,” Keenan said.

Court ruling removes offenders from registry

Keenan says the 21 have been removed because of a ruling in May by the Georgia Supreme Court involving a man who pleaded guilty to aggravated sodomy of his 6-year-old daughter. The court basically found that because he obtained a pardon in 2013, he should no longer be on the sex offender registry. Keenan disagreed.

“These are sex offenders that should be on the sex offender registry so that the public can protect themselves,” Keenan said.

Pardons and Paroles spokesman Steve Hayes says in each of the 21 cases, a past board determined the offender had been rehabilitated and had served all his sentence.

“A pardon doesn’t expunge a criminal record,” Hayes said. “A pardon is an act of forgiveness by the state. It is a statement that gives that offender, in most cases, employment opportunities to go forward in life.”

Parole board toughens application process

Hayes says no registered sex offenders have been pardoned since 2013 and the board has toughened up the application process. Starting in July 2015, Hayes says, they now have one pardon application for registered sex offenders and one for everyone else.

The application process now requires a polygraph, a psychosexual evaluation, a 10-year wait from end of sentence and opportunity for input from the DA and victim, among other things.

“The board recognized that it wanted as much information as possible,” Hayes said.

Hayes says, in total, 132 sex offenders have come off the sex offender registry in the past 11 months or so as a result of actions taken by judges across the state.

Victim says she wasn’t notified

A victim of one of the 21 men says she was never notified by the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles.

She was just 3 years old when she was molested by Tommy Hill Jones. She is now in her 30s, living in a shelter and still coping with what happened to her all those years ago.

“I was walking up and down the streets of Rome, Georgia, on drugs and alcohol wondering what man’s house I was going to sleep at next trying to heal that hurt,” she told Channel 2’s Mark Winne.

Six months ago, she moved into Cobb Street Ministries.

“I’m finally, at this point, being able to turn everything loose to God,” she said.

“When did you find out that he had been granted a restoration in 2012 of civil and political rights by the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles?” Winne asked.

“When I spoke to you,” she said.

She says she was horrified when she found out.

“I don’t think a sex offender's name ever needs to come off the list,” she said.

One offender already back in jail

Keenan confirmed the number of offenders would be 22, except the GBI discovered one of the men, Andrew Johnson, was convicted again on child molestation and will stay on the registry.

A local district attorney says he doesn’t believe child molesters can be rehabilitated.

“Based on 35 years of experience and a lot of knowledge about research in that area, I don’t believe that is possible,” Clayton County District Attorney Tracy Graham Lawson said.

Imagine being a woman and living 60 years being named "Eddie Manley." Now you know why she's nuts

It must be rough being a woman named Eddie Manley. Maybe that's why she's a bitter old lady. She reminds me of a certain reptile from South Florida, actually.

The only thing worse than being a woman named Eddie Manley is being the guy dating a woman named Eddie Manley.

http://onlineathens.com/local-news/2015-03-30/madison-county-woman-fires-gun-send-message-sex-offender

Madison County woman fires gun to 'send message' to sex offender
By WAYNE FORD
Updated Monday, March 30, 2015 - 9:17pm

Authorities arrested on Saturday a 61-year-old Madison County woman after she allegedly fired two gun shots as a way of sending “a message” to a convicted sex offender she didn’t want on her property.

Eddie L. Manley of Paoli Road, Carlton, was charged with aggravated assault, making a terroristic threat and pointing a pistol at another.

The shooting occurred outside Manley’s home, where the 53-year-old victim, who is a registered sex offender convicted of sexual exploitation of children, was shot in the foot with a .45-caliber handgun loaded with .410-gauge shotgun shells, according to a Madison County Sheriff’s report.

The man had cuts on his toes caused by one pellet, deputies said.

The victim said Manley’s boyfriend allowed him to come to the house to gather some belongings he left while in prison. While collecting his items, he said Manley exited her home and told him to leave, according to the report. The man said he didn’t respond to her order, then heard a gun shot. Manley began yelling and threatened the man’s life, telling him he would “never hurt another teenager again,” deputies said.

Manley told deputies that the man lied about why he was in prison and she had warned him previously to never come on her property. When she saw him, she became angry, took her revolver, with the brand name “The Judge,” and fired it twice to send “a message,” according to the report.

Man jailed for a year and a half before Fulton Co Jawja Sheriff's Office realized they screwed up big time

Just how dumb are the sheriff's deputies in Fulton County, GA? Apparently, bad enough to keep a man in jail for a year and a half, convinced they have they the right man. Only problem is they had the wrong man. How can this happen? I guess we will find out after the lawsuit.

PS: If you are wondering why I am posting pictures of car wrecks, it is among the first pictures that came up when I Googled the Fulton Co. Sheriff's Office.

Maybe I need to create a new category, the Keystone Cop of the Year.

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/man-wrongly-jailed-525-days-under-sex-offenders-na/njCRL/

Posted: 11:12 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 20, 2014
Man wrongly jailed for 525 days under sex offender's name
By Rachel Stockman

ATLANTA — A man was wrongly arrested and held at the Fulton County Jail for 525 days under another man’s name.

Randy Wiggins was mistakenly booked under Randy Williams’ name.

Williams is a convicted child molester who was wanted on a warrant for failing to register as a sex offender.

“The sad part is the system failed him,” said Stephen Strong, his brother-in-law.

Wiggins, who appears to have been wrongly incarcerated, suffers mental issues. The confusion began when he ran into police in June 2012.

“My guy didn’t have his driver’s license on him, so I guess out of convenience as much as anything, (police decided) we’ve got the right guy. It wasn’t the right guy, it was Randy Wiggins, not Randy Williams,” said David Paul Scott, Wiggin’s attorney.

Wiggins’ family says that he was tormented in jail because other inmates wrongly believed he was a sex offender.

“If you want to be blunt about it, he was raped and he was beat,” Strong said.

The family’s filed a federal lawsuit demanding to know how jail officials let this happen and why they didn’t check the system.

“You compare the fingerprints for this guy, are these Randy Williams, especially when this guy is saying, 'I’m not Randy Williams,'” Scott said, adding that a fingerprint check wasn’t done.

“We let them know they had the wrong person. We watched him go into court, still go back out under the wrong name, still labeled as a sex offender,” Strong said.

His family says the mistake was finally discovered when he went to Georgia Regional Hospital for a mental health checkup.

“I’m sure he is not the first and we need implement changes so that he will be the last,” Strong said.

“It’s unclear how the wrong person was arrested for the other Randy’s charges. This matter is under investigation, and there’s nothing more I can share due to the investigation and pending litigation,” said Tracy Flanagan, spokeswoman for the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office.