You can have sex with a 16 year old in Ohio, but if you talk about it you could be a sex offender

Does anyone proofread laws? Apparently Ohio does not. If you don't think some podunk sheriff won't try to convict someone for what is described below, well, you need to read this blog more often.

http://reason.com/blog/2013/06/28/hookup-shocker-the-sex-is-legal-but-talk

Hookup Shocker: The Sex Is Legal, but Talking About It Is a Felony!
Jacob Sullum
Jun. 28, 2013 4:16 pm

This week the Ohio House of Representatives unanimously approved a bill ostensibly aimed at fighting "human trafficking" that makes it a crime to "solicit" a legal act: sex with someone who is 16 or 17 years old. The age of consent in Ohio is 16. Yet under H.B. 130, a 20-year-old who asks a 16-year-old to have sex with him, or a 21-year-old who does the same with a 17-year-old, thereby commits a fifth-degree felony, punishable by six to 12 months in jail and a $2,500 fine. He also has to register as a sex offender. But if the teenager broaches the subject, or if the sex proceeds without any explicit verbal reference to it, no crime has been committed. Here is the relevant provision:

No person shall solicit another, not the spouse of the offender, to engage in sexual conduct with the offender, when the offender is eighteen years of age or older and four or more years older than the other person, and the other person is sixteen or seventeen years of age, whether or not the offender knows the age of the other person.

Since there is no requirement that money change hands, this provision criminalizes ordinary sexual propositions if one person is 16 or 17 and the other is at least four years older when it is the older person who makes the suggestion, even though the sex itself remains legal. Having sex is fine, as long as you don't talk about it beforehand.

The elimination of any knowledge requirement, which is problematic even when the "solicitation" involves someone below the age of consent, is especially so when the person approached is 16 or 17. Since the difference between a 16- or 17-year-old and an 18-year-old may be difficult to discern, someone keen to avoid a felony charge would be wise to demand proof of age before saying anything about sex. And if the object of his attention happens to have a fake ID—as teenagers pretending to be older than they are sometimes do, especially when they go to bars or clubs—that is no defense. As Granville, Ohio, attorney Drew Mc Farland notes, the bill imposes  a "strict liability" sta ndard, meaning that "even an honest mistake is unforgiven." Mc Farland, who drew my attention to this bill, suggests one such scenario:

A mature 17-year-old is lawfully in a liquor-serving establishment and meets a 22-year-old who suggests they go back to his or her place for some sexual fun. Under this change in the law, the 22-year-old is guilty of a felony.

Legislators already define "human trafficking" broadly enough to include consensual sex (when it occurs in exchange for money). Now Ohio is poised to classify merely talking about consensual sex, even when no money is involved, as a species of sexual slavery.

The Ohio Senate is expected to take up the bill after returning from its summer break.

They are coming out of the woodwork-- Tragedy Vultures swoop in to exploit a tragedy to further careers

Let us be clear-- I believe the murder of an 8-year old girl in Florida is tragic and the person who did this should be punished. But what is truly sad is people are coming out of the woodwork.

For now I'll call these people "Tragedy Vultures," people like Mark Lunsford, Florida politician Janet Adkins, Ann Duggar from the Justice Coalition, and David Rowe of No Peace For Predators are exploiting the tragic BUT RARE case to further their agendas.

The Tragedy Vultures:

Mark Lunsford: Lunsford has been well represented here at the Shiitakes and is obviously looking for a quick buck since his meal ticket Hank Asher died.

"This guy apparently wasted no time in laughing in the face of law enforcement and legislators," Lunsford said. "I can feel every ounce of pain that her parents are feeling. It tears me up inside to know that another child has been senselessly murdered."

"We've got to come to some kind of solution for these children so they're not victims," Lunsford said. "Parents need to be educated. Law enforcement needs tools. Prosecutors need laws. Legislators, what do you need? Another child to be murdered?"

Ann Dugger, of the Justice Coalition, says the current laws are good ones, but she says dangerous offenders like Smith need to stay behind bars.

"If they're off the street, absolutely, they don't need to be around society," Dugger said. "They don't need to be around children. They don't need to be around their prey."

FloriDUH state Rep. Janet Adkins, R-Fernandina Beach -- “It is my intent to ensure that the Duval Delegation take action in reviewing the current laws that relate to sexual offenders and make the necessary changes to help ensure our children are protected from those that would cause them harm,” Adkins said in a statement. As a mother of two, Adkins said the case hit close to home for her.“My heart is broken for the family of Cherish Perrywinkle and those she has left behind,” she said. PS- VOTE FOR ME!

David Rowe, No Peace For Predators: Rowe is getting fat, I might add. He's spouting the same crap, harsher penalties and the like. What a waste of space.

As this case continues to play out in the media, expect to see more vultures circle Cherish's story.

Mug shot website sues Utah sheriff for jail photos

A private business extorting registered citizens for money is being sued in California, and mugshot magazines are facing challenges in court. They are for profit ventures designed to shame and humiliate people. But one company has the audacity to sue a sheriff for refusing to release mug shots to them. I dislike cops but in this instance I have to give props to this sheriff.

http://www.ksl.com/?sid=25367880&nid=148&title=mug-shot-website-sues-utah-sheriff-for-jail-photos

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The owner of a website that publishes inmate booking photos is suing a Utah sheriff for denying a public records request for more than a thousand mug shots.

The Salt Lake County Sheriff denied the records request in February, saying his office could refuse because it holds copyright control over the images.

Attorneys for Kyle Prall, who runs the website bustedmugshots.com, argue in documents filed last week in 3rd District Court that if the court doesn't overturn Sheriff Jim Winder's "wrong and selective denial," it would set a "dangerous precedent" beyond mug shots into broader rights of public access to government records.

In January, Winder stopped posting booking photos to his metro jail's online roster, citing websites such as Prall's that display the images and charge former inmates a removal fee. Some of the sites charge hundreds of dollars and then fail to follow through by removing image or identifying information.

