CURRAN CALLS FOR EXTENSION OF SEX OFFENDER REGISTRY

Another foolish lawmaker that needs to be recalled. His proposal does nothing to protect anyone, and he does so only to foster his position with the public.

11-18-15 New York:

Assemblyman says Level One offenders will be taken off the list

Assemblyman Brian Curran (Lynbrook-21st AD) today called for the extension of the statewide sex offender registry that requires registration for Level One sex offenders who registered in 1996. Curran said these individuals were the first offenders to register with the system and were required to register on the statewide registry for a 10-year period at that time. This was extended in 2006 for an additional 10 years, for a total of 20 years, which ends in January of next year. Curran noted that a new roster of Level One sex offenders entered into the registry today would be required to register for a 20-year period, ending in 2035.

“While the registry itself is not expiring, the requirement for offenders who have been registered since 1996 for the 20-year period is. Therefore, those Level One offenders will be taken off the list next year because the law suggests they have done their time,” said Curran, a father of four. “I am calling on the legislature to enact another 10-year extension (for a total of 30 years) of this requirement; this should have been done before the end of last session. The safety of our communities is imperative for our children and families. As a parent, I would like to know who is moving into my community or who will be my neighbors upon settling in an area. It’s an unfortunate stigma to be classified as a sex offender, but it is better for everyone in the communities in which we live.”

Curran said he is signing on to be a sponsor of Assembly Bill 908, which requires the registration of sex offenders for the duration of their life, regardless of risk classification, as well as Assembly Bill 8503, which requires certain Level One sex offenders to register for life, allowing them to petition for release of the registry after 30 years of registration. ..Source.. by Press Release

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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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Dog walk by sex offender leads to arrest, court date

10-28-15 Missouri:

Registered sex offender from Clarksville says he was “walking his girlfriend’s dog”

Dennis Lee Pettey, 44, of the 700 block of S. 3rd Street in Clarksville, is back in court after he allegedly violated state law regarding a sex offender being within 500 feet of a park. Pettey, was arrested by Pike County Sheriff Deputy Josh Langley on March 26, 2015.

According to the probable cause statement filed with the Pike County Circuit Clerk’s office, authorities were contacted after another Clarksville-area resident had called the county after spotting a man matching the physical description of Pettey near the playground area of the City Park of Clarksville walking a dog.

After being taken into custody by law enforcement, Pettey said that he had “been walking his girlfriends dog around the park for a couple of days.”

As of Oct. 5, 2015, Pettey was released on bond. His bond had previously been $5,000 with 10 percent cash or surety. ..Source.. by Bowling Green Times

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‘Homeless’ sex offender sentenced for failing to tell police he lives under Augusta bridge

Is it legal to criminalize "where one sleeps" kitchen, living room, bedroom, this bridge vs that bridge when one is homeless?

10-13-15 Maine:

Addam Sheets, formerly of Camden, was required to notify local police within 24 hours of changing his residence.

AUGUSTA — A former Camden man who moved out of his Augusta residence and began living under a bridge in the city pleaded guilty Tuesday to failing to comply with his duty under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.

Under the provisions of that act, Addam L. Sheets, 27, was required to notify local police within 24 hours of changing his residence. The offense occurred April 14.

On Tuesday at the Capital Judicial Center, Sheets was sentenced to a two-year fully suspended jail term and placed on probation for two years. He also was ordered to serve five months behind bars for violating probation by committing the new offense.

Sheets was on probation after being convicted in December 2013 in superior court in Knox County of sexual abuse of a minor. He also was convicted in October 2014 in Rockland of a previous count of failing to comply with the sex offender act. He was sentenced to 90 days for the latter offense.

Information on the state’s sex offender registry indicates Sheets is a lifetime registrant.

His new probation will begin once the older one expires, Justice Michaela Murphy told him.

Brad Grant, the defense attorney representing Sheets at the hearing, said not much time remains on the earlier probation.

Sheets had been indicted on the new offense in September.

Sheets listed his address as “homeless” on court papers he signed Tuesday. ..Source.. by Betty Adams

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These Two Teenagers Were Charged with Sex Crimes. Check-Out the Ridiculous Reason WHY

9-26-15 North Carolina:

Our legal system is a mess. Without a shred of logical congruency, America’s legal system is a wacky quagmire of differing penalties and contradictory laws.

The same country where all fifty states recognize driver’s licenses from the other states in the union is patched-together with a hodgepodge of different laws concerning the recognition of another state’s concealed carry permit.

The Southern states are disallowed from enforcing border security as it is considered an issue under the jurisdiction of the federal government. Still, the federal government refuses to enforce the laws of the nation.

The First Amendment provides for the freedom of religion. But try practicing your Christian faith, and see what happens…

Some laws are good in nature, but are being poorly implemented. While we can all agree that perverts and predatory deviants are unwelcome in society, today’s laws concerning sexual offenses can make little to no sense.

