Parents are expressing outrage after a California court ruling sided with convicted sex offenders over the safety of children at school.
According to the Associated Press, three-quarters of California’s paroled sex offenders – previously banned from living near parks, schools and other places where children congregate – now face no housing restrictions thanks to a court ruling.
Among those now allowed to live next to a playground or school are convicted child molesters, according to reports.
The number of convicted sex offenders now facing no restrictions is far higher than officials initially predicted. The state expected half of the 5,900 parolees would have restrictions on where they can live or sleep lifted when the corrections department changed its policy following a March state court ruling.
Instead, data shows that 76 percent of offenders no longer are subject to restrictions.
Even some parolees whose offense involved molesting a child no longer face the 2,000-foot residency restriction, officials disclosed in explaining the higher number.
“A parole agent cannot simply prevent a parolee from living near a school or park because the offender committed a crime against a child,” Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation spokesman Jeffrey Callison said in a statement.
The decision largely reverses a blanket housing ban imposed by California voters nine years ago. Many states impose a variety of residency restrictions on sex offenders, though states including Iowa, Georgia and Oklahoma rescinded or changed their residency restrictions and some now also tailor restrictions to individual sex offenders.
As a result of California’s policy change, more than 4,200 of the state’s 5,900 offenders no longer qualify for the residency restrictions, according to data compiled by the corrections department at the AP’s request.
“These numbers are absolutely astounding,” said state Sen. Sharon Runner, R-Lancaster, who co-authored the original ballot initiative. “Kids in kindergarten living across the street from a sex offender is not what the people voted for in Jessica’s Law. Seventy percent of the people voted to keep them away from schools and parks.”
The department spent months reviewing offenders’ criminal backgrounds before deciding that the ban should continue to apply to about 1,400 offenders. The department couldn’t provide the status of nearly 300 other offenders.
“That’s a pretty dramatic reduction in numbers, so that’s scary. That’s scary for victims,” said Nina Salarno, executive director of Crime Victims United of California.
She and Criminal Justice Legal Foundation president Michael Rushford, who represents crime victims, said the department is broadly interpreting the March court ruling, which applied only to San Diego County. Officials have refused to release the legal advice from the state attorney general that they are relying upon in making the decision.
In the March ruling, justices found that blanket restrictions violate offenders’ constitutional rights by making it difficult for them to find housing and other services, without advancing the state’s goal of protecting children.
The Associated Press contributed to this article
Not surprising, The liberal morons always protect the perverts, terrorists, gang bangers and illegal aliens over honest American citizens. Those freaks love their chaos. If you live and work in California and your conservative, move out of the state. Take your tax money away from the freaks. Move to almost any other Red state. You would be welcome in Texas.
This is because if you are a pedophile Muslim it is OK to have sex with anyones child.. Now try to get a Muslim arrested for pedophile. Or should I say convicted. BAN ALL MUSLIMS FROM U.S. SOIL.
The Quran is available to all to read. Get yourself a copy and understand who you are letting into the USA. Under the guise of “religion” we allow people into the USA who have no intention of abiding by the USA Constitution or its laws. Prospective refugees should be questioned as to their beliefs and if they follow the Quran they should be denied entry. The USA Constitution is use to gain access and once that is done, Islam takes over and killings and discrimination against Americans starts. Howe long before the first lady will be dressed like batman and no-one will know what she looks like.
Peter I agree with what you are saying. I am for slowing down not only muslim immigration but all immigration until INS can get their back log cleared up, and then go after those that have over stayed their visa’s, then going after the criminal illegals that having been caught, a court date being set, have not showed up for court. That is Failure to Appear, and it is a crime and for that FTA they should be deported. That is how a lot of illegals stay in this country. Like the muslims, they don’t respect our laws, not really. If they did, wouldn’t be here illegally. I like Trump because he states it like it is, and I feel it’s about time someone put our biggest problem with immigration/illegals into words, out in the open and to hell with Political Correctness. I like Cruz because he is a fighter, and I think he (even though he was born in Canada) really loves this country and wants to make it great again like Trump. The two of them together, awesome.
