The PA Superior Court found that SVP determinations cannot be based simply on allegations and hearsay in the case of Commonwealth v. John Aumick, 2022 PA Super. 33 (Aumick). Mr. Aumick plead guilty to a Corruption of Minors charge against his stepdaughter in exchange for having the many other charges dismissed. He was sentenced to incarceration and placed on SORNA. As…
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WEBINAR – A Different Approach to Sex Crimes: The Case for Survivor-Centered Restorative Justice
We need to have a different conversation about sexual violence and healing. This presentation will do that, going places some have never gone before. We make progress when we have difficult conversations. When it comes to sexual violence, it is important to address misconceptions that lead to stigmatization and negative stereotyping of those who commit the harm and those who…
Read MoreNewsletter #5, January 2022
Happy New Year from the PARSOL Board of Directors! Thank you for reading our Winter 2022 Newsletter. 2021 has been a busy year advocating for the dignity of Pennsylvanians who are forced to register. Rest assured that 2022 will only be busier. We continually keep a close eye on the legal challenges to PA’s registry that are making their way…
Read MoreAnother Blow to SORNA I with Failure to Register Conviction Relief
December 22, 2021 has seen the release of many case opinions from the PA Supreme Court (SCOPA) with Commonwealth v. David Santana being the biggest win for our advocacy efforts. In a 5-2 decision, SCOPA affirmed the Superior Court’s opinion that “Mr. Santana’s registration requirement under SORNA was an after-the-fact punishment, and therefore unconstitutional. Accordingly, he had no duty to…
Read MoreJust the Facts: Supporting People on the Registry
Newsletter #4, November 2021
Warm greetings from the PARSOL Board of Directors. Thank you for having a look at our Autumn 2021 Newsletter. Since our last newsletter in July, we have been busy advocating for the dignity of Pennsylvanians who are forced to register. We have also kept a close eye on the legal challenges to PA’s registry that are making their way through…
Read MoreSeparation of Powers in Pennsylvania: The Judiciary’s Prevention of Legislative Encroachment
Duquesne Law Review Vol 32, No. 3, Article 6 1994 John M. Mulchey By JB The following article from the Duke University Law Review explains how and why our Pennsylvania Supreme Court is more powerful than most other states’ supreme courts. The cases and the way our Supreme Court has interpreted its powers are explained through the Court’s interpretation of…
Read MoreFrequently Asked Questions about PA’s sex offense registry
Untouchable Screening
Facebook PARSOL is hosting a free screening of #UNTOUCHABLE on 9/10 @ 7PM – 9/12 @ 7PM and learn a side of the response to sexual harms you never knew. Discussion event will follow on 9/12 @ 7PM. RSVPhere: https://secure.parsol.org/untouchable-screening/
Read MoreA History of PA’s Registry, Part II
A History of PA’s Megan’s Law and the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). Part 2 By Randall – July 29, 2021 As we saw in Part I, litigation challenging Pennsylvania’s Megan’s Law began shortly after it’s enactment in April 1996 and reached the Supreme Court of PA (SCOPA) in 1999. Megan’s Law II Following the SCOPA Williams decision…
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