CA: Vigilantism Against Reentering Registrants
A recent shooting in Fresno highlights how dangerous vigilantism can become for people recently released and trying to reenter their communities. According to reporting, Jennifer Cedano — dressed in tactical gear — allegedly shot at her nephew and wounded a 64-year-old bystander; prosecutors say she believed her nephew had inappropriately touched her daughter. Prosecutors also told the court that Cedano “felt like they all must have been pedophiles, so she was justified in shooting him”. Instead of attempted murder, she has been booked on assault and residential burglary charges while pleading not guilty. These facts highlight the risk to people who are attempting to rebuild their lives after conviction whose addresses are publicly listed, making them targets of violent, extrajudicial punishment.
Transitional housing, reentry programs, and other supports exist precisely because reentering people are vulnerable. When they are labeled on registries, letting the public and vigilantes know where they can be found, the inevitable result is harm, escalation of violence, and further marginalization.
FAC urges policymakers to end public registries that dehumanizes entire groups of people and places targets on their backs.
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My immediate concern is how a person clearly thought out this attack in a premeditated manner. Actually, dressed for success and went through with the plan taking a shot attempting to end his life and the perp gets booked for assault and residential burglary charges. That is premeditated attempted murder in my state. Let me guess…she shot at him in good faith!
the problem you have is that vigilanteism is exactly what the politicians want and are catering to .. it’s not an accident of the system.. it’s the intention
Yep have had bullet holes through the windows and been vandalized a few times in the past. Took a public bashing from a drunk guy one time. Deputies don’t do shit other then tell you that you can move. Great post to read… Think of how I’m gonna feel going public soon. This Charlie Kirk has me a little worried. You just never see it coming. Yeah, were gonna get Smith v Doe overturned one day or at least removed publicly for most.
Cancel culture is just the sex offender registry with better Wi-Fi. Don’t kid yourself. When people dogpile Charlie Kirk or whoever their latest hate-target is, it isn’t about “justice” — it’s about bloodsport. The registry slaps your mugshot on a state website; cancel mobs slap your face on Twitter, Reddit, TikTok, and laugh while your life burns down. Same energy. Different platform.
The hypocrisy is insane. The same crowd that screams about “abolishing prisons” turns around and builds digital ones. They don’t want reform — they want a scarlet letter branded on your forehead forever. A registry of wrongthink. You’re not a person anymore, you’re a warning label: “Do not touch. Contaminated.”
And the worst part? People celebrate it. They actually enjoy seeing someone exiled from society. They’ll post memes, GIFs, “ratio L bozo” comments — it’s entertainment to them. They get dopamine hits from another person’s ruin. That’s not accountability, that’s a public execution without the messy clean-up.
At least the government registry admits it’s punishment. Cancel culture pretends it’s “speaking truth to power” — but the outcome is the same: a permanent blacklist, a life ruined, an endless scarlet letter. Whether it’s the sheriff’s office or some TikTok mob, the message is clear: step out of line, and we’ll mark you, brand you, and laugh while you beg for scraps.
Cancel culture doesn’t want justice. It wants trophies. And you? You’re just the latest head on a pike.
Well said #100
Did Lauren Book move to MI? Aren’t Michigan supposed to be free legislating the registry to fix all the unconstitutional problems they already have by Court order? How’s that going?