The websites are using the records created by his office to hurt people and make money, he said.

"I believe that the practice of using these mug shots to belittle and abuse our citizens is immoral and repugnant," he said when discussing the websites in general during an interview Tuesday.

"A compassionate society does not utilize the scarlet letter," he said.

Former inmates say the websites make them pay twice for their crimes, and some have contacted Winder, sometimes mistakenly believing his office is cooperating with the websites and publications.

"This has a huge impact on these people's lives," he said. "It's hurting people."

Winder said after he took down the images from the sheriff's website, "people made kind of a mad dash to get them" and the office began receiving public records requests for batches of the mug shots, such as Prall's request.

Prall did not return further messages seeking comment.

According to information on bustedmugshots.com, the website will remove photos and information for free if a person can prove they were found not guilty or had the charges dismissed.

Otherwise, the website charges $98 to $178 to take down the information. The higher fee will buy a "rush" removal where the record is cleared within two business days instead of 20.

A statement on bustedmugshots.com says by publishing the photos and inmate information, such as details about the person's arrest, helps the public stay informed and safe.

Prall submitted a records request in late January seeking copies of mug shots for everyone arrested or booked into the Salt Lake County Jail this year from January 11 to January 27.

In February, the sheriff's office declined the request and said the 1,388 mug shots that fall in that time period were "protected materials to which access must be limited for purposes of securing or maintaining Salt Lake County's proprietary rights."

Prall appealed to the county council, which voted to uphold the denial, so now he's taking the issue to court.

"We think it's legally unfounded," said Prall's attorney David Reymann. "Mug shots have been public records and have been routinely released for many, many years."

Using words such as "bullies," "extortionists" and "trash," Salt Lake County Sheriff Jim Winder on Thursday blasted tabloid magazines and websites that post mug shots from his jail and then demand money for the pictures to be removed.

"This is a government agency saying 'we own the public records and we can refuse to release these records to the public,'" he said.

Reymann argues in court documents that if a government agency argues it can deny access because it holds the copyright to those records, "virtually all government records would be off limits to the public," and the state public records law "would be meaningless."

Winder called that argument "ridiculous" and said that just because the government produces a record doesn't mean it can be used for any and all purposes.

Earlier this year, the Utah Legislature passed and Gov. Gary Herbert signed a measure that aimed to prevent people from using jail booking photos for mug shot websites. The legislation bars county sheriffs from handing out a booking photograph unless the person requesting it signs a statement swearing they will not place the image in a publication or on a website that charges people to remove photos.

The law wasn't signed by the governor until April 1 and became effective on May 14.

US Congress adding amendment to deny food stamps from registered citizens

In recent years, Congress has attempted or succeeded in denying Small Business Loans, college aid, and FHA loans for people on the registry, now they want to ban registrants from obtaining food stamps. And you'll never believe who pushed for the amendment. None other than that diaper-wearing disgrace of a Louisiana Senator David Vitter. Since prostitution is a registerable sex offense in Louisiana, this asshat should be on the registry and denied his pension. If David Vitter can be forgiven by the legislature, then that forgiveness should extend to ALL registered persons.

eAdvocate has broken down the amendment added to S-954, a freaking farm bill of all things, here:

http://sexoffenderresearch.blogspot.com/2013/05/action-alert-senate-farm-bill-s-954.html

The details of the Amendment follow:

AMENDMENT NO. 1056
(Purpose: To end food stamp eligibility for convicted violent rapists, pedophiles, and murderers)
    At the end of subtitle A of title IV, insert the following:
   SEC. 4019. ELIGIBILITY DISQUALIFICATIONS FOR CERTAIN CONVICTED FELONS.
    Section 6 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2015) (as amended by section 4004) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(s) Disqualification for Certain Convicted Felons.--

    ``(1) IN GENERAL.- -An individual shall not be eligible for benefits under this Act if the individual is convicted of--
    ``(A) aggravated sexual abuse under section 2241 of title 18, United States Code;
    ``(B) murder under section 1111 of title 18, United States Code;
    ``(C) an offense under chapter 110 of title 18, United States Code;
    ``(D) a Federal or State offense involving sexual assault, as defined in 40002(a) of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C. 13925(a)); or
    ``(E) an offense under State law determined by the Attorney General to be substantially similar to an offense described in subparagraph (A), (B), or (C).

    ``(2) EFFECTS ON ASSISTANCE AND BENEFITS FOR OTHERS.--The amount of benefits otherwise required to be provided to an eligible household under this Act shall be determined by considering the individual to whom paragraph (1) applies not to be a member of such household, except that the income and resources of the individual shall be considered to be income and resources of the household.

    ``(3) ENFORCEMENT.--Each State shall require each individual applying for benefits under this Act, during the application process, to state, in writing, whether the individual, or any member of the household of the individual, has been convicted of a crime described in paragraph (1).''.

   The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Virginia. 
   UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST--H. CON. RES. 25

"Award Winning" liberal blogger Meg Lanker-Simons threatens to rape herself

All of a sudden, the internet is abuzz with false allegation arrests. Thankfully in this instance, no one was falsely arrested. Rather, this woman made a threat of rape... against herself! What a fitting end to Child Abuse Awareness Month. Seeing some of the comments on this story in the media shows how deep the "rape culture" mantra has become embedded in our society.

Meg Lanker-Simons was a liberal blogger who won an award for her blog "Cognitive Dissonance," but now she's in the running for a different kind of award. A Shiitake Award! (As a side note, I lean to the left, so I'm going to join in on the political bashing. This girl is a dingbat.) Unfortunately, the rape-culture believers have fiercely defended her, even blaming "rape culture" for this false allegation.

(A second story with more pictures, screenshots, and coverage of a protest encouraged by Meg's false threat can be found HERE)

http://www.laramieboomerang.com/articles/2013/04/30/breaking_news/doc518002170be89677502843.txt

UW Police: Facebook post was a hoax -- UPDATED
Citation: UW woman 'admitted' making controversial statement
BY JOSHUA ROBERTS / JOSHR@LARAMIEBOOMERANG.COM • TUESDAY, APRIL 30, 2013


The University of Wyoming Police Department issued a citation Monday afternoon in Albany County Circuit Court for Meg Lanker-Simons, a woman allegedly threatened last week in a social media post authorities now contend was a hoax.

