Attention

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not represent our advertisers

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Teeth For Jessica


ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Cecil/Harford Senator Nancy Jacobs (R-Dist. 34) says that a number of laws are being proposed to give Jessica’s Law some teeth. Some of which she has said before such as no “good time” or “dimunision” credits for sex offenders. She says that those convicted of sex crimes and receive the 25 year minimum with no parole instantly has time shaved off for good behavior and it shouldn’t be. She says that 25 should mean 25.


The fuel igniting the fire is the death of 11-year-old Sarah Foxwell, whose body was discovered on Christmas at the Maryland/Delaware border. Accused in that case is 30-year-old Thomas Leggs, Jr. who is a sex offender in Maryland and Delaware. He was recently indicted for the kidnapping, child abduction and first-degree burglary in the case according to WBOC-TV (Channel 16).

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

The only sentence imposed now with no time off for behavior or work credits is non support sentences.You will do every day for day, Sentences may vary from 18 months up. The only way they get released early is by payment of arrears.If they fall behind again they can go back to jail again.

Shannon said...

Any proposals I have read do not include a change to the reduction of charges. That one thing is very important since the current MD laws allow 1st degree rapists to plea to a 2nd degree offense which in turn allows them to NOT serve the mandatory 25 year sentence for rape. Instead a parent or guardian must agree to the plea so the victim child does not have to sit in a court room scared to death facing the person that raped her/him.

A child should not be made the victim again in a courtroom. Children, up to a certain age, should be permitted to give testimony from a secured room via live feed into the courtroom. It takes a lot for a child to tell someone has been molesting or raping them, keeping in mind most victims are abused by a family member of family "friend" think about the fear that child has when being put on a witness stand facing a person that very well could have been in their lives since birth.