Updated 11/26

By Sandy . . . Liberty and Justice Coalition, NARSOL’s affiliate organization in New Mexico, is blanketing the state by sending a “cease and desist” letter to the sheriffs’ offices in all 33 counties in New Mexico.

The letter is a legal document, written by LJC’s staff attorney Ashley Reymore-Cloud. It enumerates four ways in which many New Mexico sheriffs and their departments are engaging in practices of imposing requirements on registrants that are not codified in statute and therefore are unlawful.

It makes it very clear what the legal consequences will be if the unlawful practices are not discontinued.

Furthermore, Sheriff Manny Gonzales in Bernalillo County has been sent an additional one based on his department’s continued requirements of registrants in blatant disregard of what state law allows.

This action is yet another example of the promise NARSOL made to all law enforcement that we are watching them and monitoring that the practices used in their required management of persons required to register as sexual offenders are in keeping with the laws and do not exceed their authority.

In Georgia legal action is pending against the sheriff’s departments of two different counties, and a letter similar to this one has been sent to a third county in that state.

In mid-November we were notified that the West Virginia State Police were sending letters to all registrants informing them of a duty that they have no right to enforce. NARSOL was swift in its response to them and its insistence that the state must stay within the limits of the law in their management of those on the registry.

We expect that this is only the beginning. If you are aware of practices against registrants in your county that you suspect may be unauthorized in your state’s or county’s law, please contact communications@narsol.org.