as a transplant to texas I definitely agree there are a lot of benefits to reside in the great state of texas the best part is that there is NO state income tax along with the law that there is no sales tax on groceries especially food also the state has plenty of jobs especially if your expertise is in medical petroleum or legal there are many jobs available especially in the Houston area but the best thing is that there is none of the stupidity you see out west most of those people are crazy and thanks to former gov. Arnold they are totally broke and their cost of living is outrageous the way I see this is that because of their total lack of reasonable LAWS there are a lot of stupid laws and even dumber lawsthis explains why they have sanctuary cities and allow illegal aliens to get by with murderit is unbelievable that there has been nothing done to remedy this disgrace especially after the woman was shot walking down the street with her father obviously there needs to be stronger laws with tacutely strong punidhmentbut if this kind of crap is not stopped the number of crimes like this will never stop and we will see more victims
Don’t sell Gov. Moonbat short.
Has anyone ever heard of Majority Rights? The majority counts only once and that is in an election. After that it is all about the minorities and they get whatever they want, even the demise of the majority as is the case with terrorists and ‘their rights’. The world has gone mad and is self destructing. Minority laws surpass the county’s laws and justice is defeated,
I think the decades ago old Kumbaya folks are alive and well in California. Even those who have governed the State seemly have never grown up or made adult decisions about families, children, schools, protection, and safety. I thought we had come much further along than this. Guess not?
If this is what the Californians want for their children, then they shall have it ……
This is the anarchy that Obama wants. George Soros wants. Hillary wants.
a damn good reason for none of them to not be given any kind of a position of powerif we want a country with peace and safety this kind of crap must be stopped
The next thing California will do is sanction pedophiles marrying small children.
You may have meant your comment as sarcasm, but It has the ring of truth. What else should we expect from the People’s Republic of Cal-ore-ington (California-Oregon-Washington). They are too busy worrying about the “rights” of illegals and stripping law-abiding citizens of their rights under the Constitution to worry about the safety of children.
I live in Seattle Wash . and I can’t stand these stupid liberals …. All this PC crap is plain ass stupid …. I hate it so much I go out of my way to offend as many people as I can in this State …. When they say something to me about it I thank them profusely and tell them how hard I work at it , and I’m so happy I’m finally getting some acknowledgement for my offensive nature…. I’m completely offended about all this nonsense with illegals getting all these rights I could puke … We have so many homeless people on the streets and the worse part are the homeless Veterans!!! While useless illegal moocher Mexicans , moslems and others live off tax payers backs … I have worked all my life over 40 yrs now and I probably won’t see my SSI , instead it’s being given to useless eaters who never paid a dime into it !!! I’m sure I will be working for the rest of my life , if my SSI has disappeared into the hands of worthless undeserving people … I love this state so much , if I didn’t I would of moved a long time ago …. If I could send all the libs to another dimension , I would roar with happiness : )
Roseanna, you are a breath of fresh air. I to live near Seattle and you are dead right in all you write. The homeless vets, the moocher illegals. Giving our SS away to those that haven’t paid a cent into it. I’m collecting my SS and I live in fear, every year with Obama that it will go broke as they keep threatening us with, or they will go to a same as payment system, where everyone (except the very rich) will get the same amount, doesn’t matter what you wage you earned. Just a set amount for everyone. I hated it when Washington became a Santhuary state. I knew from having seen it happen with Oregon and California that our state would be over run with illegals, living off the tax payers, taking jobs from Washington citizens, and crime would go up, which it did. In the numbers that are being allowed to come into America (50,000 or more) they have brought nothing but hardship for some citizens where they reside. It’s the main reason I like Trump (and Cruz), they know this problem has to be taken care of and solved. (Wall, secure borders and criminally prosecuting those that brake our laws),
in an area that is totally radical it will never happen
It’s really not that far-fetched. I have read musings from the most wacko of the liberal wackadoos, that incestuous pedophilia is preferable to the youngster being molested by a total stranger. Since good ol’ Uncle Bubba is a familiar face to the child, there will not be the emotional trauma caused by an unfortunate incident with a stranger. In fact, these nut jobs actually recommend this as a way to safely introduce young ones to sex. This is liberal logic and reasoning at its finest. May I scream and pull my hair out now?
