Last year WAR organized a massive media campaign with a focus on Halloween the impact to registered citizens and families. That campaign went to over 9,000 outlets.
The DOJ Rule 72 recommendation was released mid-August asking for public comment prior to October 13, 2020. We are concerned with the pattern that is developing that threatens reform and will impact our registrants and families.
In Millard v Rankin, 13-cv-02406-RPM (USDC 2017), a US District Court determined Colorado’s sex offense registry laws constituted cruel and unusual punishment. But in the 10th Circuit Court Millard et al., v. Rankin, No. 17-1333 (10th Cir. 2020), published on August 20th, 2020, overturned that decision, proclaiming Colorado’s sex offense registration scheme is non-punitive and could not implicate 8th Amendment constitutional protections. Furthermore, the Court found that CSORA did not violate substantive nor procedural Due Process.
Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter called this decision “a major victory for public safety advocates”; for those of us who have endured hardships as the result of inclusion on the public sexual offfense registry, this decision is an insult and a denial of real-life struggles. The registry looks like punishment and feels like punishment. American society considers the public registry as a part of the punishment. The US District Court in Colorado declared it was punishment. The 10th Circuit, however, denied the registry is punishment.
https://www.ca10.uscourts.gov/opinions/17/17-1333.pdf
On Thursday, September 24, 2020, the lives of two persons convicted of sexual offenses will be decided within the 10th Circuit courthouse.
On this day, Women Against Registry and others dedicated to change in America’s sexual offense registration laws will be in front of the 10th Circuit Appeals Court building, 1823 Stout St, Denver, CO 80257, from 8 AM to 2 PM to protest the 10th Circuit’s ruling. The message is simple – the registry IS punishment. As we know it has altered the lives of human beings who merely want to have their lives fully restored.
We invite each and every person experiencing the punitiveness and stigma of registration to join us. Each man, woman or child can make a difference. Begin right now making plans to be part of the demonstration and/or donating to the initiative to help with travel, lodging, materials and brochures which are being designed as we speak. It will be a great time to meet others from like-minded organizations and be a part of something BIG!
Let us know if you will be joining us so that we can keep you apprised of on-going plans and developments.
For more information, contact... 10thcirteam@warfamilyfoundation.org
