[Harrisburg, PA] The Pennsylvania Association for Rational Sexual Offense Laws (PARSOL) believes all sexual abuse is unacceptable and that prevention, treatment, and healing are possible. We take a person-first approach to criminal justice reform that cultivates a fair and just society, honors an individual’s inherent dignity, and promotes respect and fairness. As such, we are compelled to weigh in on…
Read MoreCategory: Legal/Court
A History of PA’s Registry, Part III
Those who wish to understand how Pennsylvania’s Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA, Or Megan’s Law) operates today may be dismayed to learn that there are two sets of laws dictating the “who, what, when, where, and hows” of the registry. Misinformation from law enforcement around this confusing scheme is common. Because persons forced to register (PFRs) can be…
Read MoreJudge’s Opinion Cites ‘Sex Offender’ Myths & Out-of-Context Facts
SHAME! SHAME! Judge David Porter for the U.S. 3rd Circuit Court has recently published an opinion on Lacey Stradford; et al (appellees). v. Secretary of Pennsylvania Department of Corrections. The Appellees challenged the Dept. of Corrections (DOC) policy on how they determine which parolees can be released to a halfway house based on that it violates the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection…
Read MorePARSOL Praises New Ruling that Housing Communities Cannot Ban PFRs
STROUDSBURG, Pa. – PARSOL is praising a ruling by the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court that states that a private housing development or homeowners association cannot ban persons forced to register as a ‘sex offender’ under the state’s SORNA / Megan’s Law from living within their community. Ruling in a Monroe County case, the state Commonwealth Court said a 2016 restrictive covenant…
Read MoreNeck declared an ‘Intimate Body Part’ in Latest SCOPA Ruling
WHAT? The neck’s an intimate part of the body? Since when? Since 9/29/22 by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania in a 5 to 2 ruling on Commonwealth v. Carl Gamby, 62 MAP 2021. They considered “whether the unwanted kissing of a person’s neck constitutes the touching of ‘sexual or other intimate parts’ for purposes of the crime of indecent assault,”…
Read MoreAttorneys Challenge Chester County Decision; What Happens Now?
The Pennsylvania Association for Rational Sexual Offense Laws (PARSOL) has learned that attorneys for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania filed a notice of appeal to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania (SCOPA) in the case Commonwealth v. Torsilieri. The appeal docket number is 97 MAP 2022. But didn’t SCOPA already send this for review? That’s correct. In June 2020, SCOPA remanded the…
Read MoreSpecial Report: Recidivism Low For People With Sex Offenses
Supporters of the Pennsylvania Megan’s Law List inaccurately state that people with sexual offenses have a higher rate of reoffending. Candidates for Public Office often use this statement to incite moral panic and increase their popularity amongst voters.
Read MorePARSOL Case Analysis: Commonwealth v. George Torsilieri
Read the Case Analysis by PARSOL’s Legal Committee around the potentially game-changing ruling from Chester County, PA declaring SORNA Unconstitutional.
Read MoreListen Now: Special Registry Matters Following Stunning ChesCo Decision
Listen to PARSOL’s executive director on the Registry Matters Podcast about the recent Chester County ruling declaring SORNA Unconstitutional.
Read More10 Important and Surprising Facts about Pennsylvania’s Megan’s Law
Pennsylvania Megan’s Law can be confusing. Check out our Top 10 Facts about SORNA in PA.
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