FL - Senate panel votes to create absconder "strike force"

Original Article

This is just another politician trying to make a name for himself by exploiting registrants and fear. You have probation, parole and police officers who need to do their jobs, enforce the laws. You don't need another law to create yet another "strike force" to go after those who are not obeying the draconian and unconstitutional laws!

04/07/2014

By Bill Cotterell

A Senate committee swiftly and unanimously approved legislation Monday to create a statewide "strike force" to hunt down sex offenders who don't register with police and submit to required supervision.

Sen. Aaron Bean, R-Jacksonville, said there are 746 registered sex offenders who have absconded from parole supervision or other law enforcement oversight.
- Woah, when did Mr. Bean start making laws?

"We just don't know where they are -- or, more importantly, where they are going to strike next," he told the Senate Criminal Justice Committee. The panel voted unanimously for his bill (SB 1416, PDF) that sets up the task force.
- Oh come on... Sex offenders have the lowest recidivism rate of all other ex-felons, but that doesn't stop politicians from fear-mongering now does it?

Attorney General Pam Bondi would chair the team, with Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Gerald Bailey serving as vice-chairman. The heads of the Departments of Children and Families, Parole Commission and Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles would also serve on the task force.
- So what does Highway Safety and motor vehicles have to do with this?

Bondi would appoint two sheriffs, two police chiefs and one state attorney to the panel, formally known as the Sexual Predator and Sexual Offender Absconder Strike Force. It would have a $101,000 appropriation to start its four-year work.

The task force would coordinate efforts of city, county and state law enforcement agencies to locate absconding sex offenders, who are required to register with local police when they get out of prison. The state would work up lists of known absconders and maintain them with all police agencies.
- You already list absconders on the online sex offender hit-list, so why do you need another list?

Bean's bill now goes to the Senate Criminal and Civil Justice Appropriations Subcommittee, then to the full Appropriations Committee. A companion House measure (HB 1105) by Rep. Janet Adkins, R-Fernandina Beach, is has cleared two committees and is pending in the House Judiciary Committee.

GA - The "sex offender" money making scheme continues to grow!

Original Article

03/29/2014

In 1994 the Jacob Wetterling Act established the first national sex offender registry law, and Indiana’s “Zachary’s Law” placed their state registry online.

In 1996 “Megan’s Law” was passed at the federal level, forcing states to maintain publicly accessible registries and allowing all levels of community notification.

In 1997 the U.S. Supreme Court upheld civil commitment in Kansas v. Hendricks, and a year later, Delaware passed the first law requiring registrants to carry a special ID card
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In 2005 strict mandatory minimum laws were created with the Jessica Lunsford Act followed by the Adam Walsh Act in 2006. (1)

These laws are the result of horrific acts of violence often resulting in murder and with actual or assumed sexual motivation against youth. They were driven in equal parts by grieving parents wanting justice, politicians who, for reasons both altruistic and self-serving, were willing to take up the cause, and a media fired by the sensationalism inherent in the issue.

The cases that drove the laws are rare anomalies; with instant telecommunications and every story being repeated beyond counting, the impression is easily given and received that these heinous incidents happen every day. They don’t. They represent the tiniest fraction of all sexual offenses, but the transition is easily made in the public’s mind: sex offender = violent, predatory pedophile and potential murderer.

And an industry was born—a multi-million if not billion dollar industry—containing but not limited to these branches; the only order attempted is alphabetical.

Read the rest of the story

FL - David Jolly Showcases Support of Jessica's Law in New Video

David Jolly

Original Article

Like usual, someone is running for office so they bust out the heart-tugging issues about children. Mark is being played for someone else's personal gain, in our opinion, and he's a patsy.

02/11/2014

By KEVIN DERBY

David Jolly, the Republican running in the special election for an open congressional seat in Pinellas County, released a new video showcasing his work for “Jessica’s Law” and standing against child predators. Jolly takes on former state CFO Alex Sink, the Democratic candidate, and Libertarian Lucas Overby in the March 11 special election.

