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  • #241
Push to add self-defense curriculum to schools
Posted: Mar 23, 2010 4:44 PM EDT
Updated: Mar 23, 2010 4:56 PM EDT
<snipped>
A San Diego lawmaker is taking action after the murders of Chelsea King and Amber Dubois. She's pushing to have self-defense taught in public schools. State Senator Christine Kehoe is planning to introduce legislation to create self-defense programs starting in seventh grade.

Wilson has received a lot of positive feedback about her suggestion. "One woman called me and said it could be called 'Chelsea's Course', Wilson said.

FORM: You can make your voice heard by calling your local assemblymen and senators. Senator Kehoe has a form on her web site where you can show your support.
http://legplcms01.lc.ca.gov/PublicLCMS/SurveysDirect.aspx?district=SD39&survey=1206&

Video: Push to add self-defense curriculum to schools 2:33
http://www.cbs8.com/global/category...default&clipId=4644275&flvUri=&partnerclipid=

Article:
http://www.cbs8.com/Global/story.asp?S=12191159
 
  • #242
Sailors Remember Chelsea King During Park Cleanup
POSTED: 4:23 pm PDT March 23, 2010
UPDATED: 6:21 pm PDT March 23, 2010
<snipped>
What was supposed to be a park cleanup in honor of Chelsea King Tuesday turned out to be much more for dozens of local sailors.

There are reminders of Chelsea around the park near Lake Hodges, including ribbons found all along trails, but sailors who were out said their goal was to bring people back to the park.

About 50 sailors from the USS Makin Island gathered at Lake Hodges to pick up trash along the trails where the Poway teen once ran. Many said visiting the place where she was found was overwhelming. "I had to calm myself, but you know it could have been me, it could have been anybody I know. It could have been anybody close to home," said volunteer Della Smith.

Video: Sailors Remember Chelsea King During Park Cleanup 1:37
http://www.10news.com/video/22925125/index.html

Article:
http://www.10news.com/news/22924519/detail.html
 
  • #243
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuW4QZ2eHRU[/ame]
 
  • #244
ESCONDIDO: Filmmakers complete mini-documentary on "Finish Chelsea's Run"
Four-minute story posted on YouTube
March 23, 2010 9:36 pm
<snipped>
Sun & Moon Vision Productions completed a 4-minute documentary on the "Finish Chelsea's Run" event and posted it on YouTube earlier this week.

"It shows how the community came together and made something positive out of this tragedy," said Kathy Sangha, whose company most recently produced a series of documentaries on women around the world involved in peacemaking efforts. The mini-documentary was distilled from two hours of video Sun & Moon shot.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ue4QrtUeDr8[/ame]

Article:
http://www.nctimes.com/business/article_01f97095-8504-5402-924d-0d95c58a553d.html
 
  • #245
ESCONDIDO: Local leaders pledge to tighten control on sex offenders
Hundreds attend informational panel on predator laws
March 23, 2010 10:52 pm
<snipped>
About 500 people attended a forum Tuesday night in Escondido on how to tighten the state's sexual-predator laws. State legislators, city leaders, law enforcement officers and educators participated in the two-hour meeting at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido to discuss how to better protect the community against violent sexual predators and what measures are being taken to address gaps in the laws.

The informational panel was held in response to the recent slayings of local teens Amber Dubois and Chelsea King. John Albert Gardner III, a registered sex offender, was charged earlier this month with raping and murdering Chelsea and is a focus in the investigation of Amber's death.

Tuesday night's panel also included presentations from state Sen. Mark Wyland, R-Carlsbad, Escondido Mayor Lori Holt Pfeiler, Escondido police Chief Jim Maher, Escondido Union Elementary District Superintendent Jennifer Walters and Escondido Union High School District Superintendent Ed Nelson.

Amber's remains were found in Pala on March 6, more than a year after the 14-year-old disappeared while walking to Escondido High School. At Tuesday's forum, three Escondido high school students gave Fletcher a petition signed by about 2,000 students asking for better protection from sex predators. "Stricter regulation and monitoring of sexual offenders is urgently needed for the protection of our community," one of the students said reading from the petition. "Public officials must realize that those who need protection now are our future political, business and social leaders of our community. Protecting them is protecting San Diego's future."
*More at link!

