The Winner: Appellate Judge Joseph F. Lisa, New Jersey Appeals Court
The Reason: Overturning Megan's Law restrictions
The Story:
NEWARK, N.J. —
New Jersey towns cannot ban sex offenders from living near schools, parks, or other places where children gather, a state appeals court ruled on Tuesday.
The three-judge panel found that New Jersey's Megan's Law was "pervasive and comprehensive" and should be the only law governing how sex offenders are treated. The ruling upheld findings by judges who invalidated ordinances in Cherry Hill and Galloway townships.
Supporters of those ordinances hoped the towns would appeal. Richard D. Pompelio, a lawyer for the New Jersey Crime Victims' Law Center, filed a brief endorsing the town's laws.
He questioned how Megan's Law, which requires sex offenders to register with the state, was pre-empted because it does not impose residency restrictions.
The towns banned adults convicted of sex offenses against a child from living within 2,500 feet of any school, park, playground, church or other place "where children might congregate."
Similar laws are in place in many states and dozens of New Jersey towns; those in New Jersey will be at risk if the latest ruling stands.
Appellate Judge Joseph F. Lisa, writing for the court, said the Cherry Hill and Galloway ordinances "interfere with and frustrate the purposes and operation of the statewide scheme."
Cherry Hill Mayor Bernie Platt was considering whether to appeal the ruling and maintained that the ordinance "is valuable to our community," spokesman Dan Keashen said.
A message seeking comment from Galloway officials was not immediately returned.
The ruling was applauded by the state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, which had a volunteer attorney represent one of the offenders.
"Megan's Law is already accepted as constitutional and as the state's comprehensive approach to sex offenders. The residency requirements do not contribute to rehabilitation and may in fact undermine it," said Deborah Jacobs, executive director of the state chapter.
State Public Defender Yvonne Smith Segars filed a brief urging the appeals court to strike down the laws.
"You can't impose unrealistic burdens on people and expect them to reintegrate. They paid their debt to society and are under supervision," Segars said.
The Cherry Hill law was challenged by two sex offenders convicted of violating the law after being placed in a motel by welfare officers with the approval of their probation and parole officers. The two men were considered at moderate risk of committing another sex offense.
A 20-year-old college freshman at Richard Stockton College, in Galloway Township, challenged the law there after moving into a dormitory on campus. The student was considered a low-risk sex offender for an offense he committed when he was 15 against a 13-year-old girl.
Calls to attorneys for the men were not immediately returned.
The three men were among about 11,000 sex offenders registered in New Jersey, the first state to enact a Megan's Law. It was passed after a 7-year-old Hamilton Township girl, Megan Kanka, was killed in 1994 by a sex offender who lived in her neighborhood. Similar laws in other states and eventually the nation followed.
In New Jersey, neighbors of high-risk offenders are notified by police.
Robocop's Comment:
So far,it looks like the courts are competing for the Douche Of The Week titles. Appellate Judge Joseph F. Lisa needs to be sodomized. The ACLU proves that AIDS happens for a reason. If they are so concerned with the rehabilitation of pedophiles, I have a suggestion: 165 grain jacketed hollowpoint.
13 comments:
You are a disgusting sociopath and deserve to be in jail just as much as any common criminal. Your murderous fantasies are scary and dangerous. You are scum.
oh yes because demonizing criminals certainly reforms them into productive members of society instead of making them bitter!!
You are a horrible person and incredibly ill-informed.
I am in prison. I work there. I watch over those scumbags that you think can and be "rehabilitated". Newsflash: Rehabilitation does not work. Think about how our crime rates multiplied since we applied principal of "rehabilitation". Yes, a small minority do not repeat their crimes. Personal observation attributes this to the aspects of their PUNISHMENT, which contains a certain degree of discomfort, maybe even emotional pain. The object of punishment is to provide discomfort as a consequence to an offense. Ill-informed? I would not say that. Sociopath? I guess that makes the criminals the epitome of our civilization, the kind of civilization you desire, your utopia. Do I demonize criminals? When it comes to those who prey on our young, you are damn right.
yknow why people in prison can't be rehabilitated?
people like you
You are incredibly wrong. Countries like Sweden practice rehabilitation and have lower crime rates than we do (and lower repeat crime rates).
Oh yes,people like me because I did not give them a hug everyday. Never mind the fact that you have force them to attend educational/vocational/therapeutic programs. By the way, THIS IS NOT SWEDEN. Believe it or not, due to different historical and cultural experiences, all countries are not the same.
First these cowards who are probably baby rapers and baby killers themselves need to realize, we too have a right express our feelings. This is the USA. If they don't like this country, they can leave. :)
I have the right as a parent to protect my children. I do NOT leave them alone at a park, shopping center, home, or while they get on the school bus. I for one, am grateful for the sex offender's list. There is a baby raper who lives near a school bus stop, and a rapist who lives on my street. What decent human wants to have sexual intercourse with a 2 yr. old?? Or as these freaks like to call rape..."Surprise Sex". Just because they can't accept that it is wrong to have Non-Consensual Sex!
The victims pay for this sick crime for the rest of their lives. Their nightmares NEVER END! So why should these criminals get to go and destroy more young, innocent lives?? There is ONLY one cure for these freaks. That is a fact!
Um I would just like to repeat what Debs said! I can't say it any better than she did.
I just can't understand why the courts are declaring open season on our babies. I read horrible crimes against children every day --
who is going to stop this?
Our babies' first line of defense is us as parents. The average 30 minute response time by the police does not cut it.
Wow! Some of the things happening today just amaze me! And then you have these people hiding behind 'anonymous' attacking you? What the heck?!
PWNED
Post a Comment