What is a “sex offender”? Certainly, for instance, a man who forces himself upon a woman is a sex offender. But what of an 18 year-old who has sex with his 17 year-old girlfriend? While many states allow for such a relationship, some do not. What is allowable in one state may brand a man for life as a sexual criminal in another and rob that man of any potential for gainful employment for the rest of his life.

Take, for example, the recent case of Cormega Copening, 17, and Brianna Denson, 16, two teenagers in a relationship. When they were both 16, they “sexted”- sent nude photos of themselves to each other on their phones.

Okay- it’s not the most-wholesome thing to do. However, now these kids are engulfed in a legal nightmare as they have both been charged with child pornography charges. They were charged as adults in February for sending “sexually explicit” photos of minors to each other’s cell phone.

However, these were not “children”; they were photos of themselves.

The duo faced felony convictions under the law in their state of North Carolina. If convicted, the two would not only face jail time, but also a lifetime of employers and neighbors discovering that they were peddlers of kiddie porn. That’s also assuming that neither of them got “shanked” in prison for being a sex offender.

In reality, their “crime” did not warrant being lumped-in with deviants.

The two were able to secure a plea bargain to escape jail time and the dreaded scarlet letter that is the sex offender registry. They pled it down to a misdemeanor offense and a year of probation.

Thankfully, this worked out (this time). Many will note that this was a fluke and not representative of the law that threatened them.

It’s true; this does not happen a lot. However, the fact that this can and has happened demands that we, as a society, examine what it means to be a sexual predator.

Some areas are clear. A man having sex with an 8-year-old is repugnant and an abhorrent scumbag by virtually everyone’s estimation. But because of this justifiable societal hatred, we must be careful who we label as this pervert’s equal.

Did Copening and Denson commit a crime? Technically, yes. If they had not found the legal escape hatch that they did, they would be labeled as a sex offender, an umbrella term that also harbors the aforementioned hypothetical pervert.

Is this right?

Like so many good ideas, the laws concerning sex crimes have become convoluted in a black-and-white paradigm that allows for no “gray area.”

That Copening and Denson escaped the legal system with only a misdemeanor charge does not mean the system worked; it means the system nearly crushed two innocent people with a lifetime of hell and, thankfully, they managed to escape Lady Justice’s swift and terrible vengeance.

No, we should not be loosening the laws to allow the perverts to roam free; we should, however, examine our classification system so that we may separate those who are truly disgusting animals from those who made a mistake. ..Source.. by Greg Campbell

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Registered sex offender arrested in Starks

This law is insane, he was visiting a home not related to the school, no action on his part towards the school. Lawmakers in Louisiana are completely nuts!

11-20-2014 Louisiana:

STARKS, LA (KPLC) - Authorities said a 28-year-old Starks man, a registered sex offender, has been arrested after he came within 1,000 feet of a school. Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Kim Myers said John David Savoy was arrested Wednesday on two counts of unlawful presence of a sex offender.

"On Nov. 17, the Sheriff's Office met with officials from Starks High in reference Savoy visiting a home in close proximity to the school," Myers said. "After checking his registration requirements, it was learned Savoy cannot be within 1,000 feet of any school, playground, ballpark or daycare center."

Myers said the home is less than 1,000 feet from the school and Savoy had been seen at the home multiple times.

Savoy was convicted of forcible rape in 2012 and was sentenced to 20 years in prison with all but two years suspended. He is required to register as a sex offender for life. Bond was set at $500,000. ..Source.. by Michael Cooper

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Sex Offender Returns To Court

If "yelling uncouth comments" is a aggravated assault, why aren't other folks arrested for doing the same? This is just unbelievable nonsense!

8-29-2014 Illinois:

A registered sex offender appears in Sangamon County today to answer to new charges.

__ pleaded not guilty to being in an area designated for children. Springfield Police say __ was in the petting zoo at the State Fair, which is the same as being in a school zone for sex offenders.

Fink also pleaded not guilty to aggravated assault. He is accused of yelling sexually explicit and lewd comments at people outside the fairgrounds. ..Source.. by WICS.com

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Manton man charged with sex offender reporting violation

Now it is a crime if a registrant "THINKS" about doing something that would violate laws? How in the name of heavens did they know what he as thinking? Given the weather he could say, he didn't INTEND to reside if he did so reside and was caught.

2-5-2014 Michigan:

CADILLAC — A Manton man has been charged in Wexford County with failing to comply with the sex offender registration act.

He has been arraigned in 84th District Court in Wexford County for allegedly failing to comply by not reporting an INTENT to reside at a residence other than his own for more than seven days, according to court records.

Given a habitual offender, second notice, if convicted, he could face a maximum of 10 1/2 years in prison and/or a fine of up to $7,500. ..Source.. by Jeff Broddle

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Registered offender fails to report bridge address

This is insane, just insane! All this to know where he sleeps for a few hours of the day/night.

9-29-2010 New York:

FORT EDWARD, N.Y. (AP) - A New York man who served a year behind bars for attempted sexual abuse 14 years ago is heading back to prison for failing to report his new address under a bridge.

Police say John Printy, a registered sex offender, started living under a bridge after he was forced to move from his Hudson Falls home because it was too close to a school. He didn't register his new address with police or state officials as required by law.