The citation is for interference, a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment up to a year and a fine up to $1,000.

"Subject admitted to making a controversial post on UW Crushes webpage and then lied about not doing it," according to the citation.

She is scheduled to appear at 9 a.m. May 13 in Circuit Court.

The post was made to the UW Crushes page April 24 on Facebook and described Lanker-Simons as "that chick that runs her liberal mouth all the time and doesn't care who knows it."

The post also referenced a graphic, sexual act against Lanker-Simons.

"One night with me and shes gonna be a good Republican (expletive)," the post read.

The post created a stir on social media and at the university, with school officials issuing statements denouncing the post against Lanker-Simons and campus police opening an investigation.

Lanker-Simons could not be reached for comment.

UW released a statement Tuesday afternoon regarding the citation.

"This episode has sparked an important discussion reaffirming that the UW community has no tolerance for sexual violence or violence of any type," UW spokesman Chad Baldwin said. "The fact that the Facebook post apparently was a fabrication does not change the necessity for continued vigilance in reassuring that we have a campus where everyone feels safe.

"It's important that this event does not undermine the progress that has been made in this area."

According to the UW statement, Lanker-Simons received the citation as a "result of false statements she made to the UW Police Department."

The citation followed a police interview of Lanker-Simons and a search of her computer equipment pursuant to a warrant, UW reported.

UW Police "obtained substantial evidence verifying that the offending Facebook post came from Lanker-Simons' computer, while the computer was in her possession."

Pamela Kandt, co-convener of the Episcopal Women's Caucus and a Casper activist, came to Lanker-Simons' defense Tuesday.

Last week, after the controversial post went public, Kandt lobbied university officials for a "swift response to this outrage."

"I will tell you, I believe Meg is innocent of this outrage," said Kandt, adding she believes the citation issued by police is a "classic case of blaming the victim."

Kandt said she has spoken with Lanker-Simons following the citation's issuance.

UW Police, Kandt said, "have bullied her and they have pulled a bluff."

"This is the worst episode of 'Law & Order' you can imagine," Kandt said.

She added, "I mean, my God, who would do this to herself?"

Sara Ylen's pathological lying finally catches up with her

Who is Sara Ylen, you ask? She is a fairly well known rape "victim." So why did I use quotation marks around the term "victim" just now? Because her entire rape claim is false. And in an attempt to get more attention, she filed a false rape claim. And another. And now, she finally got arrested for filing a false felony and tampering with evidence. She could get up to 14 years in prison. She should serve at least the same amount as the man she falsely accused.

Sara Ylen claimed she was raped by a man in a Meijer parking light in broad daylight then picked her victim at random off of the public sex offender registry (making her relevant for this blog). The man she accused was convicted after less than one hour of jury deliberation, despite absolutely no evidence other than Sara Ylen's testimony, and in 2003 the man was sentenced to the maximum penalty, 15-35 years.

So while a man sat in prison for years, the victim of a false accusation, Ylen got a lot of attention. Her false rape case was featured on the Oxygen TV series "Captured." She spoke at rape awareness events like "Walk A Mile In Her Shoes." She even claimed she was battling cancer as a result of HPV she supposedly received from the rape that never occurred.

She needs professional help. She has made multiple accusations over the years so I suggest civil commitment.

http://www.thetimesherald.com/article/20130502/NEWS01/305020049/Sara-Ylen-taken-into-custody


Sara Ylen taken into custody
In connection to assault report
 May 2, 2013   |   7 Comments

A 38-year-old Lexington woman was taken into custody Thursday on charges of tampering with evidence and reporting a false felony in connection with a sexual assault she reported to police Sept. 18. She could be arraigned as early as Friday.

Sara Ylen was arrested Thursday in Lexington and transported to the St. Clair County jail, Maria Miller, Wayne County assistant prosecuting attorney, said in an email.

A report of a false felony is punishable by up to four years, while tampering with evidence is punishable by up to 10 years, Miller said.

Officials said Ylen reported the attack while in St. Clair County, but said it happened in Sanilac County.

Sanilac County Sheriff Garry Biniecki said Ylen alleged she had injuries related to the rape and was showing signs of bruising. But officers were able to determine the injuries were makeup, Biniecki said.

The cases ended up being handled by Wayne County prosecutors after St. Clair County Prosecutor Mike Wendling asked the state attorney general’s office to reassign the case due to his office’s relationship with Ylen in the James Grissom case.

Grissom was prosecuted and convicted of sexually assaulting Ylen in 2003. She said the attack happened in the parking lot of the Fort Gratiot Meijer.

Following the conviction, investigators in Michigan, California and Colorado determined Ylen had reported she had been sexually assaulted in other instances but could not substantiate those crimes.

Charges against Grissom were dropped after the Michigan Supreme Court granted Grissom a new trial after learning of the unsubstantiated claims.

Wendling requested the dismissal instead of a new trial, citing the length of time since the alleged incident and new evidence that had been discovered.

Grissom was released from custody Nov. 19, after almost a decade behind bars.

Separately, Michigan State Police Detective Sgt. Brian Ferguson is conducting a fraud investigation involving Ylen.

Ferguson said the case has been handed over to the Sanilac County Prosecutor’s Office.

Lucy Higgins, administrative assistant for Sanilac County Prosecutor James Young, said the fraud case is still in the process of review.

Details about that case have not been released.

The Times Herald normally does not identify victims of sexual assault. Ylen was identified when she asked the paper to tell her story.

Valley Brook Oklahoma resident Bobby Burgess petitions us for an Everyday Zeroes Award

Bobby Burgess and his petition
for a Shiitake Award

How many times over the years has Hands Up ministries in Oklahoma been targeted by people determined to shut them down? More times than I can count. Once again, someone is trying to shut down one of the few  outreach ministries in Oklahoma (probably THE only one) that helps registered citizens who are struggling with homelessness.

