MS- Supes want AG opinion on sex offender laws

4-21-2009 Mississippi:

DESOTO COUNTY — DeSoto County officials will seek a State Attorney General’s opinion as to whether they can expand the arc of protection that buffers schools and daycare centers from convicted sexual predators.

County Attorney Tony Nowak said in his opinion, the board does have the ability to adopt its own sexual offender laws separate and distinct from the State of Mississippi.

District 4 Supervisor Allen Latimer, a high school history teacher, wants to expand that arc of protection for schools and other places where children congregate from 1,500 feet to 2,500 feet. The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to seek the Attorney General’s opinion.

“It’s one more added little bit of protection,” Latimer said. “That extra thousand feet could give added protection.”

Other supervisors were concerned about opening up the county to lawsuits if DeSoto County’s laws differed from state or national laws.

(eAdvocate Post)

“If we change that we open up the floodgates,” District 2 Supervisor Gene Thach said. “If we issue something else, we would have to be ready for lawsuits.”

Nowak said requiring signs in the yard or global positioning tracking systems might be challenged in court.

“A number of judges in the country have tried that and it’s either on appeal or tied up in the courts,” Nowak said.

Under state law, convicted sex offenders must register with the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Department every 90 days.”

District 1 Supervisor Jessie Medlin said he was concerned about the fact that sex offenders move around so easily within the county and might change addresses.

“These dudes mobilize so easily,” Medlin said. “The dude that commits these crimes is going to be one that doesn’t register.”

Latimer said that’s precisely why the county needs to take a hard stand against allowing predators too close to children.

“You’re sending a signal to the county that regards this as a serious matter.”

Also Monday, Chancery Court Clerk W.E. “Sluggo” Davis informed supervisors that he turned over at least $60,000 more in court fees and other funds to the county general fund than were turned in last year.

In a related matter, DeSoto County Administrator Michael Garriga said the county had at least $22 million cash on hand to operate county departments for the rest of the fiscal year. The county is up in cash reserves over last year.

Garriga said tax collections have been “more prosperous” than this time last year, despite the recession.

County officials voted to spent $3 million to retire existing bond debt.

DeSoto County has between $12 million and $16 million that can be issued for capital projects without necessitating a tax increase.

Supervisors also voted to waive stormwater permit fees for the City of Southaven on a sewer project north of Pleasant Hill Road along Hurricane Creek and waive permit fees for DeSoto County School District officials for a stormwater project at the new Lewisburg Primary School. ..News Source.. by ROBERT LEE LONG, Community Editor