I just had a feeling that after they aloud transgender girls (who were born boys but, still have male genitalia) were allowed to use female bathrooms and locker rooms: the next step would be declaring pedofiles a protected sexual orientation. Before you know it they will want to do the same thing with rapists.
when i was a young boy i remember homosexual men would meet at a park and go into the woods. also men would meet young boys. it’s okay to be a homosexual and laws protect you. after this i said pedophelia will be accepted. a sick nation!
Wait what? California “Parents” you are “outraged”?
Huh? and I’ll say it again, “HUH???????”
Wow, talk about serious double talk and double standards. How did you NOT see this coming with the Gov. > YOU < elected into office? How did you NOT see this coming????
I'm sorry, as much as I feel bad for your children …. and I truly do, being a father of 3 adult children – who were kids at one time. I also now have 3 grandchildren .. to quote Mr. T; "I pity the fool who touches ANY of my kids – adult or grandchildren. I pity them and so will the sucker that touches them wrong."
But you had this coming … you seriously did / do. Even your TRANSGENDER LAWS are going to allow "Hormonal Teens" into your daughters Showers and trust me it will NOT stop there. The next step is "Lesbian Sex" … the boy will simply say, "I"m a "girl" stuck in a boys body, but let's just have 'lesbian sex' …."
You had it coming …. you made the "bed" and now you get to 'sleep in it'. Hope you have NIGHTMARES .. to wake you the hell up and you change the direction of the California. I hope the hell you wake up.
HOW ABOUT WE THROW OUT THE PRESENT GOVERNMENT AND ALL THERE LAWS AND GO BACK TO THE ORIGINAL BILL OF RIGHTS.
I AGREE we have a federal government that allows known terrorists to be released from gitmo and now he wants to allow refugees from Syria the only thing he has not done is abide by the laws of the country he swore to uphold when he took office
When are we going to hold these off the wall judges accountable for there ridiculous decisions that put all of us in danger. now they are putting children in harms way, one of these perverts ought to harm their children and then see what these judges think then. Boy do we need real change in this COUNTRY.
MMMMMM, GUNS BAD (for now) CHILD MOLESTERS GOOD!!! Where does fire fit in?
obviously the maniacs have taken over the asylum;do the powers that be intend to drop the age of consent to three months old; and are we again going to hear the plaintiff cry from the witness box “she seduced me how could I tell how old she was”? I should have thought that the dead giveaway was the way she was clutching her teddybear. I am a 78 year old grannie and never thought that I would live to see such depravity! God help us all..
GO GRANNY GO 111
What difference does it make All it does is say those who have been CAUGHT cant live somewhere We all have perverts, drug dealers, and other criminals living in our neighborhoods that are not on the list and often times have them in our families. They are everywhere. Just teach your kids and then step up to the plate to protect them yourself.
I was raped by a neighbor who was very active in the community “A very well “Upstanding” young man” so they say. Sex offender list is as big a joke as the screening immigrants,. It is just more paper work and supplies jobs for state employment to waste tax payers dollars. It is just another attempt that our government offers to appease the people and make us think they are protecting us. The whole list needs to be ABOLISHED it just is one more way of providing a “false security” for those who believe in it. If a pervert wants to get to you no list will stop them. And the damage is done far before the cops arrive.
Thank You for your intelligent comments. After reading the following posts I feel like the world is bat shit crazy.
Why would I think it’s ok for any harm to come to me or my child just because I’m a liberal??? I’m not a moron as one had said, just because I care about human beings no matter what they have done. This is america, you have the right to mess up and try again. Carol, I’m so sorry for your experience……thank you for sharing the cold hard facts. Perverts are not all on “the list” …….they are your friends, brothers, sisters, neighbors, teachers, community leaders, clergy, and yes, even spokesmen( jared from subway). We are responsible for ourselves……… be a better parent, and maybe our children won’t grow up to be horrible people.