“Many years ago, while awaiting to board a flight at Washington’s Reagan National Airport to return home to Pinellas, I met a man by the name of Mark Lunsford. It was a moment that changed my life,” Jolly emailed supporters on Tuesday. “Most of us know the tragic story of Mark’s loss. His 9-year-old daughter Jessie lost her life at the hands of a child predator who lived in the neighborhood. I’ll never forget my first conversation with Mark. I approached him to express my condolences and to offer my encouragement for the good work he was doing to enact Jessica’s Law in states across the country and to fight for increased federal law enforcement resources through passage of the Adam Walsh Act. When I asked Mark what he was doing in Washington that week, he replied simply, ‘I’m up here lobbying for some appropriations.’ Mark was referring to his efforts to secure funding for the U.S. Marshals Service to go after absconders from the sex offender registry.”

“I wanted to help – so I offered to work with him and other surviving parents to convince leaders in Congress to provide the marshals the funding they needed,” Jolly added. “Two years later, as one team devoted to an incredibly important cause, we had succeeded in securing tens of millions of dollars for the marshals to help protect our communities and our children from child predators. Mark has become a dear friend. He has followed this campaign closely. He recently decided to weigh in and record this commercial about our work together.”

Jolly looked to deflect attacks from Sink and her allies against his work as a lobbyist. “Throughout this campaign, my opponent and some in the press have raised politically motivated questions about my work in Washington,” Jolly wrote. “They’ve raised questions of personal trust. They’ve challenged my character. Even more, I have been criticized for saying that I am proud of my work in Washington. I am proud of my work, and Mark is the main reason why. And I am even more proud of my friend Mark and the work he did in Washington -- and I am forever grateful that he let me bear witness to his commitment, his drive and his fight to help parents across the country.”

“I didn’t get into this race to seek the affirmation of my opponent or the press. I got into this race to seek the support and affirmation of people like Mark Lunsford. I am humbled by Mark’s support and I’ll let his words in this commercial serve as my response to those in this campaign who continue to criticize my work on behalf of this community,” Jolly continued. “I’ve put my heart and soul into this campaign. I know many of you have as well. It really comes down to this – a campaign like ours that is committed to serving our community and serving those who need help working with Washington, or a campaign started, funded, and run by the Washington establishment with the sole purpose of serving the interests of Washington.”

NY - Sex offender laws must be toughened

Phil Goldfeder

Original Article

Just another politician exploiting ex-offenders, fear, families and children to make a name for himself (See this video)? This is just a placebo to pacify people and lull them into a false sense of security. The city won't be any more safe. Not all ex-offenders harm children, and this is another blanket law that treats all ex-offenders as if they do. If a person is intent on committing a crime, this won't stop them, but the fact is, most sexual crimes occur in the victims own home and family, not at some park or school.

02/08/2014

In an effort to crack down on some of New York’s worst sex offenders, Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder (D-Rockaway Park) said he will introduce legislation that would restrict them from residing within 500 feet or less from any public park with a playground.

“As a parent of two young children, I understand how critical it is that we create stronger laws to keep sexual predators out of areas where our children congregate and play,” Goldfeder said. “I drafted this new legislation to ensure that sex offenders stay out of our public parks and away from our children.”

The bill would fine tune current laws by forbidding level two and three sex offenders – which, according to the state, means individuals at a medium or high risk of re-offense – from living within 500 feet of a public park that has playground. The legislation, Goldfeder said, would close the offender loophole that currently exists and ensure that all parks where children commonly play remain off limits to those convicted of sex crimes.

Current state regulations restrict sex offenders from living within 1,000 feet of parks that are attached to school buildings, but no regulation exists for parks that are not aligned with schools.

The legislation comes on the heels of Rockaway parents being outraged last month upon learning two convicted sex offenders moved into the same building on Beach 116th Street – which is situated further than 1,000 feet from the nearest school but is within a few hundred feet of the beach and public parks.

“On behalf of Rockaway parents, I applaud Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder for his quick action and response to our genuine concerns about the safety and wellbeing of our children,” said Irene Dougherty, Parent Teacher Association co-president of the belle Harbor School.

Dorothy McCloskey, director of the Friends of Charles Park, too threw her support behind Goldfeder’s legislation.

“As an advocate for the rebuilding and development of Frank Charles Park, as well as a mother and grandmother living in the community, I believe it is not only important to make our parks beautiful, but also to make them safe and secure from adults who prey upon our defenseless children,” McCloskey said.

Goldfeder has sponsored sex offender legislation in the past, including a bill signed in 2012 that requires registered high-level sex offenders to keep their photos for the online offender registry up to date by having their photo taken every 90 days.

“I will fight to ensure our families and children live in a safe community and that parents have the peace of mind they deserve,” Goldfeder said.