Tag: West Virginia

WV: West Virginia Man Charged with Federal Civil Rights Offenses for Sexual Assault of Two Victims

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Source: justice.gov 9/22/22 A former parole officer with the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation was arrested today after being charged in federal court with civil rights violations, obstruction of justice and making false statements to federal investigators. Anthony _____, 44, was charged in a seven-count indictment unsealed today, with five counts of acting under color of law to deprive individuals of their civil rights, one count of obstruction of justice and one count of false statements to federal investigators. The indictment alleges that, while _____ was acting in…

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WV: Chambers sentenced to nearly a millennium for child rape

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Source: register-herald.com 11/17/21 A Ghent man has been sentenced to 855 years in prison on charges related to the sexual assault of his wife’s granddaughter, Raleigh County Circuit Court Judge H.L. Kirkpatrick ruled Wednesday. Richard Chambers, 56, was convicted in August on six counts of first-degree sexual assault, six counts of incest, six counts of first-degree sexual abuse and seven counts of sexual abuse by a parent, guardian, custodian or person in position of trust. Read the full article  

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WV: West Virginia’s Fake News Regarding Sex Offenders

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[blog.womenagainstregistry.org – 5/24/18] I thought it started out as a good news article from The Exponent Telegram in West Virginia. A judge was reading sex offender rules to a defendant at a sentencing hearing. The author of the article correctly noted that defendants at a sentencing hearing are focused on “sentencing” and probably not absorbing much of the information the judge is providing them regarding the requirements surrounding life on the registry. I had to agree that newcomers to the registry should be informed of what is expected of them,…

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WV: Tweaks to enforcement should be considered for complex sex registry law

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[wvnews.com 5/19/18] During a recent sentencing hearing, Harrison Circuit Judge Thomas A. Bedell read sex offender registry rules to a defendant. Bedell was reading at a steady pace, and it still took 14 minutes. The Legislature requires that judges read the rules to defendants after they’re convicted, ostensibly to avert the possibility later of offenders saying they never were informed of the requirements. advertisement A judge reading the document aloud in court creates an official record. And it also takes away the possible illiteracy defense from an offender. But what…

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WV: State Supreme Court Rules Probation Internet Restrictions Violate First Amendment

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[UPDATED LINKS 3/20/18] [floridaactioncommittee.org] The West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals has ruled that completely restricting a person’s access to the internet as a condition of their parole from prison is a violation of the First Amendment. “Like the statute in Packingham, Mr. Ross’s condition of parole ‘bars access to…sources for knowing current events, checking ads for employment, speaking and listening in the modern public square, and otherwise exploring the vast realms of human thought and knowledge,’” the decision states. Read more RELATED LINKS: Supreme Court says restricting internet access…

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WV: Cuts at Supreme Court might look good at first, but will harm people

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[wvgazettemail.com]   In a written response to questions about remodeling West Virginia Supreme Court justices’ offices — in a clear effort to change the subject and distract from the issue-at-hand — Justice Margaret Workman noted that, in the last year, the court has “already saved almost $8 million so far this year.” Justice Menis Ketchum wrote it was $7 million. They attempted a kind of bait-and-switch to change the topic. OK, I’ll take the bait. Let’s look more deeply into this attempted distraction, the way that the majority of the…

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