This guy, Bobby Burgess, is gathering petitions to shut the program down. He's collected 150 signatures. But will he get enough signatures to win a 2013 Shiitake award? Stay tuned to find out.

In the meantime, maybe the guys at the coffee shop can start a petition against this guy.

http://newsok.com/loitering-sex-offenders-are-making-valley-brook-residents-uneasy/article/3803998/?page=1


Loitering sex offenders are making Valley Brook residents uneasy

Residents of Valley Brook, a small Oklahoma City suburb known for its strip clubs, are upset that convicted sex offenders are being allowed to work and hang around two local businesses.

VALLEY BROOK — Residents of this small Oklahoma City suburb best-known for its strip clubs and recent scandals are upset that convicted sex offenders are being allowed to hang around two local businesses in town.

During the last meeting of the town's Board of Trustees, a petition signed by more 150 Valley Brook residents was submitted to elected officials, detailing their concerns.

Town Trustee Lewis Nieman said residents are upset that Joe's Addiction — a coffee shop — and Free Store Boutique — a thrift store — are routinely admitting sex offenders from the nearby Hand Up Ministries trailer park.

On its website, Hand Up Ministries describes itself as “faith-based prison aftercare program for men and women that have just been released from prison.”

It's been widely publicized in recent months that convicted sex offenders are allowed to live in the trailer park, which is just across the street from Valley Brook.

“A lot of people are concerned about it,” Nieman said. “We've only got about 400 adults in town, so having more than 150 people sign the petition is a pretty good amount.”

The petition, started by Valley Brook resident Bobby Burgess, is seeking help from the town's Board of Trustees.

Burgess, who has four small children, said the sex offenders and other homeless people who hang around Valley Brook are gaining in numbers.

“I'm tired of them being a nuisance, hanging around the neighborhood,” he said. “They don't just hang around the coffee shop ... they hang around the creek that runs through here; they're always asking people for money and walking up and down the street at all hours of the day.”

Burgess said Valley Brook is home to many children, and he believes it's just a matter of time before something happens.

“Look, they may not all be sex offenders, but sex offenders are known to live over there (Hand Up Ministries),” he said. “A lot of the kids will talk to them, just because they've been taught not to be rude. You can imagine what will happen eventually ... given enough time.

Both Joe's Addiction and Free Store Boutique are in the same shopping center in Valley Brook. A handful of strip clubs and other businesses are clustered nearby. The town hall and police station are nearby, too.


The businesses and municipal complex line SE 59, the tiny town's northern border. Residents live south of the shopping center, in between Eastern Avenue and Crossroads Boulevard.

‘We don't discriminate'

The coffee shop's owner, Jamie Zumwalt, denied that her business is a haven for sex offenders.
“We allow anyone who wants to hang out there to do so,” Zumwalt said.

“And not just to drink coffee ... We have a food pantry on Saturdays for groceries; we have the Free Store for physical needs. ... We don't discriminate against anyone.”

Zumwalt said Joe's Addiction is more than a coffee shop. She said the businesses she runs in Valley Brook also offer free counseling services.

As for the sex offenders, Zumwalt said she hasn't had any problems with them.

“They are just like any of the other folks that we are helping,” she said. “Some of them are homeless, some are drug addicts or alcoholics. ... I'm unaware of any sexual problems ... from the folks who hang out there.”

The Rev. David Nichols, the founder of Hand Up Ministries, said he can't control where the sex offenders who live at his trailer park go or whom they interact with.

“I own the property and I have staff there, but they are not in prison anymore,” Nichols said. “It's up to the coffee shop whether they let them come there, not me.”

Nichols also said that most of the “sex offenders” who are concerning Valley Brook residents are likely homeless and not living at his trailer park.

“It's easy for them to blame me, but there are hundreds of homeless sex offenders living in that area — and all over the city,” he said.

“Most of them are not from my place.”

Next step

Nieman said local residents who signed the petition want the town's Board of Trustees to refuse to renew Zumwalt's business license, which would essentially put her out of business.

In Valley Brook, business owners must renew their business licenses once a year.

“I don't know if we're going to do that,” Nieman said. “We'll take it up at a future meeting and see what happens.”

Miami attempts to exclude registrants from homeless protections

This is yet another sad legacy of the Julia Tuttle Causeway debacle, which continues to this day despite shutting down the camp nearly three years ago.

This is FloriDUH politics at its finest. It wishes to reinstate the practice of harassing and destroying the belongings of those forced into homelessness. http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/04/11/3339297/miami-to-go-to-federal-court-to.html


Miami to go to federal court to undo homeless-protection act  

BY CHARLES RABIN AND ANDRES VIGLUCCI
CRABIN@MIAMIHERALD.COM
The City of Miami, concerned that loitering homeless people are stunting downtown growth, will go to federal court in an attempt to undo major provisions of a historic legal agreement that for 15 years has protected the homeless from undue arrest and harassment by police.

Miami commissioners voted unanimously on Tuesday to petition the courts to alter a landmark settlement in the 1988 Pottinger v. Miami case, in which 5,000 homeless people and the American Civil Liberties Union sued the city, contending that the police practice of sweeping them off the streets and dumping their belongings for loitering, sleeping on sidewalks or other minor offenses was unconstitutional.

The case, settled by consent decree in 1998, led to a significant expansion of public services to the homeless that has been held up as a national model. The settlement also bars Miami police from arresting homeless people for such “involuntary, harmless acts’’ without first offering them an available bed in a shelter.

Under the resolution adopted Thursday, which drew little to no public attention before the commission meeting, the city will hire an outside attorney to ask a federal judge to grant police greater latitude to detain homeless people and seize and dispose of their belongings. The city will also ask the judge to exclude sexual predators from the Pottinger settlement’s protections.

