Megan’s Law a total failure; harms families, children
By Daniel Walmer . . . It was every parent’s worst nightmare.
Seven-year-old Megan Kanka left her New Jersey home on July 29, 1994, for a summer afternoon bike ride around her neighborhood, but she never returned.
Instead, neighbor Jesse Timmendequas lured her into his home by promising her a puppy. He then raped and murdered her, dumping her body in a nearby park.
The murder sparked national outrage, not least because Kanka’s parents had never been told their neighbor had two previous convictions for sexual offences against small children. It also sparked a New Jersey law and then a 1996 federal law – Megan’s Law – requiring states to notify the public about sex offenders living in their neighborhoods.
Twenty years later, the names, pictures and addresses of registered sex offenders – including 218 who live, work or attend school in Lebanon County – can be found at the Pennsylvania State Police Megan’s Law Website. Such databases remain popular: a 2013 YouGov poll found that 71 percent of women and 52 percent of men believe it is “very important” to log all sex offender’s homes in the U.S.
However, advocates for offenders say registries continue to punish them even after they have served their sentence and even advocates for victims are lukewarm in their support.
“The intent of the Megan’s Law registry is commendable,” said Jenny Murphy-Shifflet, executive director of the Sexual Assault Recourse and Counseling Center of Lebanon County (SARCC). “I understand that its goal was to reduce sexual violence. The reality is that we haven’t seen any outcomes indicating that these goals have been reached.”
False sense of security
One out of every 728 Lebanon County residents is a registered Megan’s Law offender, and most have committed violent sexual crimes like rape, indecent assault or sexual abuse of children. Those offenders are required to have their address and place of work listed on the registry for 15 years to life depending on the crime and amount of offenses.
If that seems like a scarily high number, Murphy-Shifflet said it’s probably far lower than the actual number of sexual offenders, many of whom have never been caught. In fact, that’s one of the shortcomings of Megan’s Law, she said – it can create a false sense of security to residents who don’t live near offenders.
“Megan’s Law is almost like the Scarlet letter. They think it’s going to be easy to identify (sexual offenders),” agreed Kristen Houser, chief public affairs officer for the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape. “The reality is, most offenders hide in plain sight.” (Read further for Sandy’s comments in the Lebanon Daily News)
I dare say that the average American response to the the title of this is article is, “good, what’s the problem?” and not even read the article. I look forward to the time when we can make the transition from our current, strong message of “this is unfair to registrants” to an even stronger, more powerful message of “this is further harming our families, our children and our communities.” This may seem like a frivolous nuisance, but from a public marketing and communication perspective I believe it is worth gold. Imagine if instead of the headline that appears for this article, the headline read: “Megan’s Law a total failure: only further harms children, families and communities.” See the difference? By continuing to focus on the problem we unknowingly keep the problem alive. If we begin to focus on the solution, and have that as our loudest message is when change will occur and the peoples’ eyes will be opened.
I agree. Maybe even go further and make positive statements, e.g. “Re-integrating Those Convicted of Sex Crimes Into Society Prevents Abuse”. Or “Repealing Megan’s Law Makes Children Safer”.
In my personal life I make a conscious effort to think in the positive rather than than negative. To a degree, what we think about and how we frame our thoughts (positive or negative) determines reality. Just look at the news.
Another thing I’d like to see is a “re-branding”. Is there a better term than “Sex Offender” we could use? I’ve quit using the term. Instead I say “charged with a sex crime.” The other term has too many negative connotations and is inaccurate, misleading, and maligning.
Thank you for your post. Excellent point you make!
The thing that people forget is how many people have been put on this because someone lied. I my self have been put on megan’s law. And it destroyed my life. I had to go to therapy for 3 years. I’ve passed 2 polygraphs ( lie detectors ) and have taken and passed every test I’ve been given. Have 4 sexual offender therapists supporting my clam of innocents. But the judge who found me guilty in 45 mins don’t care. It was a he said she said case for touching over top clothing. My question is how come I passed all this stuff and no one even bothers to test her. CAUSE THE COURTS WOULD BE DOWN SIZED THAT’S WHY. THEY WOULD LOSE ALL THAT MONEY. I WAS TOLD I CAN GET A PARDON BUT THAT DOESN’T TAKE ME OFF MEGAN’S LAW THAT I’M ON FOR LIFE BECAUSE OF THE ADAM WELSH ACT. THEY JUST DON’T WANT TO ADMIT THE COURT WAS WRONG.