The 41-year-old Printy pleaded guilty in Washington County Court to a felony count of failing to register as a sex offender in connection with his Aug. 16 arrest. He faces one to three years in prison as part of the plea deal. ..Source.. by NBC12.com

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Sex offender admits email violation

In this case we see a complete miscarriage of justice, the sentence. Whether the sentence is for "failure to register the e-mail" or "for the probation violation," the length is excessive. Hopefully the lawyer will appeal the sentence, even if the sentence is the remaining sentence from the original charge. Then the issue would be what triggered the probation violation, which is nothing more than a technical violation not warranting return to prison.

Note to Commenter: When we comment it is based on what can be seen in the article, if the journalist fails to include facts, obviously we cannot construe them

9-28-2010 New York:

A convicted sex offender who created an email account without advising law enforcement officials, as required by law, was sentenced to state prison today for up to three years.

Dutchess County Court Judge Gerald V. Hayes imposed a one-to-three-year sentence on David Lawson, 56, of Mill Street, City of Poughkeepsie

Lawson acknowledged he created the email account between May 1 and 13 without notifying the proper authorities. He also admitted he had violated the terms of a probationary sentence Hayes had imposed in 2005 after Lawson admitted he had child pornography in his possession. ..Source.. by Poughkeepsie Journal

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Newberry's sex offender bill moving forward

A similar GPS bill in Massachusetts -also applied retroactively as Newberry's bill is- was declared unconstitutional because it was considered punitive and violated the ex post facto clauses. See Commonwealth -v- Cory and the news item following it.

Here we have a lawmaker who is not dealing with reality. First, every GPS vendor will tell you that, GPS DOES NOT PREVENT CRIME! Gps merely keeps track of where the wearer goes, and either -real time- or -at the end of the day- tells the state where the wearer has gone.

Secondly he says, 80% are employed, however that doesn't mean they can afford -what amounts to- another rent for the month, most registrants are barely paying their bills. If the state wants it, the state is going to pay its that simple. Face reality, and what about the 20% (his figure) that already we know cannot pay? (6,300 X 20% = $302,400 a month -OR- $3.6 million a year) Where will that come from?

Finally, with the above known what are the benefits of having them wear GPS units, the lawmaker is silent on this point. Folks, its time to face reality, lawmakers are not dealing straight up on many of these sex offender issues, they seem to have some other personal agenda, public safety is a pretext for it. Where have analytical skills gone? Folks need to contact him and ask for some fiscal responsibility here.

UPDATE:
Apparently Rep. Richard Morrissette is opposed to this bill. What folks need to do is to e-mail him with a few SHORT paragraphs as to why this is absurd (see a few reasons above). His e-mail address and phone numbers are found in the link to his office above. This is an ACTION ALERT issue!

2-19-2010 Oklahoma:

A proposal by state Sen. Dan Newberry (R-Tulsa) to track all level 2 and 3 sex offenders is making progress.

The bill, first reported in the Jenks Journal, would require all level 2 and 3 sex offenders to wear a monitoring bracelet with a GPS tracker.

Newberry, speaking at the monthly Eggs over Issues meeting in Jenks, said the measure has been tweaked to require that all level 2 sex offenders wear the bracelet for 10 years and level 3 offenders for 15 years. If the offender follows the parameters of their probation, the bracelet will be removed after 10 years.

Newberry said there are approximately 6,300 level 2 and 3 sex offenders currently living in Oklahoma.

In the face of a tough budget, many in attendance at the meeting questioned the financing of the bracelets.

Newberry said the sex offender would be required to pay for the tracker at a cost of $6 to $8 a day. He said studies have shown 80 percent of sex offenders in the state are employed. ..Source.. Josh Driskell, News Editor

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VA- Sex offender to serve five years for living in hole near school

8-25-2009 Virginia:

A convicted sex offender who fled to Georgia and lived in a hole dug near an elementary school has been sentenced to serve five years in prison.

____, 53, was convicted in 1996 of attempted rape, forcible sodomy and taking indecent liberties with a child, according to the Virginia Sex Offender Registry. He fled to Georgia after his release from prison.

Prosecutor Wendy Alexander argued Monday in Circuit Court that he deserved to be jailed again. Authorities in Georgia had found him in 2006 with pornography. Even worse, she said, he was living in a large hole covered with a blanket and leaves, less than 100 yards from his grandkids’ elementary school.

____ was extradited and sentenced to six months in the Virginia Beach city jail. At the time, prosecutors didn’t know he had been caught so close to a school, or that he had pornography, Alexander said. When they learned those details, she said, they charged him with violating specific terms of his probation.

____ finished his six-month sentence but remained in jail on the new charge. He posted bond in 2007 and fled to Arizona, where authorities finally found him in March, Alexander said. He was homeless, and police arrested him after he gave a false name, she said.

____ still faces additional jail time. He is set for a Sept. 9 hearing on a charge of failing to register as a sex offender. ..Source.. by Shawn Day

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