Bradford County FloriDUH sheriff Gordon Smith wants to increase vigilante violence to prevent crimes

It is not simply the proposal that Bradford County FL Sheriff Gordon Smith has issued that draws my ire, but the attitude of this guy. Just read the story below. That's Floridiot logic for you-- create crime to prevent crime.

http://www.actionnewsjax.com/content/topstories/story/No-more-hiding-out-for-sex-predators-in-Bradford/zfO5EERPZ0-CwMHhmDN76w.cspx


No more hiding out for sex predators in Bradford County

Reported by: Leslie Coursey Email: lcoursey@ActionNewsJax.com

Print Story Published: 4/08 5:38 pm Share Updated: 4/08 8:32 pm 

STARKE, Fla. -- "I don't want another victim," Sheriff Gordon Smith says it's that simple. 

To alleviate any confusion parents might have about where sexual predators live, he's posting big red signs, bearing the predator's names, in front of their homes.

"If you're selling Girl Scout cookies, if you're selling whatever, you'll know at that door lives a sexual predator," he said.

The sheriff says the idea came from his staff. He said parents kept calling with concerns. And when they looked, he said "We had more sexual predators in our community than all those other counties, comparable to our size, we had more than all them together. So that's an issue."

Florida law states, as Sheriff, he can notify his community about sexual predators any way he sees fit.

"And as I see fit means putting up a sign," he said.

And if the predators have a problem with it, he said, "If they don't like it, they got an option. Leave!"

The Sheriff's Office says the signs cost less than $10 a piece. They'll use inmate labor to post them this week, making the burden on the taxpayer minimal. 

The signs will only be posted at the homes of sexual predators, not sex offenders. The difference is that a predator is a either a repeat offender and/or their crimes are violent with a victim under 12.

Nathan willing to risk life as a registered sex offender for TV ratings

I have seen plenty of reality TV stunts but this one has to be the dumbest yet. So this show is apparently some reality show/ documentary much like Borat. I don't know if this is just a silly act, a farce like Borat was, but it does illustrate the insanity of the registry. If it is all fake, it is clever writing.

Nathan himself says this:

"We've all seen escape artists risk death before, but tonight, I'm going to risk something even worse. Becoming a registered sex offender for life."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/08/nathan-for-you-claw-of-death-sex-offender-stunt_n_3038437.html


This week's "Nathan For You" is unlike anything we've ever seen. Taking a risk that could result not only in embarrassment but imprisonment, Nathan Fielder handcuffs himself to a metal frame and gives himself 90 seconds to escape before a robotic claw pulls down his pants in front of a crowd of children, with a police officer standing by to arrest him, thus making him him a sex offender for life.

Why? Nathan explains that he needs to show audiences that he is willing to risk his own embarrassment in addition to embarrassing the business owners he features on his show, but we think it's a spot-on satire worthy of Sacha Baron Cohen, examining and mocking the lengths that American reality shows go to in order to exploit its stars. If people are willing to humiliate themselves on "Fear Factor" and "Killer Karaoke" to get on TV, who's to say that they won't risk being in the sex offender registry for some airtime, too?

So does Nathan escape the handcuffs, or does he get arrested? We've seen the show, but our lips are sealed -- we simply must insist that you watch on Thursday at 10:30 to find out what happens.

Joke-lahoma's Leslie Osborn vows to ALWAYS vote tough on crime

Could Leslie Osborn's next award be a Shiitake award?

Leslie Osborn's statement is typical of legislators who blindly follow "tough on crime" laws. Oxen are strong but they are also dumb. Dumb enough to admit her intentions and her unwillingness to be educated.

http://www.sfgate.com/news/crime/article/Sex-offenders-make-easy-target-for-Okla-lawmakers-4414869.php

"I will always vote to be the one that's tough on crime," Rep. Leslie Osborn, R-Mustang, argued recently during debate over a bill to impose mandatory prison sentences for those who fail to register. "I want us to remember that the people that are registering here include people who are rapists, child molesters. These are people that have done heinous crimes to members of our communities."

Dishonorable Migna Sanchez-Llorens Disregards Jury's decision to release person who served 25 years

It is rare for a judge to override a jury. It happens but it is very, very rare. Apparently in Florida, this is so rare, it is actually the first time a judge overridden a decision by a jury in a civil commitment hearing. This unethical judge should be investigated by the ethics commission. But it is FloriDUH, Miami-Dade no less.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/03/03/3264705/judges-decision-in-sexual-predator.html


Judge’s decision in sexual predator case sparks controversy

3-3-2013 Florida:

After ******* completed 25 years in prison for a series of violent rapes and kidnappings, Miami-Dade jurors were asked to decide whether he posed a danger to society if released.

Their decision surprised courthouse observers: Let him go, they said earlier this month. V*** should not be confined to a locked-down therapy center for sexual predators.

What happened next was equally surprising: Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Migna Sanchez-Llorens disregarded their decision and ordered V*** into indefinite civil confinement anyway, drawing howls of protest from defense attorneys.

Sanchez-Llorens’ decision is believed to be the first time in Florida that a judge had sent a convicted sex predator into civil confinement over a jury’s verdict. The unique legal battle, bound to be settled at a higher court, has rekindled debate over the Florida law that allows sexual predators to be detained indefinitely after their prison terms.

“To consider overturning the finding of this verdict just to keep ***** in is an insult,” defense lawyer Andrew Rier told the judge, adding later: “Are we really going to say that our desire to keep V*** in is more important than following the rights of the jury in Dade County?”

But after listening to psychologists who deemed him a risk to re-offend if released, the judge said, “There is no reasonable evidence upon which a jury could rule in favor” of V***.

The evidence “points to but one possible conclusion: that [V***] is a sexually violent predator,” Sanchez-Llorens wrote in her order.

For now, Vega remains at the Florida Civil Commitment Center in Arcadia, as lawyers meet Monday for another hearing.

