Georgia's new tough sex offender law

I really didn't know where to put this but since it was an ajc article I thought to put it here.

http://www.ajc.com/news/content/news/stories/2006/09/19/0919judge.html

Also, there was another article about Gov.Perdue authorizing funds for GBI to extend the predator law. I need to search as this was early this am. But, proactive is the key word right now.

I don't believe any laws are directed at people pissing in a park but rather sexual predators and pornagraphers.
 
The problem is, a lot of the laws refer simply to the category of lawbreaking, and back before this stuff was taken seriously, everything that has anything to do with the 'naughty bits' was grouped into "sex offenses", which makes that public urinator a "sex offender". I don't know about this law in particular, but as you can see from the post above yours, there are lots of shades of gray that don't deserve at all the treatment that a child pornographer does.
 
Details said:
The problem is, a lot of the laws refer simply to the category of lawbreaking, and back before this stuff was taken seriously, everything that has anything to do with the 'naughty bits' was grouped into "sex offenses", which makes that public urinator a "sex offender". I don't know about this law in particular, but as you can see from the post above yours, there are lots of shades of gray that don't deserve at all the treatment that a child pornographer does.

You're right. This is exactly the problem. I assume that if they tried to go back and re-categorize everyone, there would be all kinds of legal headaches about how to decide who's on which list. People who took a plea deal might argue that they wouldn't have done so if they had known this would happen...and they'd have a valid point. The lawyers, as usual, would be the only ones to win.
 
angelmom said:
You're right. This is exactly the problem. I assume that if they tried to go back and re-categorize everyone, there would be all kinds of legal headaches about how to decide who's on which list. People who took a plea deal might argue that they wouldn't have done so if they had known this would happen...and they'd have a valid point. The lawyers, as usual, would be the only ones to win.
I think that could be worked with, since right now it's all sex offenders, and it'd be letting some of them off the hook, since they aren't the ones we're interested in.

What I think is the problem is that politicians are paralyzed with fear of being considered soft on sex offenders, so they just don't want to open up the topic - even though their cowardice on this matter leads to these minor, unoffensive sex offenders being treated the same as the pedophile down the block.
 
I think the intent is good, but this will never fly. It's virtually impossible to enforce, unless the guy is being totally in your face, like the one in the story.

Couldn't they use stalking laws to get him? Or loitering laws?
 
angelmom said:
I think the intent is good, but this will never fly. It's virtually impossible to enforce, unless the guy is being totally in your face, like the one in the story.

Couldn't they use stalking laws to get him? Or loitering laws?
I agree with you here. The changing location of bus stops alone makes this part of the law hard to manage.

As it is, our city has a hard time managing the RSO's here. It's aggravating. There's just not enough manpower in our police force.

These laws make people think they are being enforced and that people can relax, when in reality they shouldn't.
 
Reader said:
Here's a link to some information about the new Georgia sex offender law that will take effect on July 1. There is some controversy and a lawsuit coming up already about banning sex offenders from living close to school bus stops.

It is a tough law but some people made comments that it will be hard to enforce and may make the offenders stop registering and reporting to their probation officers.

What do you think about it?

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/S/SEX_OFFENDERS?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=US

While many states and municipalities bar sex offenders from living near schools, Georgia's law, which takes effect July 1, prohibits them from living, working or loitering within 1,000 feet of just about anywhere children gather - schools, churches, parks, gyms, swimming pools or one of the state's 150,000 school bus stops.

That puts virtually every residential neighborhood off limits to Georgia's more than 10,000 registered sex offenders.
-------------------------------
With the law about to take effect, a debate is under way over how tough is too tough.

A lawsuit filed on behalf of Collins and others this week in federal court by the Atlanta-based Southern Center for Human Rights argues that the law makes it impossible for offenders to live in most of the state's urban and suburban areas. It predicted that many will have to live out of their cars or set up tents or trailers in the woods. The center also warned that the law will undermine efforts to keep track of offenders.