Article:
http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/escondido/article_df55388a-cd88-5d0e-95c4-74c0295122e0.html
 
  • #246
Living with their loss
Slain teen&#8217;s parents try to cope, move forward
Tuesday, March 23, 2010 at 5:16 p.m.
<snipped>
The college acceptance letters keep coming, two this week. &#8220;Every time I get one I cry,&#8221; said Kelly King, whose daughter Chelsea, a senior at Poway High School, had applied to 11 schools and was awaiting word when she was killed. &#8220;They are tears of profound sorrow, but also tears of profound joy,&#8221; Kelly King said. &#8220;She spent basically her whole life working toward these moments. These are all the culmination of all that hard work and everything she wanted. I&#8217;m so proud of her.&#8221;

College acceptance letters from the University of Washington, Colorado, Denver, Emerson College, UC-Davis and others have been received. A couple of admission counselors later followed up with letters of condolences, Kelly King said. Brent King said Chelsea had planned on visiting every school she was accepted to before making a decision. &#8220;I told her: &#8216;Chels, every one of these schools will accept you if they really know who you are.&#8217; &#8221;

The Kings did not want to discuss aspects of the case against John Albert Gardner III, a convicted sex offender charged with murder and rape in connection to the case. Brent King did say from what they have been told &#8212; and they haven&#8217;t been told a great deal **&#8212; the case is &#8220;air tight&#8221; against Gardner, who was arrested on DNA evidence two days after Chelsea disappeared. He pleaded not guilty to felony charges March 3 in what could become a death-penalty case.

The Kings said family, friends, and &#8220;angels sent to us by Chelsea&#8221; have helped get them through everything. Who are the angels? &#8220;When they read the article they&#8217;ll know who they are,&#8221; Brent King said.

A week after Gardner&#8217;s arrest, Amber&#8217;s remains were found in a remote location north of the community of Pala. The Escondido High School freshman had been missing for more than a year. Authorities have not said how they were led to Amber, saying only that Gardner is a focus of the investigation. The Kings will attend Amber&#8217;s memorial service on Saturday at the high school. &#8220;We will participate as much as they ask us to,&#8221; Brent King said.
*Much more at link!

Article:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/mar/23/theres-no-preparation-turn-our-lives-took/
 
  • #247
Megan&#8217;s Law is focus of Escondido public forum
Wednesday, March 24, 2010 at 12:05 a.
<snipped>
About 300 people attended a community forum yesterday to learn the facts about Megan&#8217;s Law, which allows public access to information about registered sex offenders living in the community. The two-hour meeting, held at the California Center for the Arts, was sponsored by the city and the Escondido Chamber of Commerce and featured presentations from several local and state officials, including state Sen. Mark Wyland, R-Solana Beach, and Escondido Police Chief Jim Maher.

Megan&#8217;s Law is named after 7-year-old Megan Kanka of New Jersey, who was raped and murdered in 1994 by a convicted child molester who lived across the street from the girl&#8217;s family. The law allows public access to information about registered sex offenders. In 1996, Congress required all states to release information to the public about convicted sex offenders, usually through CD-ROMs and databases that could be accessed at police stations.

California expanded its version of Megan&#8217;s Law in 2004, allowing sex offenders&#8217; addresses and photos to be placed on a public Web site. However, there are some limits. Under state law, information about some sex offenders is not subject to disclosure and therefore is not included on the Web site.

Mike Woods of San Marcos, who is retired from the Los Angeles County Sheriff&#8217;s Department, said he attended last night&#8217;s meeting because he has an interest in the implementation of sex offender laws. He said he believed we have enough laws to address the problem, but parole and law enforcement officials are &#8220;handicapped&#8221; when it comes to enforcing them, without the proper resources, technology and support from government.
*More at link!

Article:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/mar/24/megans-law-is-focus-of-escondido-public-forum/
 
  • #248
Questions on Gardner case for state panel
Wednesday, March 24, 2010 at 12:05 a.m.
<snipped>
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger yesterday demanded answers to four questions about the state&#8217;s handling of convicted sex offender John Albert Gardner III, charged in the death of Poway teenager Chelsea King.

In a letter to his advisory Sex Offender Management Board, Schwarzenegger called on members to determine:
&#8226;Why was Gardner not labeled as a sexually violent predator or high-risk sexual offender before his release?
&#8226;Were his parole residency rules appropriate and properly enforced?
&#8226;Were parole violations handled according to state policies and law?
&#8226;What other steps should have been taken?

Schwarzenegger&#8217;s letter clarified his earlier directives to the sex offender board charged with investigating whether the state&#8217;s prison and parole systems failed Chelsea. The letter was released a day before two of the governor&#8217;s top prison chiefs are scheduled to testify before an Assembly committee investigating the history and reasoning behind state policy &#8212; since rescinded &#8212; to destroy field files kept by agents a year after discharging a parolee.
*More at link!