You have to keep fighting. The court has the continual habit of omitting and pacing discovery of evidence during proceedings. They will nearly never mention the actions of a minor or adult victim in a case no matter how complicit or disproving the actions are to an affording jury. For instance the minor initiates the relationship online, purports a fictitious age, and disrobes her body via webcam and that evidence will never be introduced during grand jury, indictment and most likely at trial in an attempt to polish teenage innocence. This is done quite frequently and the suppressing of evidence is seen as a conditional tactic rather than prosecutorial misconduct.
The more chess pieces the prosecutors are allowed to keep off the board, the more likely they will legitimize the case by withholding crucial evidence or bring forth needed evidence that wasn’t magically present early on. The idea of being a litigator is severely sensationalized and not glamorous as it seems. The true motivating factor in this practice is not the tenacious fight for justice but monetary means bartered by defense and counsels for the government.
We shot past the concept of rehabilitation. We have contorted the dead definition of punishment and reconstituted its meaning to befit those who seek to profit and sustenance from it gratuitous gains.
Justice is a laughable term these days and filled primarily with vengeful preludes and mob- like expressions. “Bloodthirsty banishment” may be its new name and mercy its black sheep.
United people stand on the necks of the damned and unforgiven. Minimized is the life and prosperity of the registrant and ashamed for everything they have is likely nothing and all they are is conscripted citizens.
This begs the question of why are sex offenders the only ones polygraphed?
Why does the probation and parole department get to force us to take an exam that is not even admissible in court?
And why, when we pass that damn thing time after time, are we stil held to being the monsters they think we are?
How about a legal battle against the probation and sex offender treatment groups as well? The organization here in Connecticut that does all the pseudo psychological treatment groups for anger management, drug abuse and sex offenders is called The Connections. I’d love to sue these useless weasels for all the money back that I ever paid out to them for the weekly group meetings and the polygraphs.
Then I could have enough money to pay off my credit card debt.
I’ve quit referring to it as the “justice system”; it’s only a legal system and like most government systems, it’s corrupt.
I’ve also learned that any other time, anything a child says is questioned, except if they accuse someone of a sexual crime.
Here’s my thoughts and comments on all this. Any person that actually, physically harms a child such as an adult should be guilty of the punishment entailed. Now anyone that has a sexual thought or even looks at a porn magazine is a good candidate for the registry.
Everybody has a human desire or lust if you want to put it that way. And when you define lust that could be anything such as Money, Adventure, etc. I think you get my point.
They.. congress and government…. have taken this Megan’s law and stretched it way out of balance than what it was meant to be. That’s our good old USA and your tax dollars at work.
If those look at these internet sex stings as compared to the Megan thing that is a whole different scenario although sex is the angle or motive that police use and want the assumed predator to ask for sex and than they can snag ya.
Law enforcement is pulling the wool over the American public but congressmen and others will challenge all that say they are not right. I wonder who’s right in all this or who’s conscientious is bothering who?
And they give you a plea deal. I wonder if there is really truth in the justice system or is it blind as one has always suspected.
Hawaii becomes first U.S. state to place gun owners on FBI database
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Hawaii’s governor signed a bill making it the first U.S. state to place its residents who own firearms in a federal criminal record database and monitor them for possible wrongdoing anywhere in the country, his office said.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/hawaii-becomes-first-u-state-place-gun-owners-210248882.html?ref=gs
Not sure what the point of this Hawaii/ Gun control post is here…..but the other side of the story is that Hawaii has the lowest number of deaths from guns. It is safer here in Hawaii and maybe its an example that should be studied a little closer:
http://247wallst.com/special-report/2016/06/21/the-10-states-with-the-least-gun-violence/
d, I would suggest, “convicted of a sex crime”. Being “charged” doesn’t prove guilt.
