November 13, 2015

House OKs bill calling for public sex offender hearings

Logic is gone from VA Lawmakers. This is a great definition for a STUPID law!
(2-4-15 Original) 11-13-15 Virginia:

The House of Delegates passed a bill Tuesday (2-3-15) requiring a public hearing before a sex offender can obtain permission to be on school grounds.

Such petitions currently involve the sex offender, a judge, a commonwealth's attorney and school officials. They typically deal with an offender's request to attend school functions - such as plays and sports - for his or her children and to be allowed to drop them off at and pick them up from school.

The process works, said Mary Devoy, who rallied against the changes outlined in . It would require the petitioner to advertise the hearing in a newspaper. It would also make it open to the public, with anyone in attendance permitted to voice an opinion.

The goal is to inform the community and garner additional input, said the bill's sponsor, Del. Jeff Campbell, R-Smyth, at a hearing on the bill Jan. 19.

Devoy, an advocate for changing the state's sex offender registry, countered that it would make a "public spectacle" of offenders simply seeking to be involved in their children's education.

The bill will now cross over to the Senate for consideration. ..Source..2-4-15.. by Kathy Hieatt

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