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."

Granville NY area church cancels Registered Person's wedding following threats of protests

I understand that some folks get scared when there are online threats, but I've dealt with vigilant trolls for years, and all Internet gangsters are chickens in real life. And Christ stood up for what was right, even at the cost of followers and ultimately his life. That's why I feel the church was wrong to kowtow to the people threatening to protest. I feel like a great opportunity to teach about the boldness of Christ was lost by chickening out.

Protest my wedding and I'll come out and take selfies with you.

https://poststar.com/blogs/don_lehman/blog-church-pulls-plug-on-sex-offender-s-wedding/article_2d441ae6-f02c-5499-a460-19f9125938be.html

BLOG: Church pulls plug on sex offender's wedding
Don Lehman Oct 22, 2019

Many people who followed David Saladin's child sex abuse case for molesting children at a daycare center where he worked believe he should be in state prison.

Instead, because the Warren County District Attorney's Office had concerns about evidence in his case and having two young children testify at a trial, Saladin was offered a plea deal that includes 10 years on probation.

(Saladin pleaded guilty to all of the charges against him, with an understanding that he would not be sentenced to jail.)

That sentence did not sit well with many who followed the case, understandably so. But when word got out on social media in recent days that Saladin was planning to get married days after his sentencing, and the invitation that was posted on Facebook talked of the "fairytale" relationship, the you-know-what hit the proverbial fan.

The wedding was to be held Saturday at South Granville Congregational Church.

Pastor Rick Backus said that he was aware Saladin had been accused of child sexual abuse after the wedding was booked, but in light of the fact he hadn't been convicted the wedding was going to be allowed. But after he was sentenced last week, Backus said it was decided the church would not allow the ceremony under the circumstances.

Many reached out to the church through Facebook on Monday and Tuesday to express their concerns about the wedding, before learning the church had pulled the plug. Some talked about going to the church to protest during the wedding.

"My phone was going off like crazy," Backus said. "I got about two hours of sleep last night."

-- Don Lehman

Duane Pohlman of Cincinnati's Local 12's sweeps week fluff piece attacks registrant for daring to reform the laws

No, it isn't me or anyone I know. But if Ohio starts background checks before allowing anyone to speak out against bad legislation, it will be bad for this entire movement.

https://local12.com/news/investigates/local-12-investigation-leads-lawmakers-to-consider-background-checks-at-ohio-statehouse

Local 12 investigation leads lawmakers to consider background checks at Ohio statehouse
by Duane Pohlman, WKRCTuesday, October 15th 2019

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WKRC) - A day after a Local 12 Investigation revealed that a child sex predator hid his criminal background when he met with some of Ohio’s most powerful lawmakers and other leaders, State Rep. Tom Brinkman says he has asked whether better background checks are needed to find out who is really meeting with legislators.

NOT AWARE

Brinkman made it clear he was not aware James Kronenberger, the founder of Fair Treatment Reform and Re-entry (FTRR), was a registered sexual predator who had been found guilty several times over nearly four decades for sex crimes against young children.

CLICK HERE FOR LOCAL 12 INVESTIGATION, “HIDDEN PAST”

“If I would have known the information, things would have been a little bit different,”Brinkman said, conceding he not only met with Kronenberger, but worked with FTRR to draft a prison and parole reform bill -- a proposed mandate reforming Ohio’s prison system as well as providing early parole to non-violent offenders.

When I spoke with Kronenberger nearly two weeks ago, he said he often met with lawmakers, including Brinkman, as he pushed for prison and parole reform at Ohio’s statehouse. When asked how often he met with lawmakers, Kronenberger told us, “I come down here, usually two to three times a week.”

NOBODY ASKED

Kronenberger admitted he didn’t tell any of the state’s powerful lawmakers about his convictions for sex crimes against children as young as 5 years old, nor did he discuss details of his convictions for enticement, attempted kidnapping and harassment that led to him spending nearly 25 years in prison.

When asked why he withheld the information, he said, “I just never thought of it,” adding, “Nobody asked.”

Brinkman confirmed he and his office never vetted Kronenberger. No one on his staff even conducted a simple Google search.

“None was done at all,” Brinkman conceded.

TERRIFYING

“It’s terrifying,” said Bret Vinocur, the founder and president of Block Parole, Inc, an organization dedicated to keeping violent offenders in prison for their maximum sentences.

