The final version of SB 714, sponsored by Sen. John Loudon, R-St. Louis County, calls for the following:
1. Any person required to register as a sexual offender under sections 589.400 to 589.425 shall be required on October thirty-first of each year to:
(1) Avoid all Halloween-related contact with children;
(2) Remain inside his or her residence between the hours of 5 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. unless required to be elsewhere for just cause, including but not limited to, employment or medical emergencies;
(3) Post a sign at his or her residence stating, "No candy or treats at this residence"; and
(4) Leave all outside residential lighting off during the evening hours after 5 p.m.
The bill primarily deals with such items as the sex offender registration list and sexual crimes against children on the internet. The Halloween portion of the bill came from an amendment offered by Sen. Brad Lager, R-Maryville.
You know, maybe we should require all these preditors to dress in pink coveralls with a big "Sexual Offender" stamped on the back and have "Sexual Offender" stenciled on their cars, their houses and everything else they own. Why should we ever take a chance on these guys again?
ReplyDeleteDo you have any idea how restricted sex offenders already are on where they can live, work, go. Whom has to be notified etc. Even years after they have served there time.
ReplyDeleteYet not one piece of research has shown this to have any affect on the safety of the kids, as most are molested by people they know that are not on the lists.
What about the fact that fewer first time sex offenders reofend with a 2nd similar offense than any other type crime except murder.
Or that Teachers, Priests, Scout Leaders etc that went into that field to have access to the children are not on the list and so none of these rules apply even though they PLANNED to do it in some instances years in advance.
That an 18 year old that licks his 16 year old girlfriends chest could be placed on the list and banned from Halloween Activities.
Shouldn't everyone ever convicted of a DWI have to stay off the roads on Halloween because there are more kids out after dark that are hard to see, and numbers show that something like 80% drive drunk again, many while on suspended licenses.
What about all the drug convictions. Do you want your kid going up to a house where the guy is crazed on some drug and puts stuff in the halloween bag that gets your kid high or sick. FAR MORE chance of that from him than a sex offender.
This is just one more of those stupid rules that give people a false sense of security but actually does nothing.
If the parents want there kids to be safe, teach them well and supervise their Halloween. There is no law that helps make up for Stupid or Lazy.
Well now does this mean that if anyone eggs the house or pranks it or worse with those signs out there the Police will enforce this as a Hate crime? After all the perpetrators obviously could have seen the signs and been out targeting them.
ReplyDeleteHow can government demand a greater penalty (house confinement) for an amendment to a law which was not passed at the time of the offense. On top of that, is now mandatory for someone who has an SIS (not a conviction) and is on this list to this house imprisonment and now cannot enjoy taking out their own children for Halloween...and the Scarlett letter on the door -
ReplyDeletethe next step, make all of "them" stay home on major holidays. Next it will be all weekends. Now do you think that could cause an offender to go underground and be more likely to offend?
I say lets make a list for all offenses: Murder, Drunk Driving, Embezzlement, Spousal abuse, tax evasion - lets just post everything out there - your personal tax records...and restrict the driving for all former drunk drivers to the home after 5pm each Friday and Saturday night. But that would include some of our state senators, reps and even judges...i see - it will take a politician who had been an offender to protect the Rights (yes I said rights) that are for all Americans -
Do you realize that the statics of the recidivism of an offender is highly contested - by the experts...and those statics are the only reason the laws where passed.
Has anyone ever herd of the ACLU - yes they protect our constitutional rights....and "those" people who are made to stay at home tonight protect you...in the medical field, the law enforcement field, and various others...yes even the military.