Episode 9

Who represents the victims? NARSOL, SOSEN, WAR and many other organizations are fighting for those of us on the registry.  Why are we fighting for the rights of those that have committed crimes?

From The Press Herald: Sparked by reports to Augusta police, a proposal to bar sex offenders from photographing children faces an uphill climb, but it raises issues worth discussing. The effectiveness of public sex offender registries, for instance, is highly questionable, with studies showing little impact on sex crimes or recidivism. https://www.pressherald.com/2018/01/26/our-view-legislation-should-start-dialogue-on-stopping-predation/

  • Should there be laws against photographing minors that are in public places?
  • How would you police this in the first place?

From The Review Journal: Las Vegas man says he killed over dislike of sex offenders, report says A Las Vegas man told his neighbor he killed two homeless people behind a central-valley swap meet because one of them was a sex offender, court documents show. “The neighbor explained he had been sexually assaulted as a child and took offense to sex offenders,” 32-year-old Michael Thompson’s arrest report said. https://www.reviewjournal.com/crime/homicides/las-vegas-man-says-he-killed-over-dislike-of-sex-offenders-report-says/

  • This person was convicted in 1984. Can a person ever live beyond their past? Granted, people make mistakes. Some larger than other mistakes. People are punished for their mistakes. But are you punished by these decisions forever?
  • Shouldn’t we have a justice system that allows for vigilante justice?

From The Star Tribute: Minnesota sex offenders challenge residency restrictions. Criminal justice researchers have found that geographic-based residency restrictions are largely ineffective at preventing sex crimes, in part because offenders tend to victimize people they know rather than pursue strangers living in close proximity to them. http://www.startribune.com/minnesota-sex-offenders-challenge-a-city-s-ban/470718623/

  • What is the argument for residency restrictions if the majority of crimes are committed by people that know the victim? Stranger danger is largely a myth, a statistical outlier.

From The Tallahassee Democrat: Felons’ rights proposal goes on November ballot The “Voting Restoration Amendment,” which was approved Tuesday to appear on the ballot as Amendment 4, would automatically restore voting rights to felons who have served their sentences, completed parole or probation and paid restitution. Murderers and sex offenders would be excluded. http://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/politics/2018/01/23/felons-rights-proposal-goes-november-ballot/1058885001/

  • Why single out murder and SOs?

From MassLive.com: Westfield officials hesitant to repeal sex offender ordinance despite high court ruling “Why is everyone so concerned with the assailant’s rights?” he asked. “We need to find another outlet so these (level) twos and threes can’t live in certain areas. … When they do something like that, they throw their life away.” http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2018/01/resident_speaks_out_against_re.html

  • Does a person throw their life away by committing a crime?

From The Atlantic: Where Nassar’s Judge Went Wrong: By endorsing vengeance from the bench, the judge sentencing the disgraced Olympic doctor crossed an important line.

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/01/nassar-judge/551456/?utm_source=atlfb#article-comments

Here is a comment from a listener. He or she wished to remain anonymous, but as best as I can tell this person is from Illinois:

Hello Andy and Larry, I want to thank the both of you for these podcasts. I have listened to each one. Some a few times. I hope you’re getting good listener numbers. It’s ok to get off topic. Haha. I would buy you guys lunch just to hear you two go back and forth. Sorry for no return email. My states internet usage laws are scary

Charles commented about episode 8: I can relate to this problem because I was on probation from Florida serving it in Maryland. I was accused of technical violations. Maryland wanted to send me back to Florida. I had heard of this requirement in the interstate compact and asked my attorney. He had never heard of a Probable Cause hearing and told me to waive extradition. I finally did get my hearing but I had to hire a different attorney who reached out to NARSOL for help. Thankfully we did get the hearing after I pressed the matter.

Listener question. Chris left voice mail at 747-227-4477:

Our topic tonight is about protecting the victims. You have people commit heinous offenses. The victim may have to go through psychological treatment for years, or decades. They might not even be alive. Who is out there protecting them? And why are we doing advocacy work for people who have done wrong?