Attention

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

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Here's Where We Stand As Of Today On Sex Offender Bills 622 & 254


Yesterday the Senate met until 5:30 PM last night. The House Leaders Frosh and Valerio sent Bills 254 and 622 back to the Senate with a reduction to Bill 622 with a minimum sentence reduced down to 15 years, instead of 20 years.

ALL Senators amended the Bill and sent it back to the House back to 20 years. Mind you Folks, BOTH Bills could have passed yesterday if the Senate would have simply agreed to the 15 years. Currently the Bill is a 5 year minimum sentence, so 15 years would have been a great start and compromise.

HOWEVER, being that this is an election year, no Senator was willing to go on the record as reducing a Sex Offender Bill by 5 years. While I can sympathize with their position, what's more important?????

While I have been told they may have a way to compromise a resolution on Monday, the chances are pretty much slim to none and the Bills could simply get thrown out as if they never existed and this is something we cannot afford.

That being said, I'm heading to Annapolis Monday morning and plan on spending the entire day there to stand up for the legislation presented and hopefully talk some sense into the powers to be to come to a settlement agreement at 15 years.

If YOU are interested in joining me please contact me at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349. If enough people join us I will pull out the Motor Coach and take as many as I can. Remember Folks, this could be an ALL DAY event and could possibly go as late as midnight. We will leave Salisbury at 8:00 AM.

Sarah Foxwell will not have passed in vein. Please go to THIS POST and make contact with our Senators if you cannot attend.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Lay down your pitch forks for a minute and think. Your taking the most hainous crime thats ever happened in our area and trying to lump every case or possibility into one law/bill. You just cant do that. Murder and abduction far out weigh rape charges. It's true that this may never have happened if the accused was still in prison, BUT, this is the judges fault...not the law. There are FAR to many circumstances in each and every case to have a minimum of 15-20years. How many times have you read where a youth was being tried as an adult? How many young lives will be lost do to promiscuous sex? You cannot replace the moral duty and obligations of judges and juries by throwing every case or circumstance into the same punishment.

MD Tax Payer said...

Let us know how serious Maryland Lawmakers take someone pushing their cases who live in Delaware.

Anonymous said...

12:05 I respect your opinion, but can you direct me to the portions of 622 & 254 that are problematic in the way you describe? We need to be much tougher on real predators.

Anonymous said...

12:05: One of the few posts on this site that makes sense. Sounds like this bill casts too wide of a net. So, a 18 year old who gets in trouble for having consensual sex with a 17 year old is the same as Thomas Leggs? I don't think so. The fault does lie with the judges, because it is their job to interpret and enforce the law. Don't like how the current laws are being enforced? Put the heat on the judges and district attorneys.

joe holland said...

12:05 I understand exactly what you are saying!! That being said,that is the dumbest thing anyone with a heart could say!!!!!!!!!!! The whole purpose of the harsh sentence is to try and PREVENT ANYTHING SUCH AS A KISS FROM SOMEONE TO A PERSON THAT YOU CAN NOT TOUCH OR KISS,you are still saying,go ahead,committ your crime and we shall decide if it was that big of a deal or not! The POINT is,you dont do anything that you arent supposed to do,its like you are carying a leash around with a criminal on it and letting them out on it just a little at a time and then stopping it just before they get to go to far so they can only get slapped on the wrist,and the thing of it is, is there shouldnt have to be NO! leash at all!!!! You cant let people start out doing things that are bad because its gona lead to them doing worse and bigger things,and that is just about exactly what you are implying here! Joe id rather have you correct me if I am wrong or dont make any since, because I dam sure arent going to look back to see whatever they have to say.

Anonymous said...

sorry joe can't go. but thanks for taking the lead on this

Anonymous said...

12:05 PM are you a liberal moron??

doug wilkerson said...

They couldnt get any more on one axel.

Anonymous said...

As it reads the bills are insane re the 15 or 20 year minimum even for teenagers having sex with each other. No Senator with a scrap of sense will pass these draconian messes.

Anonymous said...

Trying to present a bill with too many loop holes is stupid! I have never understood why they don't use common sense in advance to prevent such important bills from being passed.
Unfortunately I can't go but truly wish I could. Hopefully there will be some closure to at least one of the two bills.

Anonymous said...

(iv) If the State fails to comply with subsection (d) of this section, 22 the mandatory minimum shall not apply. 23
(d) If the State intends to seek a sentence of imprisonment for not less than 24 [5] 20 years under subsection (c)(2) of this section, the State shall notify the person in 25 writing of the State’s intention at least 30 days before trial.

Anonymous said...

12:o5 Ask a rape victim how bad it is, apparently you have never been raped!

junior21804 said...

In cases involving the rape of a child there needs to be a min-man sentence of life in prison with no release! The innocence and virtue of a child needs to take priority in the minds of all elected officials ans laws need to be put in place to do so!In multiple count cases or extreme cases the DEATH PENALTY needs to be put in place like the pediatrition in lewes, in the Sarah Foxwell case and also in the newest case in Cape Henlopen with the father taping up and raping his own daughter which happened last week!!! how sad is society??

cas said...

I do understand 12:05 comment..but as the other person said...if this is the law..it will make an 18 or 19 year old think about sleeping with someone under 18....it will make ALOT of people think. Just like drinking and driving...Make the law mandatory loss of license for how ever much time. It will make a person think before they act. These laws are to stop this kind of behavior from snow balling....they start out with petty stuff and work up to the hard stuff. I say give them hell on the first offense....SAVE OUR CHILDREN!

Anonymous said...

12:05 this is not the only time this has happened in this area. In 1977, two boys were murdered by a repeat sex offender who was constantly given a slap on the wrist by our court systems. He was wanted by California when he left there and came here to murder those children here in Salisbury. Then over 30 years later a similiar case again with Sarah Foxwell. You are WRONG!

Anonymous said...

Anon 12:05,2:48 and 9:23-- I spoke to Sen. Nancy Jacobs this morning on WBAL radio out of Baltimore. She is the sponsor of the Senate bill. There is a provision in the bill for rape of a child under 13. The so-called "Romeo and Juliet" scenario of teens having consensual sex is not punishable under her bill.

Anonymous said...

What is the fiscal note on this bill? How many more prisons will we need to house these offenders for the mandatory 20 years?

Anonymous said...

"Anon 12:05,2:48 and 9:23-- I spoke to Sen. Nancy Jacobs this morning on WBAL radio out of Baltimore. She is the sponsor of the Senate bill. There is a provision in the bill for rape of a child under 13. The so-called "Romeo and Juliet" scenario of teens having consensual sex is not punishable under her bill."

WRONG! You need to READ the bill. An 18 year old having sex with a 13 month 11 year old girl is going to prison for a minimum of 20 years.