“You would think that members of the legislature who are working with people would vet them,” Vinocur said, after learning that lawmakers never conducted a basic search to find out who Kronenberger was.

Vinocur then quickly turned to question the validity of Brinkman’s bill calling for prison reform.

“The whole bill is tainted,” Vinocur said.

BACKGROUND CHECKS?

But Brinkman insists prison and parole reforms outlined in his bill are still needed but says the fact that Kronenberger didn’t disclose his disturbing past is a big problem.

“I wish I would have known who I was dealing with. There’s no question about that,” he said.

Now, Brinkman confirms he has asked the human resources office at the Ohio legislature to determine whether background checks should be made available to lawmakers before they meet with individuals like Kronenberger.

Recycled Ohio State Senator introduces recycled Green "Sex Offender" Car Tag idea

The color green is all about recycling, but one thing that should never be recycled is a bad idea. Neither should bad politicians. Ohio Senator Tim Schaffer, a former state Senator recently appointed to fill an abandoned post, is recycling a braindead idea that was heavily ridiculed back in 2007-- silly green license plates for registered persons.

In 2007, the bill was SB 56 and it thankfully went nowhere. While this bill is limited to Tier 2s and 3s, Ohio is an AWA state so most registrants are Tier 2 and 3 in Ohio.

Below is a link to the bill text.

https://legiscan.com/OH/text/SB217/2019

Kenton Co KY ASSistant Persecutor Kyle Burns abuses the law to force RC neighbor to move

Prosecutors are the TRUE scum of the earth. I'd love to pass laws to displace prosecutors from moving out of the sewers they originated from. Whis one in particular is a real piece of crap.

https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/local/northern-ky/2019/10/15/fort-mitchell-neighbors-wanted-playground-pocket-park-displace-sex-offender/3817764002/

'It will also prevent this from happening again.' Neighbors, including local prosecutor, sought park to displace sex offender

Julia Fair, Cincinnati Enquirer
Published 9:56 p.m. ET Oct. 15, 2019 | Updated 7:53 a.m. ET Oct. 16, 2019

FORT MITCHELL, Ky. – In a neighborhood of broad lawns and trees, residents wanted one of their neighbors to leave – and they seized on an unusual way to try and get the city's help to force him out. 
The drama involved a local prosecutor, a sex offender, and a tiny sliver of land along Dixie Highway with a handful of benches and a doggy bag dispenser.

In the spring, a registered sex offender moved in next door to Kyle Burns, who also happened to be an assistant Commonwealth attorney for Campbell County.

Burns had an idea: Get the Fort Mitchell Park Board to put a playground in that space. That playground would change everything for everyone; It would be publicly owned –  and would force the offender to move.

Kentucky law specifies that sex offenders can't live within 1,000 feet of a publicly owned playground. The sex offender would have to move within 90 days.

Burns promoted the idea with his neighbors in Facebook messages obtained by The Enquirer.

In early September Burns got a meeting with the park board to talk about why the city’s first so-called "pocket park" should go in his neighborhood, according to records obtained under a Kentucky Open Records Act request.

“I have talked to multiple city officials about converting Pauly Park (green space at the front of the neighborhood) into a playground, and they seem interested,” Burns wrote to the group on Facebook messenger. “Not only would it give our kids something to walk to (once this guy is gone that is) but it will also prevent this from happening again."

Burns declined to comment on the park or the Facebook messages when The Enquirer reached out to him.

Where can sex offenders live?

When the offender was 24, he was charged for third-degree sodomy with a 15-year-old. After violating probation, he spent five years in prison; he must register as a sex offender for 20 years.

The Enquirer could not reach the offender for comment.

Advocates for sex offender civil rights say laws specifying distance limits - from schools, parks, and so on – are sometimes abused. The Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws (ACSOL), a California-based group, said pocket parks “effectively keep registrants out of neighborhoods and sometimes entire towns.”

“They also break up families,” the group's executive director Janice Bellucci told The Enquirer in an email. “For example, a family may own or rent a home that a registrant is no longer able to live in due to creation of (a) pocket park. The family can’t afford to rent or buy a second home and therefore registrant becomes homeless often living in his or her car.”

It doesn't seem that Burns mentioned his neighbor during his meeting with the park board. Instead, he talked about how the playground could be good for local businesses, a way to get neighbors to spend more time together, and would “serve a purpose,” according to public meeting documents.

