A federal court rejected an injunction against the Cypress Registered Sex Offender Ordinance on Monday, April 8.
The court action gives the council direction to begin its immediate enforcement.
The ordinance adds additional city restricts to California’s Proposition 83, known to the public as Jessica’s Law, which voters approved in 2006.
A federal court rejected an injunction against the Cypress Registered Sex Offender Ordinance on Monday, April 8.
The court action gives the council direction to begin its immediate enforcement.
The ordinance adds additional city restricts to California’s Proposition 83, known to the public as Jessica’s Law, which voters approved in 2006.
The restrictions eliminate any potential land-use conflicts in residential areas where registered sex offenders live close to neighborhoods with children, or places where children reside. The ordinance also restricts the number of offenders living together in multi-family dwellings, hotels, and motels.
The ordinance brought a lawsuit against the city.
“The council drew a line in the sand and said it would not reduce the restrictions,” Mayor Pro Tem Leroy Mills said. “The ordinance is the toughest in Orange County, and we are going to protect our young people.”
The nature of the ordinance is not punitive and was written to protect the residents, he said, and remains firm behind the effort to maintain safety for young people.
“Other cities have requested a copy of the ordinance and the judge’s ruling,” Mills said.
The ordinance says registered sex offenders are prohibited from living within 2000 feet of any school, park, or child care center.
Sex offenders cannot reside together unless they are related by blood, marriage, or adoption. Additionally, a registered sex offender may not rent in a multi-family dwelling as a permanent resident if another unit is already renter by an offender, and cannot be a temporary resident in a single or multi-family residence.
Property owners are also held accountable in the ordinance, and cannot knowingly rent a single or multi-family residence or hotel room to more than one sex offender unless they are related by blood marriage or adoption.
Exceptions to the rule include a sex offender’s lawful tenancy that pre-dates the ordinance, and began prior to the construction of a child care center, school, or park.
There is a 500-feet restriction from parks, schools, and child care centers unless the person is a mother, father or guardian with a child using the facility. The sex offender is only allowed to drop off and pick up the child, and cannot loiter in the area.
Sex offenders cannot occupy a hotel room if another registered offender is already staying at the location.
The next Cypress City Council meeting is Monday, May 13.