While I agree it would be better to repeal the law, I can’t imagine any politician wanting to go on record for suggesting it. It requires too much thought on the part of a fearful public to understand why it would be better, and instead, they would flame the politician for wanting to “protect perverts.”
How Megan’s law has grown into such an ensnaring occupied goal is beyond collective understanding. The whole intent and gist behind what it alludes to today is nothing but a befuddled blitz on constitutional rights. The overbearing insistence of government expects compliance and conformity even when the overall reasoning is not clearly understood. It has a detaining inclusion in every state, even when one is excused by a court of law in his or her original state of conviction. Now for a sitting congress and SCOTUS to remain mute in regard to its implementation of IML obviously shows the level of confusion and apprehensiveness within their own levels of government regardless if it is solidified as law or ruled as such to be a mandating policy.
Not one piece of it makes in sound sense to those that are obliged to enforce it or interpret its meaningful execution. I have seen countries
questioning expats and not resort to being forthcoming in their reasons for denial of entry or justification for inquiries of the said or suspected traveler. If any tort, grievance or claim can be brought forth or levied in the host country or international bodies of court, fit to address any injury or harm caused to the identified passenger, then one should pursue such remedy to the fullest extent possible. Many countries and state entities have ways to address most inconvenient harm and torts suffered by expats. It has to be progressively acted upon to prevent it from happening to other unsuspecting travlelers. The far reaching effect of this law has harmed too many families and individuals alike and it has derailed the progress of reintegration and the repairing of ones life with its draconian bottom line , which is meant to nearly never allow true rehabilitation. The media is chiefly complicit to the censure and the thwarting of the plight to ROSL, individual registrants and associated families who’s voices have no avenue to speak out or expose the travesties that exists in government and legislative schematics. The drum needs to be pounded permanently until the injustices and disparities are eradicated and removed from all levels of government.
well i think they are all a bunch of hypocrites pretending to be civilized. The age of consent when Lincoln was president was between 7 -10 yrs old. I dont think they were that far off base at that time. There has to be something said for that.
Jim, I don’t know about the age of consent in the states every being THAT low, however, when our country was founded and beginning to be built, the legal age was 13.
With that age being legal for sex, girls that age were often led into a brothel lifestyle for the wealthy men (many of whom were possibly our own political figures of the time) so then it became that the age was raised but each state was allowed to make their own decisions as to what that age could be.
Now a days though, we know that even a consenting 16/17 yr old could not work in a brothel (The Bunny Ranch) until they turn 18.
Just like the very odd idea of a 16/17 yr old being able to consent to sex with an older person but somehow a photograph or video image is considered CP. I don’t get that one at all. It contadicts itself.
wtf?, do some research. im not wrong. U think i would post bogus stuff on here? Just google “age of consent history in america”.
Jim,
I did some age of consent research when I was first charged with this crime and out on bond. What I came up with was 13 for the original 13 colonies.
Depending on what sites you read will determine what information you’re given. So don’t blame me if I got it wrong, blame the various sites with various information.
And tone it down a bit. I wasn’t calling you a liar.
What the hell? What are you saying? Do you think the age of consent should be 7 – 10? If so, please get some help. Did you have a point?
And the way you responded to Maestro’s comment was extremely rude. Don’t be an ass. Your comments make my skin crawl.
I am glad to see people open up on here about all this Megan’s law and stuff. While some people are fear full to this sex registry thing. These sex sting operations are only crafty cons and someone mentioned about not using the bible in all this. If we don’t use Gods’ words than what do we use?
People the rule book for mankind is the Bible? I don’t care how weak or strong your faith is or even if you believe in God but I would rather you put your trust in God.
Look at the abortions, the marriage laws, compare it to this sex registry law. I wonder what book all this came out of. Man is killing man and the courts are down sizing all the biblical laws and principals just to please others.
I feel sorry for those on the registry. Some have to endure all this and suffer and be stigmatized with this on their shoulders.