Residents would pay for the playground, Burns told the board, up to $50,000.

If the playground wasn't publicly owned, Burns' neighbor could stay in the Kenton County neighborhood.

Those meeting notes don’t explicitly say the playground would force the offender to move, or even mention the offender, but the Facebook messages do.

“He would have 90 days to move but hopefully he is gone soon,” Burns wrote to his neighbors who had questions about the logistics of the pocket park. “But it would prevent us from ever being in this position again.”

What Fort Mitchell officials did

In late September, the neighbors got the city more involved with their plan.

The park board held a public meeting about the pocket park on the lawn where the playground would go at the corner of Sunnymede Drive and Cornell Avenue. Thirty-two residents gathered beneath the shaded trees to share their feedback over the sounds of Dixie Highway, which sits just over a hill from the potential park.

Most comments were positive, with a few concerns about traffic, according to public records.

“The park board likes the area here because of all the work that is going on downtown,” said Parks Director Kyle Bennett in an email to a resident asking more about the park. “It is the perfect area to start having smaller pocket parks throughout the city.”

The Enquirer asked City Administrator Sharmili Reddy if the city was aware the neighbors wanted the park to compromise the offender’s current home.

She provided a statement from the park board, which did not answer that question.

The city has been exploring the broad pocket park idea for over two years, the park board said in the statement. Other cities in Kentucky have had pocket parks for decades, it added.

The Fort Mitchell park board doesn’t have a budget for pocket parks yet.

“Our goal is to look beyond individual intentions and do what is best for the community based on the feedback we get,” the park board said in a statement.

“If building a park there happens to keep registered sex offenders out … that could only increase the safety of the neighborhood and increase property values,” said Kenton County Commonwealth Attorney Rob Sanders.

Kansas City media freaks out over registered person's lawn art

I can't imagine this "lawn art" is all that attractive but leave it to the new media and a few nosy Nellies to make the jump from art being tacky to art being a lure for kids.

https://www.newsweek.com/sex-offenders-art-sculpture-allegedly-attracts-children-disrupts-neighborhood-1463965

SEX OFFENDER'S ART SCULPTURE ALLEGEDLY ATTRACTS CHILDREN, DISRUPTS NEIGHBORHOOD

BY MARIKA MALAEA ON 10/8/19 AT 6:16 PM EDT

An art sculpture in the front yard of a Kansas City home attracts a lot of children, which has the surrounding neighbors upset. Normally such art wouldn't be a problem, though in this case, it's in the yard of a registered sex offender.

The sculpture is made of hanging bikes, and a majority of the bikes look like they're for kids. The neighbors thought it was a piece of art until they found out the creator and man who lives there is a registered sex offender in Missouri.


"They got my attention with these bikes up here. They got put up here. I thought it was art, and it was nice. But if it got my attention, it'll get another child's attention," a woman who visits family in the neighborhood told WDAF.

The man's name is Fidel Nunezreyes. He was most recently convicted of statutory rape in 2004. His victim was an underage female.

Neighbors said he has lived in this neighborhood for about three years. Other residents said they wish Nunezreyes would have told them his status.

Missouri laws require sex offenders to register within three days of following a conviction or release from jail or prison. The Missouri Sex Offender Registry lists June 2005 as Nunezreyes' confinement release date.

Registration as a sex offender is required for anyone who has pled guilty to or been convicted of a number of crimes, including rape, child molestation, sexual misconduct, kidnapping a child, sexual exploitation of a minor, possession of child pornography, sexual abuse of a child and many more.

Those who plead guilty or no contest to these crimes are also required to register as sex offenders.

Many sex offenders are not allowed within 500 feet of school grounds, and while there are a handful of schools in the area—including two elementary schools, two middle schools, a charter school, a performing arts high school and an early education center—they fall outside of the 500-foot range from Nunezreyes' home.

Neighbors are concerned that the hanging bike art sculpture will continue to attract kids to his home, leaving the children vulnerable to someone has proven to be untrustworthy with a child in the past.

"I feel like the children aren't safe around here. I don't feel like the kids are safe because he still never said nothing," one neighborhood woman said.

People who frequent the area said along with the sculpture, Nunezreyes needs to leave the neighborhood.

According to Family Watchdog, a free service that allows you to view known registered offenders and predators in your area, there are 1,511 known and mapped offenders in Kansas City, Missouri.