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Gov. Arnold Asks for Tougher Sex Offender Laws

By Jeralyn, Section Crime Policy
Posted on Tue Aug 16, 2005 at 11:16:45 PM EST
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The surest way to tell a politician is in trouble is when all of a sudden he or she jumps on the "get tough on criminals" bandwagon. They see it as a magic carpet ride to re-election. The latest pol to use the ruse: California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. His approval ratings are dropping. His fix: Pander to the public with Tougher sex offender laws.

Tens of thousands of California sex offenders would be forced to wear electronic tracking devices for the rest of their lives under two new bills backed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The bills, which also would boost punishment for a wide range of sex offenses, "will give California the strictest laws and the toughest penalties for the worst crimes,'' he said Tuesday....The governor plans a full-court press to garner support for the bill.

If the legislature won't pass the bills, Gov. Arnold says, he'll take it to the voters. Why bother to have a legislature at all then?

Here's what Gov. Arnie wants, in addition to lifetime monitoring:

  • Bar registered sex offenders from living within 2,000 feet of a school or park.
  • Make possession of child pornography a felony.
  • Allow sexually violent sexual offenders to be committed to a state hospital for an indefinite amount of time.
  • Increase parole time to up to 10 years for some sex offenses.

Department of Justice statistics show that most child victims are assaulted by someone they know, not strangers. Sex offenders who receive treatment in prison are less likely to re-offend than non-sexual offenders.

These laws pander to the public's fear and emotions, and they are not necessary. They are also a hindrance in allowing rehabilitated sex offenders to re-enter society, obtain housing and jobs.

< Jeanine Pirro and Page Six | Justice Dept. Goes Judge Shopping >

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    Gov. Arnold Asks for Tougher Sex Offender Laws | 14 comments (14 topical)
    Re: Gov. Arnold Asks for Tougher Sex Offender Laws (none / 0) (#1)
    by owenz on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:26 PM EST
    Every columnist, reporter, and commentator who covers this story in California should conclude their coverage with the accusations of sexual assault and inappropriate behavior leveled against the Gropenator over the years: http://www.eonline.com/News/Items/0,1,7792,00.html

    Re: Gov. Arnold Asks for Tougher Sex Offender Laws (none / 0) (#2)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:26 PM EST
    Good Morning-- I uesed to visit this site every day, many times a day. I have great respect for Jeralyn Merritt as a defense attorney. Her political instincts--like defending Arnold and fox news commnentators--are often atrocious. For committed liberals living in CA Arnie is a flaming nightmare that a Colorado resident could never begin to understand. The very idea of obviating a legitimate election for recal three months later has, of course, been at total disaster. This place is a total mess. To say Arnie has mortified us hardly describes it. Ever since Jeralyn gushed over him I have been extremely hurt--along with a great many hurts inflicted upon the liberal community by people who damn well should have known better. Have I messed up horribly in this life? Yes? Do I ask people to forgive me? Yes. $100 has just been transferred to the paypal account for TalkLeft. I believe in Jeralyn and the mission of this site. I'm just a hurting liberal, that's all. I do what I can. I'll comment when I can and try to click over every day. Good luck.

    Re: Gov. Arnold Asks for Tougher Sex Offender Laws (none / 0) (#3)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:26 PM EST
    Given Arnold's own Gigi Goyette problem, the Avenging Angel suggests Arnold lay low (so to speak) on this one.

    Re: Gov. Arnold Asks for Tougher Sex Offender Laws (none / 0) (#4)
    by peacrevol on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:26 PM EST
    Arnold lay low? ha

    Re: Gov. Arnold Asks for Tougher Sex Offender Laws (none / 0) (#5)
    by DawesFred60 on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:26 PM EST
    Didn't old arnold have sex with a 16 year old girl (thank god it wasn't a boy ) when he was 19? would that be called rape? i say put arnold in prison it will help him.

    Re: Gov. Arnold Asks for Tougher Sex Offender Laws (none / 0) (#6)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:27 PM EST
    This topic deserves a serious discussion. Are ankle bracelets an effective deterrent to recidivism? If so, what other types of crimes have high recidivism rates?