So what do we do about all this. Do we fight our own battles or let God fight our battles? I think it is evident to all that are reading these comments. Are we now Gods’ spoke’s person?
God’s word is a two edged sword. Man’s word is a fork tongue. People their is hope that this registry will be over with soon or reconstructed as government is going to wake up with this one and what’s going on in the country today.
To say the courts are unjust I leave that up to you.
James Townsend
Numbers 31:17-18
Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him.
But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.
Still wanna keep “god’s” word in everything? If “god’s” word is eternal then we’re all doing it wrong with how we as men “find” our wives. The idea was to basically rape whom you desired and she was to become your wife.
If we were to follow the bible the way in which it is actually written, we would be treating females as second class citizens similar to the Muslim religion.
Deuteronomy 22:28-29
If a man happens to meet a virgin who is not pledged to be married and rapes her and they are discovered, he shall pay her father fifty shekels[a] of silver. He must marry the young woman, for he has violated her. He can never divorce her as long as he lives.
The problem with religion, aside from it being a bunch of balony, is that the Christian/Catholic way of doing things is to nit-pick the verses that SOUND good and debunk the rest by saying “But that was the Old Testament”
You can’t use that excuse if everything “God” said is everlasting and he meant what he said and said what he meant if you’re also going to be an apologist that uses the excuse of which books of the bible are the “old ways” and which are the new ways.
But alas, he DIDN’T say anything. Primitive, superstitious, control freak MEN said it.
So again, I employ you to PLEASE keep religion out of these discussions. I highly recommend all of you who are Christians (like I WAS) to READ this NOVEL cover to cover (as I did) and hopefully you’ll wake up.
If you’re desperate for ‘something to believe in’, start with yourself.
If we truly followed the bible, none of us would be sex offenders.
James. Please…tone it down with the bible talk. I’ve been trying to stay quiet out of respect for your beliefs but now i feel like you’re purposefully just egging us non-bible people on. So please…would you knock it off?
Why are we even discussing the bible? I could give a sh*t about religion. This site is for discussing sex crime issues- at least that’s my impression. I understand that our personal stories and beliefs will percolate into our conversations but we can’t let our differences of opinions concerning religion drive a wedge between us.
I’ve had bad experiences with churches and bible-based teaching and my patience is pretty thin when it comes to people who start becoming overbearing with their religious beliefs.
That being said…I do appreciate some of the things you talk about. Like you, i was arrested in an online sting. I like the way you quote song lyrics. You have a good sense of humor.
Please don’t take this as a personal attack…just please, for the sake of maintaining unity, maybe bring it down a notch?
I just received my good old registered letter wanting me to fingerprint myself. Good thing my postman is cool as he delivers a lot of those every three months. What a waste in postage.
Eight hundred thousand postage stamps is a lot to lick. Sirrously people this Megan’s law and this Adam Walsh law was based out of fear. I would much rather fear being robbed or being or being attacked than fear being molested.
Remember two wrongs don’t make a right. Now as we celebrate the 4th of July remember the declaration of Independence as we the people have inalienable rights. Now their is only one creator. So where is where is the deception in all this sex offense.
Sure I’m going to challenge my ordeal as well as others that are involved in this. Now I have sent letters in the past to RSOL and other advocate groups but when I mention God they don’t want anything to do with it. So is God in Government today or should it be.
This whole sex law is a perfect example. Course I might be blowing smoke about a lot of things but remember Love covers a multitude of sins.
Ron
June 27, 2016 at 1:43 pm
I am new to this website and just stumbled upon it. After reading your posting, I agree completely. I reside in AZ and my son, who was 20 at the time of arrest/incarceration was guilty of providing alcohol to underage minors who just happened to be girls. The county prosecutor and police detective did not submit evidence of a diary that one of the young girls had kept, that detailed where she could find Vodka, with my son’s number listed and notes about his physical appearance and attitude. There were other references of the girls stating, “I’m going to get alcohol,” and called my son. I have the entire police investigation report from Lake Havasu City and the young girls, I feel, were sneaking around just as much as my son was. I do know that he was guilty of providing the alcohol and transporting the girls in his vehicle so they could drink, but he was charged with aggrevated luring and to make a long story short, he got 10 years incarceration with having to register as a sex offender for life. So unless something changes…..his life will be tough. These girls, one 13, one 16 and one 17, were not totally innocent, and this is what caused me so much grief.