Sen. Rick Jones tries to squeeze blood from a turnip

We here at the Shiitake Awards love political blowhards that misbehave while in office. MI State Senator Rick Jones apparently loves making nasty comments to constituents. He compared one person he disliked to a "prostitute" and asked another if she was "taking meds". I guess he feels giving "20 Gallons of Blood" balances out his bad behavior. Now he wants to bleed more constituents dry. He has already harassed registrants by adding more to the public registry, now he expects Michigan registrants to pay a $50 annual fee.

http://www.freep.com/article/20130324/NEWS06/130324006/Michigan-s-sex-offenders-could-face-annual-fees


A bill to require the more than 40,000 people on Michigan's sex offender registry to pay an annual fee is igniting a debate over who should bear the costs for operating and maintaining the state's system used to track offenders.

Registered sex offenders already are required to pay a one-time $50 fee, but some lawmakers want to charge them $50 every year to cover the $600,000 a year cost to operate the database. The state says the move could bring in about $540,000 more in revenue each year.

Sex offenders "put themselves onto this registry by their actions," said Republican Sen. Rick Jones of Grand Ledge, who is sponsoring the legislation that is headed to the Senate floor, but not yet scheduled for a vote. "Therefore, they need to pay a fee to maintain it."

But opponents, which include the American Civil Liberties Union, say it's merely a feel-good measure that ignores experiences in other states where the promise of more revenue falls well short of expectations and is an overly burdensome cost for registered sex offenders who already struggle to find housing and jobs.

I agree, Shelter Pets deserve better than being held by this guy

Kurt Wallace: Segregation today, tomorrow, and forever

This guy has been a pain in the ass for a while. But his reason for being here is because he has made it clear he is exploiting the law to chase a halfway house out of his neighborhood. I wonder if he's related to that other segregationist George Wallace.


http://www.myfoxal.com/story/20968454/community-concerned-over-sex-offenders-living-at-a-church

Community concerned over sex offenders living at a church

Posted: Feb 05, 2013 11:51 AM EST
Updated: Feb 06, 2013 10:47 AM EST
By Clare Huddleston - bio | email

Straight down is a direction

FOX6 News discovered that 36 sex offenders have listed this church as their place of residence since 2010. Source: WBRC video



CHILTON COUNTY, AL (WBRC) -
Triumph Church on County Road 374 looks like many churches in Chilton County. It has a cross above the door, an inspirational message on the sign out front, but it has also become home to 36 sex offenders. 

"I don't like them living that close to me because my wife works in the yard a lot and they walk up and down the road all the time," explained Gordon "Duck" Burkhalter. 

Burkhalter says Triumph Church popped up a few years ago. He does not mind the ministry, but he does not think it needs to be in a group setting and he does not like their living conditions. 

"They got 4, 5, 6 trailers with 3-4 people in each trailer as far as I know," said Burkhalter. 

As more sex offenders started moving into the trailers behind Triumph Church, it caught the eye of Chilton County Chief Deputy District Attorney, CJ Robinson. 

"When somebody is released from the Department of Corrections and they are a registered sex offender, the DA get an info packet from the department of corrections and it lists the address, names, and info about the offense," said Robinson.

Since August 2010:

36 sex offenders have listed Triumph Church as their address once they got out of prison.

29 of them committed their crime against children; the youngest victim was 4 years old.

13 cases involved some form of child molestation.

Another concerning stat for Robinson, these convicted criminals don't appear to have any ties to Chilton County. "Only one committed their crime in Chilton county," said Robinson, "That offense was a misdemeanor, it was a non-jail sentence, it was a probationary sentence." 

"It's a scary thought," said State Representative Kurt Wallace, "I wouldn't have a problem with us taking care of our own but don't send me your problem children." 

Wallace isn't happy these sex offenders are moving into his district. He has pre-filed House Bill 85 for the 2013 legislation session. The bill states two sex offenders must live 500 feet apart from each other; they can't live under the same roof unless they are related or in a state-approved facility. 

At this time there is no treatment center for sex offenders and if Wallace's bill passes it could severely limit where sex offenders can live. 

Wallace said, "The biggest concern that people have is where are they gonna go? I don't know. I would suggest they go back to their families and I know where I don't want them to go. I don't want them in my neighborhood." 

Ricky Martin who runs Triumph Church declined to talk to Fox 6 News on camera. However, last year he told our sister station in Montgomery, WSFA, that all of the sex offenders who have come through his church have left as success stories. 

Martin confirmed to Fox 6 News he's against Wallace's bill and he believes his ministry is helping. One sex offender agrees. 

"He has helped us out," said Selid Holt. Holt was convicted of first degree sexual abuse of a 9-year-old female. He moved to Triumph Church from Barbour County. 

Robinson confirms the sex offenders like Holt, who have moved to Triumph Church, have not committed another sex crime that he's prosecuted. Still he thinks in this case it's better to be proactive than reactive. 

"If we wait until there is a child that has been victimized we've waited too late," said Robinson.

Bill O'Reilly calls pol a "villain" for opposing Jessica's Flaw

Can we ever find anything good about loudmouthed political pundit Bill O'Reilly? Of course not. His mouth is big enough to insert both his feet when he speaks. But he is here for blasting the Colorado legislature for rejecting the Mark Lunsford Act, aka "Jessica's Law." Colorado feels it is a bad law, and I agree. But O'Reilly has other ideas.

http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_22670788/political-accusations-fly-after-colorados-jessicas-law-dies

Political accusations fly after Colorado's "Jessica's Law" dies
POSTED:   02/26/2013 08:28:19 AM MST
UPDATED:   02/26/2013 11:41:39 PM MSTBy Lynn Bartels
The Denver Post
The death of a bill dealing with sexual predators who target kids has become a rallying cry for Republicans, who say their legislation would do more to make Colorado safe than gun bills passed by the Democrat-controlled legislature.

But Republicans aren't getting any getting support from Dave Kopel of the Independence Institute, an expert on Second Amendment issues who has studied prison sentences. He's critical of both the gun bills and the Republican measure known as "Jessica's Law."

"I don't think either of those are constructive steps toward public safety," he said.