Article:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/mar/24/state-board-must-account-for-gardner-case-handling/
 
  • #249
How do we make Megan's Law really work?
Posted: Mar 23, 2010 10:07 PM EDT
Updated: Mar 24, 2010 11:44 AM EDT
<snipped>
Megan's Law may have been a start, but many parents are upset that it does not go far enough to protect kids from predators. A public forum in Escondido was underway Tuesday to talk about Megan's Law's problems and how to fix them.

A News 8 Investigation found the state's Megan's Law web site mapping out sex offenders' reported addresses to be a confusing sea of blue dots, showing hundreds of sex offenders with the same vague charge as Gardner's -- "committed a lewd act against a child" -- without explaining the circumstances or flagging the most violent offenders.

For that a courthouse records search is needed, but News 8's Jeff Zevely demonstrated that often yields no additional information. So what needs to be done? "The number one thing that would help protect our children in this county is if the police could direct their attention like a laser beam on the highest risk offenders and not spend their time working on the medium- and low-risk offenders. That would be more productive," former district attorney Paul Pfingst said.

Video: Critics and parents discuss ways to fix Megan's Law 2:16
http://www.cbs8.com/global/category...default&clipId=4646938&flvUri=&partnerclipid=

Video: How do we make Megan's Law really work? 2:24
http://www.cbs8.com/global/category...default&clipId=4645497&flvUri=&partnerclipid=

Article:
http://www.cbs8.com/Global/story.asp?S=12192992
 
  • #250
  • #251
Parents, lawmaker announce goals for Chelsea's Law
Posted: Mar 23, 2010 3:18 PM EDT
Updated: Mar 23, 2010 9:18 PM EDT
<snipped>
Brent and Kelly King said in an interview they will begin their effort in Sacramento by backing a state bill being called Chelsea's Law in honor of their daughter. The bill is expected to be introduced next month in the state Legislature.

The Kings also want to see changes in federal law. If that fails, they intend to work state-by-state for heightened electronic monitoring and other measures targeting sex offenders such as the one charged with the murder of their daughter.

The Kings said they were educating themselves about the legal system while staying focused on their priority of raising Tyler King, Chelsea's younger brother. "We're still in the very infancy of trying to even breathe in the morning," Brent King said. They have met for hours with Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher, a San Diego Republican who intends to introduce Chelsea's Law.

Fletcher appeared Tuesday with the Kings at a news conference and spoke only in broad outlines about the proposed legislation. He said it would include "an effective one-strike provision" to send predators to jail, changes to the parole system and closer monitoring of sex offenders. Fletcher said he was also considering the possibility of lifetime parole with GPS monitoring for sex offenders and having parole violators go before the Board of Parole instead of lower-level corrections officials.
*Much more at link!

Chelsea's Law
http://www.cbs8.com/Global/story.asp?S=12189895

Video: Chelsea's parents unveil law in her honor 2:36
http://www.cbs8.com/global/category...default&clipId=4645245&flvUri=&partnerclipid=

Video: Parents, lawmaker announce goals for Chelsea's Law 2:15
http://www.cbs8.com/global/category...default&clipId=4644128&flvUri=&partnerclipid=

Article:
http://www.cbs8.com/Global/story.asp?S=12190387
 
  • #252
Amid budget crisis, California makes parole easier
Posted: Mar 24, 2010 11:52 AM EDT
Updated: Mar 24, 2010 12:25 PM EDT
<snipped>
California's budget crisis and overcrowded prisons have led to a new reality for thousands of convicted felons: Parole is getting a lot easier - no more random drug tests, travel rules or requirements to check in with an officer.

Restrictions have been relaxed for nonviolent criminals like burglars, drug offenders and swindlers under a new law that aims to shrink the prison population by reducing the number of minor parole violations that send ex-cons back to prison.

About 24,000 nonviolent ex-cons are expected to qualify for less supervision. The number includes many people already on parole and those expected to be paroled over the next year.

Nonviolent offenders leaving prison will still be required to register their addresses with the prisons agency, but a state parole officer won't check up on them. Unannounced home visits and searches will be left to local law enforcement, if anyone at all.
*Much more at link!

Video: Amid budget crisis, California makes parole easier 0:30
http://www.cbs8.com/global/category...default&clipId=4647166&flvUri=&partnerclipid=

Article:
http://www.cbs8.com/Global/story.asp?S=12195826
 
  • #253
Kings Back Assemblyman's 'Chelsea's Law' Plan
POSTED: 12:00 pm PDT March 23, 2010
UPDATED: 7:05 pm PDT March 23, 2010
<snipped>
"If our laws were smarter and bolder, Chelsea might still be here," said her father, Brent King. "If there was greater accountability for enforcement of existing laws, Chelsea might still be here. "If our elected officials ... Republicans, Democrats, assemblymen and congressmen, judges and governors ... made decisions based on how that decision would affect their own daughter or their own son, there'd be swift and decisive reform for all of our children now," he said.

Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher, whose 75th District includes Rancho Bernardo and Poway, said a proposed new law designed to better protect children against sexual predators -- called Chelsea's Law -- will be introduced early next month.

Brent and Kelly King have established the Chelsea's Light Foundation, designed to support legislative, educational and other viable remedies to support sexual predators from harming children. The "Chelsea's Law Forum" will be held March 30 at Maranatha Chapel in Rancho Bernardo to offer the community a chance to learn about the existing sex offender laws and to give input into what can be done to better protect children, Fletcher said.

Raw Video: Assemblyman, King Family Speak On 'Chelsea's Law' 27:24
http://www.10news.com/video/22924919/

Video: King Family Calls For Sex Predator Law Changes 2:32
http://www.10news.com/video/22925787/

Article:
http://www.10news.com/news/22921656/detail.html
 
  • #254
Kings call for swift changes to sexual predator laws
Updated: Mar 24, 2010 at 10:16 AM PDT
<snipped>
The parents of slain Poway High senior Chelsea King called today for swift changes in the law to strengthen protections for children against violent sexual predators. The 17-year-old honors student disappeared Feb. 25 during a run in Rancho Bernardo Community Park. Her body was discovered five days later in a tributary of Lake Hodges. Convicted sex offender John Albert Gardner III is charged with her rape and murder.

Video: Kings call for swift changes to sexual predator laws 4:41
The parents of slain Poway High senior Chelsea King called today for swift changes in the law to strengthen protections for children against violent sexual predators.
http://www.kusi.com/home/88963657.html?video=YHI&t=a

Article:
http://www.kusi.com/home/88963657.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Video: Sailors honor Chelsea King at clean-up near Lake Hodges 3/24/10 9:25pm 2:21
Sailors from the U.S.S. Makin Island spent some of their morning on the trail in Rancho Bernardo where Chelsea King was murdered. They helped clean up the area and stopped for a moment of silent prayer in honor of the Poway teen.
http://www.kusi.com/home/88975512.html?video=YHI&t=a
 
  • #255
  • #256
  • #257
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1v9h6tk9Zg[/ame]
 
  • #258
Calif parole policy slammed after records dumped
Posted: 03/24/2010 12:12:53 PM PDT
Updated: 03/24/2010 01:44:34 PM PDT
<snipped>
California lawmakers on Wednesday criticized a corrections department policy of destroying parole agents' field notes a year after ex-convicts were released from supervision.

Scott Kernan, undersecretary of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, said key portions of Gardner's field file had been transferred to his central file, which is kept indefinitely.
He apologized repeatedly to lawmakers because other top corrections officials had told lawmakers and media, including The Associated Press, that no records on Gardner's parole remained. Several days passed before it was revealed that portions still existed.

Kernan said the department soon will begin a several-year process of scanning its voluminous paper records into an electronic database and will one day be able to keep all records on all inmates indefinitely. That wasn't enough to satisfy members of the committee.

Article:
http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_14749378
 
  • #259
Parole official defends destruction of files
Undersecretary says destroyed field notes had no bearing on Gardner case
March 24, 2010 at 12:26 p.m.
<snipped>
State prison authorities said Wednesday that destroying parole agent field notes on convicted sex offender John Albert Gardner III from a 2000 molestation case had no bearing on preventing the murder of Poway teenager Chelsea King.

Scott Kernan, an undersecretary with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, also told an Assembly committee that Gardner remained on parole -- rather than being sent back to prison on a 2007 violation -- based on the recommendation of the field agent supervising him. But a critic of state parole policy, former Assemblyman Todd Spitzer, later said Kernan&#8217;s testimony is not credible because he did not have the field files to know.

For example, Spitzer believes it was a supervisor -- and not the field agent -- who allowed Gardner to continue living close to a school in violation of his parole conditions, said Spitzer, now an Orange County prosecutor.

Kernan appeared before the committee for about an hour, defending the prison agency&#8217;s policy of destroying field files kept on parolees a year after being discharged. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has since rescinded that policy for sex offenders.
*More at link!

Recommendations
After taking testimony, the committee voted to ask the prison agency to:
*Establish an ongoing review of document-retention polices to determine appropriate periods before any records are destroyed.
*Explain when sex offender records will be computerized as part of a broader prison effort to digitize documents of prisoners and parolees.
*Explain how and why prison officials determined that they only need to keep notes from the field for one year after discharge before destroying some, but moving other records into a separate central file.
*Clarify whose records are covered under the new permanent retention policy for field files kept on sex offenders.

Article:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/mar/24/parole-official-defends-handling-gardner-case/
 
  • #260
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