The police detectives and prosecutors only submit facts that will undeniably prove their case.
Thanks for letting me vent. It helped. My son has only served two of his 10 so far.
Jo Ann
Jo Ann,
I’m really sorry. Vent away. I’m not sure what the solution is but i think that being vocal and telling your story is better than just silently and shamefully accepting what’s happened.
After my arrest I felt like I fell thru a trapdoor into another world. Like Alice going thru the looking glass. My Dad said shortly after it happened, “Son, don’t worry we live in the best country in the world.” Now…i haven’t believed that since i was like ten, but i certainly didn’t think things could be as crazy as they are. But why not? Salem witch hunts, slavery, woman being denied rights, the red scare, gay bashing, the war on drugs- which was/is as insane, if not more so, than the current hysteria of “sex crimes”.
Things WILL get better. The more we fight, tell our stories and grow in numbers the sooner we will reach that critical point where opinions and laws change. Trick is to not give in to despair.
Thanks for sharing your story!
D you are totally right, I guess I’m a failure at everything and I’m sure senators and congressmen couldn’t get caught up in any of this sort as they are too much in tune with logic to know that people are against people. Is this sex offense registry for greed to show America how proud the people are for ensnaring others in this game of hid and seek.
You or anyone on here couldn’t even understand the principals at work in these sex sting operations or was your agenda to actually talk to a little girl and have sex with her?
Enough said I will tone it down but when one hears the cries of those that have to go thru this what does one do use logic or human understanding or are we all like that Thinker in Dobie Gillis just a statue. Sometimes I wonder why pride goes before the fall.
So are we understanding about ourselves or about the things that we all do?
I believe the “principles at work” regarding stings basically revolve around the idea of getting more funding to keep internet task forces going. It also makes for a good media circus. It gives the appearance, to the uninitiated, that these cops are out there actually protecting the children from child predators. Ha.
Me? I was on a site for adults. It isn’t a site where children go to “hook up”. Kids have their own apps and whatnot they use. It was a boy. Did I intend to have sex? I didn’t know because I hadn’t actually met them. The person I talked to looked old enough (probably a cadet) and certainly seemed mature and experienced. I rarely had casual sex (or any sex). Lots of factors came into play that caused me to go and do something so foolish. Do I take responsibility for my actions? Yes. Would I ever do anything like that again ever? No.
I’m a good person who did something dumb. It was a freaking adult site and the “kid” was actually a middle aged man (who definitely must have some issues of his own) texting me almost non stop and being very insistent that we meet…RIGHT AWAY. With condoms. Even though I said I wasn’t interested in that kind of sex. I just wanted oral sex (if it even went that far). I even showed up at the spot condom-less and was told that unless i went and got condoms they wouldn’t meet. I’d driven an hour from the little town where i live and so went and grabbed a root beer and some rubbers at the nearest gas station. I was really annoyed and almost said eff it and drove home. Man…i so wish i would’ve.
I’ve told my story a bunch of times here already. It still makes me sick to my stomach. There was a SWAT team that took me down w/ guns drawn. I was called a “child sex trafficker” and had my picture and name on the regional TV news. My business and home were vandalized (i was, after all, a CHILD SEX TRAFFICKER). Jail. Lost my business. Cost me 30k and counting. Still, it could be worse. In fact, i KNOW most people with a sex crime conviction have it way worse than me…
Believe me James I’ve done plenty of thinking since this all happened. It’s made me much older and hopefully wiser. It woke me up. I’m way more aware of what’s going on than ever before. Has it made me a better person? I don’t know…I don’t think i was a bad person before my arrest, just naive. Had issues w/ being gay. It was very tough to “come out” the way i did- on the front page of the local paper and on the 5 o’clock news. I hate those cops for what they did and one of my biggest challenges now is to figure out what to do with the rage i now feel towards the system and the cops that gleefully destroyed my life.