And in a rare moment of unity, the Colorado District Attorneys' Council, Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Colorado Office of the Public Defender all agree Jessica's Law isn't necessary.

But Republicans have turned to social media and conservative talk shows to lament its assignment to the House's so-called "kill committee."

"You're not crazy there. Why aren't folks getting more upset about this?" Fox News' Bill O'Reilly asked the bill sponsor, Rep. Libby Szabo, R-Arvada, during his show Friday.

House Speaker Mark Ferrandino — described by O'Reilly as a "villain" — said not a single Coloradan testified in favor of Jessica's Law.

"What shocks me is for the two years Republicans had the majority, they didn't introduce this bill," said Ferrandino, a Denver Democrat who took over the speaker's post after Republicans lost the majority in the 2012 election. "This is all about politics and not good policy."

A nearly identical bill that died in 2009 in the Democratic-controlled legislature was used in attack ads against Democrats in the 2010 election.

Ferrandino added that after the O'Reilly show aired, he received nasty e-mails, including one that he said was from a viewer telling him he hoped Ferrandino's 14-month-old foster daughter gets raped.

House Bill 1149would have imposed a mandatory sentence of at least 25 years before parole on an offender who commits a sexual assault against a child.

It is named for Jessica Lunsford, a 9-year-oldwho was sexually assaulted and buried alive in Florida in 2005 by a career criminal who previously had been convicted of exposing himself to a 5-year-old girl. Her father came to Colorado from Florida to urge passage of the bill.

Szabo noted that Colorado is one of only five states that hasn't adopted some version of the law, and her bill would have been a tool prosecutors could have used when appropriate.

But Laurie Rose Kepros, the director of Sexual Offense Defense for the public defenders office, said Colorado's complicated and nuanced sentencing laws "already go beyond what Jessica's Law mandates."

"Jessica's Law is a 25-year sentence, and we have life sentences for all of the crimes covered under the bill," she said.

Both Szabo and the House minority leader, Republican Mark Waller of Colorado Springs, are upset that the bill was sent to the State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee, best known as the committee where the majority party sends minority bills to die. Her bill died Feb. 13 on a party-line vote.

"That bill should have gone to the Judiciary Committee," Waller said. "I don't think State Affairs is the place to have a discussion about sentencing laws."

Waller said Ferrandino wanted to protect four Democrats on the Judiciary Committee who are in swing districts: Daniel Kagan of Cherry Hills Village, Pete Lee of Colorado Springs, Mike McLachlan of Durango and Brittany Pettersen of Lakewood.

Ferrandino pointed out that two attorneys sit on State Affairs, and one of them, Rep. Mike Foote, D-Lafayette, is a prosecutor.

Natural disaster, you say? That's no excuse for not registering...

Randy Christian of the Jefferson Co AL Sheriff's Office.
Christian? Anything but.

I just love small town sheriff deputies, they give some of the silliest comments. Through wind and rain and hail, we still expect you to register. Glad I don't live in B'ham.

http://www.cbs42.com/content/localnews/story/Tracking-down-sex-offenders-displaced-by-storm/hOSShVNjM0OZpzqy8ZDgIw.cspx

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) - In Jefferson County ten registered sex offenders had addresses within the areas hit by the storm. On top of controlling traffic in those areas and keeping an eye out for looters, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office has been tracking them down.

"We hold them accountable every day of the year and when they come in to register we let them know there will be no excuses, not even a disaster," said Chief Deputy Randy Christian, Jefferson County Sheriff's Office. "We take a no excuses approach with those guys. We think that that's necessary and think it's the right thing to do. And that's just the way we're going to handle it. Listen if they, even if they go to a shelter, we notify the people in the shelter just like we would notify a community when one moves in."

"We went out and started checking on them and found out six of the ten were affected by the storm, either with structural damage or simply the power was out in some cases,” said Chief Deputy Christian.

So far, nine of them have been located.  

"One thing that came out of this is we found out that one of the ten was not living where he was supposed to. We've got a felony warrant on him and we're searching for him right now," said Chief Deputy Christian.

Copyright 2012 WIAT-TV CBS 42

The Profiteer starring Laura Ahearn (a-hole) and Parents For Megan's Flaw

Laura Ahole's next award should be a Shiitake...

Laura Ahearn and her profiteering group, Parents For Megan's Law, has been a long-time nuisance, and Laura Ahearn gets a six-figure income for an organization of 20 members. Ahearn demands in advance never to have face-to-face confrontations with opponents, mostly because she is a complete idiot who does not even know her own stats much less the facts. But since she has been confronted by the NY-based group USA FAIR, Ahole retaliates by quoting "Evil-Unveiled" to slander her opponent. Hopefully her victim can get justice through the courts, and cut into that $120,000 salary Ahole gave herself last year.



http://www.riverheadlocal.com/local-news/8542-new-sex-offender-bill-signed-but-questions-persist


Shana Rowan, a USAFair founder, said she wrote to Ahearn in December seeking changes to statistics on the PFML website that she says misrepresent the results of a study on repeat offenders. Ahearn never replied to the letter.

"As executive director of Parents for Megan's Law, Laura Ahearn has shown herself to be a zealot who has built a career demonizing the very people she is now to be charged with monitoring. She has perpetuated the myth of high sex offender recidivism, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, to enrich her organization," Rowan said.

Ahearn dismissed Rowan's criticism, pointing to Rowan's engagement to a registered offender who she said "raped a six year old child." Ahearn also said Rowan is "part of NAMBLA," the North American Man/Boy Love Association. Asked for documentation, Ahearn said, "Just search her name on the Internet."

Rowan categorically denies that she has ever in any way been associated with NAMBLA. A website called evil-unveiled.com has a page about her with her name in the URL, and it's the top hit in a Google search of her name. The page says she is a member of "the new NAMBLA" a name the website gives to "activists" seeking reform of registry laws, allegedly so that they can have sex with children.

