Folks, Where Do You Think The Daily Times Came Up With This One?

Maryland's House of Delegates did good work this past week in passing no fewer than eight pieces of legislation that are designed to protect children from convicted sexual offenders. The bills now before the state Senate include measures that more clearly define offenses that present a danger to the community as well as more stringent sentencing guidelines or mandates. The need for better state laws that deal with child sex offenders was made abundantly clear during the Christmas holiday, when 11-year-old Sarah Foxwell was abducted from her bedroom and murdered by a convicted sexual offender who was not at the time incarcerated.

It is now up to the Maryland Senate to approve these measures. They need to be enacted as a passage -- although certainly not without discussion, debate and full understanding on the part of lawmakers --because provisions in some bills may be significantly weakened if certain companion bills are also enacted.

One of the bills, House Bill 1046, sponsored by Delegate Norm Conway, D-38B, Wicomico, would require a judge, not a District Court commissioner, be responsible for authorizing or denying pretrial release of a registered sex offender. But without companion legislation to make pertinent information about the defendant available, some offenders who pose a threat to the community could be erroneously released pending trial. Therefore, under this bill, someone accused --but not convicted -- of sexually assaulting a minor child could be held until trial if deemed by a judge to pose a threat to the community.

Eight bills have moved from House to Senate; they include provisions to disallow time off for "good behavior" on the part of inmates convicted of specific sexual crimes against children. Thus, someone convicted of molesting children under a certain age would no longer be able to earn an early release. Other provisions provide a longer period of monitoring for certain offenders, as well as adding restrictions on where they may work, live or loiter.

Provisions of the various bills include more clearly defining criminal acts that indicate a true threat, as opposed to offenses that, while clearly in violation of the law, do not necessarily pose a threat to innocent children (such as consensual acts between teenagers of certain ages).

We hope the Senate will continue the good work started by the House of Delegates, with a goal of better protecting our children.

The Daily Times