The Dobbs Wire: Int’l Megan’s Law — federal court challenge!

International Megan’s Law:  A challenge to International Megan’s Law (IML) was just filed in federal court.  Under the new law the State Department is required to do something that is very likely unprecedented in U.S. history – putting a special mark on the passports of those the government wishes to stigmatize, a sizeable class of people with a record of certain offenses that are sex-related.  In addition to mandating scarlet letter passports, other provisions of the law will erode a cherished liberty, the right to physically move about and travel outside the U.S.   IML was signed into law by Obama and implementation continues under the Trump administration.  Good luck to the “John Does” who are fighting for their rights, ACSOL (Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws) and their legal eagle Janice Bellucci!  Here’s an Associated Press report,  a commentary explaining why IML will be ineffective,  ACSOL’s statement, and the lawsuit papers – have a look.  –Bill Dobbs, The Dobbs Wire

 

Associated Press via Washington Post | Jan. 11, 2018

Group sues over passport marker for sex offenders

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By Don Thompson 

 

A group representing sex offenders sued again Thursday to challenge a law that requires a marker to be placed in the passports of people convicted of sex offenses against children.  Attorney Janice Bellucci filed the lawsuit in federal court in Los Angeles on behalf of her nonprofit organization, the Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws, and two California sex offenders.  Opponents of the marker have called it a “Scarlet Letter.”  MORE:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/travel/group-sues-over-passport-marker-for-sex-offenders/2018/01/11/f1dcbd7c-f734-11e7-9af7-a50bc3300042_story.html

 

 

In Justice Today | Nov. 9, 2017

We’re Putting Sex Offender Stamps on Passports. Here’s Why It Won’t Curb Sex Tourism & Trafficking.

By Guy Hamilton-Smith

Excerpts:  While IML and similar laws are packaged as a way to prevent sexual violence and exploitation, they do little to nothing to meet those objectives because they make assumptions about sexual offending that are incorrect.   As recent years have demonstrated, sex offenders have become a proving ground for law and policy that the public would (and should) otherwise find abhorrent. IML, and its attendant marking of the sine qua non of international travel documents, is just the latest high-profile example. MORE: 

https://injusticetoday.com/were-putting-sex-offender-stamps-on-passports-here-s-why-it-won-t-curb-sex-tourism-trafficking-d127fa87a55c

 

ACSOL (Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws ) | Jan. 11, 2018

IML Lawsuit Filed

A lawsuit was filed today in the Central District of the U.S. District Court of California challenging regulations issued by the State Department that announced the addition of a “unique identifier” to the passports of some registrants. Addition of the identifier to passports could affect more than 500,000 Americans and their families.  MORE:

http://all4consolaws.org/2018/01/iml-lawsuit-filed/

 

Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws and John Does vs. U.S. Department of State

U.S. District Court for the Central District of California Case No. Case No. 2:18-cv-256

Lawsuit complaint filed Jan. 11, 2017:

http://all4consolaws.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Complaint-CONFORMED-11-Jan-2018.pdf

 

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