"I think it's very telling that she [Ahearn] would resort to personal attacks instead of discussing the issues on the merits," Rowan said this week.

Rowan said as the recipient of signifcant public funding — Parents for Megan's Law's 2011 federal tax return reports the group received more than $946,000 in government grants in 2011, the lion's share of its total revenue of just under $1.1 million — the group should be held accountable for providing accurat information to the public. "That was really all we were seeking," Rowan said. "The new deal with Suffolk County is a whole other subject," she said. 

Not so Belfast! Belfast Giants freak out over sex offender owner

So apparently if you are on the list you have no business running a business now? So the Belfast (Ireland) Giants is a franchise with no players or stadium, because they rejected the owner because he's on the FloriDUH registry. Makes me ashamed of my Irish heritage. Maybe the new team can call themselves the Vagiants, or 'ginas for short.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/belfast-giants-abandon-franchise-owner-revealed-registered-sex-215252638--nhl.html


Belfast Giants abandon franchise after owner is revealed as registered sex offender
By Greg Wyshynski | Puck Daddy – 20 hours ago
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In January, the Belfast Giants of the Elite Ice Hockey League (U.K.) – yep, the “All I Want For Christmas Is You” franchise – announced that American Christopher Knight had purchased the team, as Jim Gillespie sold a stake he had held since 2003.

It was supposed to be a new era for the Northern Ireland team. Alas, it was an era that ended only a few weeks later when it was revealed that Knight was actually a registered sex offender in Florida.
Knight, who made his money in the telecommunications industry, purchased the team for a reported £145,000 ($225,054.50 U.S.) in November, entering into an agreement with the Odyssey Trust, which owns and operates the Odyssey Arena. According to The Independent, Odyssey activated an out clause in its contract with the Giants after “major issues” about Knight came to light.

Like the fact he was charged in 2003 with engaging in sexual activity with “a person 12 years of age or older but less than 16 years of age.”

Which, as you might imagine, isn't exactly the image the Belfast Giants are going for.

According to BBC News:

Knight, whose address is given on the Florida Department of Law enforcement website as West Sussex in England, was charged in 2003 with Lewd or Lascivious Battery.

This means he is alleged to have engaged in sexual activity with a person aged between 12 and 15, and he remains on the sex offenders register.

(Eerie twist: Former NHL star Theo Fleury, a survivor of sexual assault as a junior player, was a member of the Belfast Giants in 2006.)

You may notice that Knight is listed as being close to 40 years old. When he purchased the team, it was announced he was 34. But then again, there was a bit he wasn't up front with.

A deadline was set for last Friday for Knight to sell the team, and it passed. From the Independent:
At that point the trust terminated the holding agreement - a move which meant the company owned by Mr Knight - Belfast Giants (2008) Ltd - could no longer play at the Odyssey Arena. Within hours of that, the players wrote to Mr Knight claiming that their contracts were no longer in effect. The squad went on to play two games over last weekend - one of which was a charity fundraiser - on the understanding they were not contracted to any team.

Instead, the Giants abandoned their own team, and were “purchased” by the arena owners.
From the Belfast Giants, a statement from Brian Burke, Chairman of Odyssey Trust Ltd:
“We became aware of major issues relating to the new owner of the Belfast Giants on February 1st. We immediately moved to protect the Odyssey complex by conditionally terminating the Belfast Giants (2008) Ltd’s contract to play at the Arena while entering into a without prejudice agreement to ensure the team continued with its games and its commitment to the league and its fans until the end of the season.

“The Belfast Giants has been one of the most successful sports teams in Northern Ireland and an integral part of the success of the Odyssey Arena. Since this news emerged, we have done all in our powers to protect the integrity of the team and ensure the future of professional ice hockey in Belfast. Last week we offered to purchase the assets of Belfast Giants (2008) Ltd , this was not responded to leaving us with no alternative other than to secure the name and brand of the team and create a new company structure by which the team could continue to play. Today, the entire staff including players and administrators will be signed to an Odyssey Trust owned company permitting the team to finish the season and continue the battle to retain their title.

“This has not been an easy period for the Belfast Giants but it is highly commendable that the players, who were without contracts, fulfilled their commitment to the team’s two games this past weekend including helping to raise money for the team’s nominated charity at the match on Friday evening. We would also like to assure the loyal Belfast Giants’ fans that we are committed to protecting the excellent reputation and long-term future of the team.”

So, in essence, Christopher Knight owns a team that doesn’t have any players or an arena in which to play. Because his players and managerial staff collectively resigned.

North Carolina wants to make it a felony to expose your vagina (or breasts)

You know what they say, duct tape fixes everything."
--NC State Rep. Tim Moore

I made a rhyme :) I guess Jerry Springer or the Mardi Gras people may want to reconsider visiting NC state if this passes. But HB 34 is something a little duct tape couldn't fix, according to one state rep.

http://www.opposingviews.com/i/politics/nc-state-rep-tim-moore-advises-women-duct-tape-nipples-avoid-arrest#

NC State Rep. Tim Moore Advises Women To ‘Duct Tape’ Nipples To Avoid Arrest


By Michael Allen, Thu, February 14, 2013
The North Carolina State House Judiciary Committee recently approved House Bill 34, which makes it a felony to purposefully expose “private parts for the purpose of arousing or gratifying sexual desire.”

According to WRAL.com, the bill's definition of “private parts” includes a woman’s “nipple, or any portion of the areola.”

Women could spend up to six months in jail for a first offense. However,  any incidental nipple exposure by breastfeeding mothers would be exempt.

State Rep. Sarah Steven said that women could use pasties or nipple coverings: “They’d be good to go."

“You know what they say, duct tape fixes everything,” added State Rep. Tim Moore.

State Rep. Rayne Brown is co-sponsoring the bill because GoTopless.org activists held a topless women’s rights rally in Asheville, North Carolina last summer (graphic video below).

“You’ve got local governments passing ordinances to protect themselves from just this thing,” Brown said. “These folks don’t need to be doing that, but they do it because they’re not sure about the law.”