    Re: Gov. Arnold Asks for Tougher Sex Offender Laws (none / 0) (#7)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:27 PM EST
    Even in the case of Martha Stewart, the authorities really wouldn't have been able to track her very well without the help of Page Six and all the other media outlets. She has gone numerous places outside her proscribed area and the court system would never have known without the media. No way will it work in California with the high number of eligible criminals that would be subjected to the gropenators plan. His poll numbers are down (yay!) he just wants to talk tough.

    Re: Gov. Arnold Asks for Tougher Sex Offender Laws (none / 0) (#8)
    by Joe Bob on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:27 PM EST
    I find the 'cannot live within 2000 feet of a park or school' provision just idiotic. First of all, why not include day care centers, summer camps, shopping malls, rec centers or churches? They're all places where one can find gatherings of children. It just goes to show that whoever came up with this is thinking in terms of symbolic gestures, not effective crime prevention. Our laws and, by extension, our government should be focused on figuring out what works not making people feel good or lulling them into a false sense of security. Secondly, staying outside the 2000' foot boundary means that an offender will be left with few, if any, options in a typical, moderately dense urban area. The result is that some geographically unlucky region ends up as the ex-con ghetto. There are already too many areas, typically inhabited by the poor and racial minorities, that are basically dumping grounds for parolees. It's not something that needs to be exacerbated.

    Re: Gov. Arnold Asks for Tougher Sex Offender Laws (none / 0) (#9)
    by squeaky on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:27 PM EST
    What a tool. Terminal idiot. We should be happy that Arnie is not taking the most effective route to garner his flagging popular support. Maybe that sorta thing doesn't work so well for a lowly gov.

    Re: Gov. Arnold Asks for Tougher Sex Offender Laws (none / 0) (#10)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:27 PM EST
    "The very idea of obviating a legitimate election for recal three months later" The 'legitimate' election was in Nov 02. The 'recall' fraud was in Nov 03. The 'three months' you refer to was more like two months that we were given to acquaint ourselves with the liar and vote-fraud cheat who is now in power. We CAUGHT Diebold stealing the recall and the election. Diebold 'workers' were allowed to change and rearrange vote totals, and the software used in the special election was: 1. Federally untested and uncertified. 2. State untested and uncertified. 3. Installed illegally (without notification to state or county). 4. Removed illegally (without notification, within days of the fake election). So, a coup in CA, with the primary purpose of killing the $11 billion Bustamante lawsuit against ENRON. The lying illegal immigrant who took the governor's post MET WITH KEN LAY (and Michael Milkin) during the actual ENRON (and others) scam/energy crisis. He is also a Karl Rove project going back several years. But, California will survive, but ALL Californians should be fighting for a total resurrection of our voting standards, and the tar and feathering of Diebold and related e-fraud voting companies -- all of which are unsurprisingly owned by Bush-backing Rs.

    Re: Gov. Arnold Asks for Tougher Sex Offender Laws (none / 0) (#11)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:27 PM EST
    Actually, the 'recall' was in October 03.

    Re: Gov. Arnold Asks for Tougher Sex Offender Laws (none / 0) (#12)
    by DawesFred60 on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:27 PM EST
    fight for justice, you can't get serious in some insane social order that allows all thing, when people think its ok to have special rights for some and the political pigs like the word "blameless" when the actions of government like this one become totally bizarre you got to make a joke of it or go mad. sad world that will only end in blood.

    Re: Gov. Arnold Asks for Tougher Sex Offender Laws (none / 0) (#13)
    by Che's Lounge on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:29 PM EST
    Paradox, Good to hear from you. TL, Are you aware that ASs stole 3 billion from the CA educational system? Do you know he wants to make a CA teacher's probationary period be FIVE YEARS? Are you aware of his fanatical antiunion stand? Are you aware of his involvement in, and payments from a MEDIA outlet? Are you aware of his redistricting plans?

    Politians whom use Sex Offenders on their Platform (none / 0) (#14)
    by sky2006 on Mon Dec 04, 2006 at 07:05:57 PM EST
    The US needs a law that states, any politician whom publically states any form of sex offender topic, will be charged with a class A felony.  They are as guilty as any criminal by taking advantage of victimized children.  They stand on the backs of these children and not only use this for their own gain, re-victimize the children by doing this.  

    We DON'T need more laws... we need to simply enforce the same laws that are on the books since the 1940's!

    Gov. Arnold Asks for Tougher Sex Offender Laws | 14 comments (14 topical)