I’m glad you’re still here James. I really felt terrible after responding to your post yesterday. Normally i wouldn’t stir the pot the way i did but i guess my anger was boiling up and made my skin a little thinner than usual. It’s really important that we try to get along…
“imagine all the people living in peace”
I’m seeing more and more “underage” teens popping up on Grindr, Jack’d and now Surge. And a few (not so much) on POF and OkCupid.
Whenever I reply to someone who claimes go be over 18 and then says “I gotta tell you, I’m really only 16” I come back with- Nice try officer, but that’s the legal age in this state. Try again. And then block them.
They are creating crimes where a crime was not even an intention.
Can’t we expose these idiots and fight against these so-called stings while we’re also fighting the registry laws?
Thanks Maestro. These type of stings should be banned. I have very limited legal expertise but i’m pretty sure these stings are illegal. That’s why I think they hype them up and say they’re busting “child sex trafficking” rings. Far as i can tell, luring an otherwise law-abiding citizen into breaking the law is illegal. Stings are only to be used to stop “on-going criminal activity”. Of course, sex crimes are so taboo that most guys plead without a whimper.
I messed around on Craigslist for about 6 or 7 years and NEVER encountered an underage person. Until that fateful day I took the bait that was dangled in my face. One of the reasons i even agreed to go was i didn’t believe they were fifteen. And i was right. They weren’t. Oh i was so dumb…had no idea what i was risking. I haven’t watched TV in 20 years. No idea then who John Walsh was. “To Catch A Predator”? For all i knew it was a show about catching muskies. Dumb…dumb…dumb…..
There was lots of information in the 500+ pages of documents my lawyer gave me. I was able to do a little bit of online digging. Far as I can tell, this task force that busted me has never actually arrested anybody for a crime involving an actual child (with the exception of at least one CP case). Lot’s of prostitution stings involving men and imaginary hookers. Wow….way to fight crime Eau Claire. Why aren’t you guys doing something about all the meth dealers, wife beaters and child abusers? Too much work? Online stings are the equivalent of shooting fish in a barrel. With a rocket launcher.
Well…chalk it up to experience. One guy in my area got 13 years in prison for getting busted by the same task force, with the same charges i faced. Without a real “victim”. Seems absolutely insane. How can imaginary people, created by devious cops, have more rights than a real person??
Lin- excellent points.
The thing that one always hears as an excuse for circumventing our rights is that old tired refrain, “if it protects just ONE child….”.
Yes. Sexual abuse is bad. So is destroying adult lives with false accusations and lies.
Did you see that movie on Netflix called “The Hunt”? Great film about false child abuse allegations. Shows how easy it is to be falsely accused.
It is harmful to the families of that adult too, including children. There is zero evidence that the registries keep anyone safe, but there is plenty of evidence that shows they do the opposite. Good people, whether they are registrants or family members, do a lot to help our cause by coming forward and helping to educate the public.
I think I have seen the movie you mentioned. Is it foreign with English subtitles?
Fred, do you think there is a way that we could collect all that evidence and form a petition of some sorts of how it affects everyone as a whole?
I think that is a good idea. We could try make a couple online petitions with the facts and myths on them. However my understanding is that we would need at least 500,000 signatures for it be taken seriously by the lawmakers. That is the real challenge.
If there were not laws preventing this, I would personally put together groups in each state to send written letters to every registrant in every counter of the nation, to let them know we are here and encourage them to stand up, but of course that is forbidden us of the registry.
Yep. That’s the one.
That was a good movie and highlighted the damaging effects very well. It did have a happy ending though when the accused was able to redeem himself and the accuser was found to be lying. He got his son and friends back and lived happily ever after. If only that could happen in real life.
I think its time for everyone that comments on here to wake up to all this. I’m going to toss out a word that I’ve never really heard on here since I checked RSOL out or since I’ve been involved in this sex registry thing.