"The reality is that the restrictions are so tough that they are going to backfire by causing people not to report and re-register with their probation officers," said Sara Totonchi, the center's public policy director. "As a result, the number of people who will abscond from the registry will increase. And we won't be able to supervise them."
-------------------------
Under the Georgia law, those deemed sexually dangerous predators also would have to wear electronic monitoring devices for the rest of their lives after their release from prison. The law also increases prison sentences for rape, child molestation and other charges from 10 years to a mandatory minimum of 25 years and makes it a crime to harbor a sex offender.

While at least 15 states also restrict how close sex offenders can live to schools or day-care centers, Georgia is the only state to explicitly bar them from living near school bus stops, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
The logical solution is child predators/rapists SHOULD NOT be released! It is innate and they will always BE sexually dysfunctional and dangerous. Forget about monitoring. Forget about them living in our neighborhoods. Forget about their rights on the outside. They should be locked up for life in the general population (why shield them from other inmates?). Let's get our lawmakers to understand that child predators/rapists and murderers are not equal...child predators/rapists are MUCH WORSE! I say take away even the 3 strike rule and let's go for 1 strike you are IN...forever! The problem right now lies with our laws and our juries. (Six years for raping a child is NOT a sentence...it is a slap on the wrist and I saw this case happen right here!) Change the laws and change the way we view the scum that prey on our children and women! It is OUR right to protect ourselves and our absolute DUTY to protect our children.
 
http://www.ajc.com/news/content/metro/legis07/stories/2007/02/02/0202metlegphoto.html

Senate panel OKs sex offender bill
Minors could not be photographed

By CARLOS CAMPOS
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 02/02/07

David and Vickie Lewis drove more than four hours through freezing rain to tell state lawmakers about a chilling encounter their daughter had with a registered sex offender.

Their goal was to change state law, and the couple from coastal Georgia's Richmond Hill succeeded in clearing the first hurdle.

The Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously passed Senate Bill 1, a proposal by Senate President Pro Tem Eric Johnson (R-Savannah) that would prohibit registered sex offenders from taking photos of minors...

Lewis told lawmakers about how a stranger took multiple photos of their teenage daughter with a cellphone camera and made inappropriate comments while she worked behind the counter at a coffee shop. Lewis later learned the man was a registered sex offender in Massachusetts, and she was shocked to find out from the local police it was legal for him to take such photos....

Defense lawyers and civil libertarians raised questions about the potential for the bill to criminalize people taking photos of their own children, or accidentally snapping pictures of children in the background.

Sen. Kasim Reed (D-Atlanta) succeeded in adding an amendment to the bill that allows parents and guardians to give consent to someone taking photos of their children. The amendment also guards against the taking of pictures of children who might accidentally wander into a scene.

The couple said they were compelled to act after what happened to their daughter.

"It's your responsibility, once this comes into your pathway, to do something about it," said David Lewis, 60.


more at link
 
http://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world/homeless-ga-sex-offenders-148558.html?cxtype=rss_news_81960

A small group of homeless sex offenders have been ordered to move from a makeshift camp in a densely wooded area behind a suburban office park.

The sex offenders had been directed to the camp by probation officers. The officers said it was a location of last resort for the sex offenders who are barred from living in many areas by one of the nation's toughest sex offender policies.

Warren said he did not know where the sex offenders would go next.



Here is my issue with this law...where WILL they go next? How can they be monitored or tracked if they are living in tents in the woods? How are they supposed to be anything but criminals if they can't find an address?

I'm all for being tough on SOs, but this seems like it would drive even someone who wants desperately to turn it around into a life of crime.
 
Wait, i'm confused.. probation ordered the SO's to live in the woods? Now they are making them move out the woods? They should just surround a section of woods with barbed wire and security cameras on them.. (it will help with the monitoring). Technically they could still wear ankle bracelets.. they have a certain radius they can go i think..
 

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