What the hell is wrong with our country. Stop the bullshit already!!!! Stop protecting evil doers for once. Let’s change this land for good people.
All the crazies, molesters, terrorists,criminals, should all live on a deserted Island, away from us normal people. They seriously shouldn’t be in our space!!! They can duke it out amongst themselves. That would make this country great again!!! But no, we have idiot people who want to accept them and coddle them. I say ENOUGH!!!!!!
We once wanted to protect the innocent but still be fair to the guilty. Now the guilty has priority.
And we protected life. Now our priority is to protect those who take life.
And, yes the homosexual movement has wanted to lower the age of consent, initially to 12 and eventually to 9 as the good Muslim religion allows. Doubt it? see NAMBLA – the Man/boy love association.
So expect abortion to continue to be encouraged.
Expect pedophilia to be encouraged.
The supreme court ruling on abortion was based on Roman law that would also allow infanticide. So if the baby was a problem before birth, why not eliminate it or sell it or.. a little later.
Expect euthanasia.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2161869/Top-doctors-chilling-claim-The-NHS-kills-130-000-elderly-patients-year.html
Let the good times roll!!!
Lord, come quickly!
There should be some commonsense regulations put in place. 2,000 feet may be too much considering the number of daycare and other childcare facilities that can open in a large city, but child predators should not be allowed to live in sight of these places.
Why do their rights supersede our rights?
There are about 3 city blocks in 2000 feet. I’m not sure if that’s a reasonable distance or not, but I’m just posting this so people can get an idea how far it is.
The once great state of California has been morphed, by idiots masquerading as political leaders, into a gigantic garbage dump composed of the idiots who voted for them, the illegal immigrants, the weirdos, zombie-like oddballs, gays, lesbians, and those in the process of receiving a gender, liars, thieves, and a vast assortment of criminals, who, incidentally are given sanctuary while innocent, tax paying citizens pick up the tab.
I think restrictions for sex offenders should still be used. But let’s apply them to every individual case! There are some child predators out there who are off/on parole or probation that I don’t think should be allowed within 50 or more miles of any children’ school or park. Then there are some who would never hurt a child even if they lived in the same house. And how do you know that everyone who was convicted of a sex offense actually did one. We have some crooked courts and DAs out there but not to mention a great many more honest ones! Why should descent citizens be forced to give up their rites, and freedoms under blanket restrictions . No let’s have the restrictions, but apply them fairly to each individual case. Did you know the % rate of a convicted sex offender recommitting the same criminal offense again is lower than that of any other crime! If you don’t believe me research it yourself. I believe it to be less than 5.0%. The greatest chance of our children being sexually assaulted is actually by someone who was never convicted of sexually assaulting a child. Let’s stop persecuting,punishing, and discriminating against those 95% who never did or would never again hurt a child and severally restrict the 5% who would. Then let us use our knowledge and resources to stop those unconvicted ones who would from doing it.
Reality check, America! Thanks to the rampant spread of the rankest forms of pornography–child pornography in particular–there are more sex offenders & pedophiles than ever in our midst. The standard rule is no sex offender is allowed to live within a proscribed distance from schools, playgrounds, etc. So when one of your many friendly neighborhood sex creeps gets caught, processed through the system & has served the sentence imposed (or even released pending trial or sentencing in some cases if there is a shortage of jail or prison space), it has become harder than ever to find the permitted housing for them, since an enormous number of them are actually indigent & many are illegally in the US but end up not being deported, & thus are an additional burden on American taxpayers. So, instead of protecting the young & women, we find them lurking @ the computers in public libraries & living close to places & people they have no business being near. I know this to be true because I used to work in the US Circuit Courts system in a large metropolitan area. America, I hardly recognize you as I weep through my tears!
What do you expect? California is the land of fruits and nuts, Follywood and starting this weekend…Star Whores : The Farce Awakens. California is where traditional American values and morals go to die, and the stars are worshipped instead of the Son.