The word is “cynical”
Sure its been three years for me on the registry and I’m sure all you people as well as the rest of those that are forth coming don’t want to have this added to yours or their lives, This registry stigma if a lifetime thing.
Believe it or not D came up with a good point if he really understands his point from a logical standpoint.
Now without saying anything against RSOL or how they approach all this sex registry stuff let me just say that Megan’s mother has already said that she didn’t imagine this sex registry thing to go this far.
Even the Adam Walsh thing wasn’t meant to set up people for a fall as does the internet sex stings they do on the computer to sway people into all this. And you tell me one person that doesn’t think sex is a powerful weapon and I’m call them foolish too.
If I do a crime I do it the ole fashion way. If I get drunk I do it in public and that way they have a right to put me in jail. Same as drunk driving and the same as speeding. I don’t have to hide behind a bush like law officers and pretend to be someone I am not to get your goat If you want to call it that.
And d the United States could not care one less about you or me if it saves one life. Did the United States care about people when it dropped test bombs who it would effect or wipe out. Voicing one’s opinion doesn’t get it in todays world.
RSOL will have a tough road ahead of them. Sure they’ve already had a tough road and they think they have made progress but someone throws a monkey wrench into the mixture.
As far as your prison systems. Those are punishments in themselves. Sometimes one has to stand up and say. Your prison is walking in this world all along.
Jacob Wetterling’s mother has said the same thing regarding not even thinking her legislative act would have taken things so far…….and all they have is a person of interest in her son’s disappearance….
The legal and legislative systems in all levels of government have cultivated this with the very intent of vengeful supposed justice. You can clearly see the punishment and so called administrative actions, as a form of retaliatory measures meant to banish and abstain from given the offender any type of positive outcome that has the potential to work in his or her favor from the start of indictment/incarceration to release and rehabilitation. Ironic enough if a offender has no approving address, they are systematically detained past the agreed term of incarceration until a feasible one is obtained. The retstrictions of your own liberties are not fully understood or the likely impact it would cause, when you feel forced and not throughly advised by counsel on your decision under duress to take a plea bargain both getting the prosecutors off the hook and the defense from investing time in defending your difficult case before the courts at no congratulations to you. …….the statistics and status quo have been set in. This is a culture of conformity and you are considered a class of conscripted citizens. Well I’ll be damned! They’ve got you!
I agree. Plea agreements are the defense attorneys lazy way out. They scare the hell out of you. Or won’t work at it says YOU don’t have money to fight it. My son served his plea sentence and got out planning into DO his parole toy grind out he didn’t have 18 months but lifetime…his attorney just said OH well this is in Kansas. All statements clearly were constructive to what he supposedly did. His attorney admitted he did not read the statements. I’m so frustrated with ROOKS co. And the police department and county attorney.
Vis-a-Vis all this “John Walsh” business– What is really bothersome is that his kid was just plain murdered, and as far as anyone knows was not sexually assaulted, at least there didn’t seem to be any evidence of that at the time of that original crime.
What is really bothersome to me is how John Walsh is making a fortune by trading on the victimhood of his son. He’s not only doing that series about catching predators, but he is out there hawking products as a spokesman that have nothing to do with any claims to fame reason might impute to him. He’s like Shaquille O’Neal selling gold bond! No wait – That’s wrong – Shaquille O’Neal’s fame was legitimately won on the basketball court– Not because his kid was shamefully murdered and done away with by some sick @#%&* Slime bag.
Don’t forget that John Walsh should be on the registry. In his autobiography “Tears of Rage” he admits to having a relationship with an underage girl. Yes, he did eventually marry her. But so what? Lotsa guys on the registry did the same exact thing (even as far as marrying their girlfriends) and now they are branded for life and cast from society as sex offenders. But Walsh gets to be a hero with his own f**king TV show? Lately he came out as a sex addict. Kinda wonder about the skeletons in this guys closet. Makes me head explode thinking about it. Walsh=hypocrite.
Yeah it’s gross how he turned his son’s death into a show biz career. Not many people seem to care that he banged an underage girl or had sex with anything that moved. Sometimes being a celebrity is all a person needs to command respect….
Yeah d,
I did not KNOW that about John Walsh! Where did your info come from?
I read his book while i was in jail! If you go to his Wikipedia page it’s there too. John Walsh thinks he’s the studliest mofo ever. Terrible writer, even with help his book reads like it was written by a 4th grader. Basically just a bunch of hot air about what a bad ass sexy stud he is.
here’s the link, but be warned, you’re probably gonna get angry:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Walsh_(television_host)#Controversy
I am sick and tired of this sex offender registry. I am no threat to the society. I’ve grown greater appreciation for life and God. I have served the sentence in jail even though the DA played dirty game. They think ten years in the registry is nothing at all, bull**** , let them or their family member be in the registry and then say it’s not a form of punishment.
Emil, I have no doubt that ANY of us who is on the registry, like me, fully understand how you feel. Unless we come together, fighting this as a whole, I doubt we will get anywhere.
The most dirty thing is the rewriting of the laws prescribed. The language given to jurors and the general public to create disdain and disgust on a certain psycho-sexual of offenders with an obvious attempt to banish these human beings from society. For instance…. if you recall, somewhere in the mid 90’s while the spur of sex registry was on the upheaval, many state legislatures reworded the phrase of a crimes against persons, such as statutory rape to child molestation. As retort, everyone knows what statutory rape consist of in regard to consensual unlawful contact not aggravated or commissioned by force or threat, also further the comprehension and popular understanding of Romeo and Juliet relationships between teens. Albeit, many laws contorted over-sensationalized and amplified to a point of expected sickness. You have a President who decries for justice and at the same stroke of a hand delivers injustice with the same pretentious pen. Once the scroll of the declaration of independence and constitution are blotted with ink the very same documents become merely murky as a muddy river and are rendered useless facsimiles. We can claim constitutionalism all we want, but what really matters is the bravery to physically stand and fight for every soul and to make freedom the profound focus of your foundation, for without that this nation is nothing !
This will be my last comment on here. To everything their is a season. My season has lost its patience with all on here. I am nothing but you all are something. Now if you or Sandy, that won’t even post some of my comments, can solve all this with all your worldly wisdom. I salute you.
I just wonder if this sex offender is one of the top ten miscarriages of justice on the most wanted list? Aside from the sex offender we could start with abortion laws, the bathroom issue of what boy gets to go to use the woman’s bathroom without being discriminated on. We could even talk about job discrimination or if the black man is getting his fair share of the glorious USA.
We could also even talk about the diabolical schemes of Government or the malice intent in all these endeavors just to pleas others. Wow is pleasing thy neighbor better than loving thy neighbor.
I think Ricky Nelson said it best you can’t please everybody but are we suppose to please ourselves? So in a nutshell, government has tossed away the rule book and is using their secular rule book for all these laws to please others and at the same time condemning people like me and you.
If we don’t send a message to government about all these sting operations and cover-ups than we all might as well just take what we deserve.
Why are they allowed to have public notification on RSO? Because it is public record…
So is property tax records, which many of the politicians, attorneys and judges have. So why don’t we start a registry of them? See how they like the exposure, maybe that would spark some change
We need to.
Of course ending the registry is the goal but if every dui, murderer, wife beater, battery etc had to register it would shed light on how dumb the registry is.
I wonder what % of the registry is actually a pedophile? My guess is 10%?
I am an immigrant my husband is in the registry. Together we have a 1year old beautiful baby boy. I fear that one day we will be separated because of adam walsh act and megans law, (Even if he gets removed from the registry. The first offense has already been expunged but he still needs to register for 5 years because he failed to register in time when he moved counties. the whole thing happened when he was 12 and he is now 31 years old) I may not be able to stay here and he might not be able to enter my country. It cripples me everytime i think about it. I hope someday, things will change. I am so depressed by all these. All i want is for me family to be together. It doesnt matter if it’s here or the Philippines. I never imagined that the government can dictate who a person should marry. When does the punishment end?