Fayette | News

Ramsey supports sex offender restrictions

Tue, 01/22/2008 - 4:49pm
By: John Munford

State Rep. Matt Ramsey, R-Peachtree City, said last week that he supports a bill that forbids registered sex offenders from living, working or volunteering near any child care facility, church, school or other area where minors congregate.

The bill was approved last week by the Judiciary (non-civil) Committee on which Ramsey sits.

The bill is in response to a ruling striking down a similar law that went into effect last year. That law was overturned by the Georgia Supreme Court in November.

The new law includes a provision that would allow sex offenders, after being notified of a violation, 10 days to prove to the local sheriff they were living or working at the location in question before the day care, church, school or other area was established.

Such proof could come in the form of documentation such as the property deed, an IRS W-2, pay check or notarized verification of employment from the person’s employer.

Anyone violating the law would be guilty of a felony and be punished by 10 to 30 years in prison.

The law defines “area where minors congregate” to include all public parks and recreation facilities, playgrounds, skating rinks, neighborhood centers, gymnasiums, school bus stops, public libraries and public and community swimming pools.

“As a parent with two pre-school-age children, I believe this measure is an appropriate and responsible step towards ensuring the protection of our children from dangerous sexual predators,” Ramsey said. “These new modifications to our current laws regarding residency restrictions of convicted sexual predators should satisfy the concerns of the Georgia Supreme Court while also maintaining a safe distance between areas where our children play and where these convicted sex offenders live or work.”

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Hey Lawyer Ramsey
Git Real's picture
Submitted by Git Real on Thu, 01/24/2008 - 1:54pm.

How about a bill requiring predator loving district attorneys to either prosecute and jail them to the fullest extent of the law or get the heck out of the way and let someone who actually cares about their innocent victims more than they do the molesters?

I don't think any of Scott Ballard's Predator victims lived anywhere near his hideout off Old Greenville. I tend to agree with Tim P, that it appears that this legislation is merely a feel good action. Tougher enforcement and keeping them off the streets in the first place should be the goal,

________
In regards to Democrats, Republicans, gangs, and other scads of coterie Kool-Aide drinkers; Remember this..... Eagles Don't Flock


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Sex Offender living location
Submitted by Tim P on Thu, 01/24/2008 - 1:00pm.

First let me say I have had over 25 years in Law Enforcement. And I have been very involved with sex offender laws. Now let me say that study after study showes that were a sex offender lives has nothing to do with how a victim is picked. If they realy wanted to protect childern they would make school safety zones were sex offenders could not hang around. But not tie that to were the sex offender lives. Now as to victims selection the US Dept. Of Justice study showes that over 90% of sex victims know very well and trust the offender and over 50% of them are family member. So does a sex offender registry help stop a sex crime. The numbers again do not support that in that over 95% of sexual assaults and rapes are commited by a person with no prior arrest record for a sex crime. Also the numbers again say that sex offenders as a group have one of the lowest recidivism rates amoung all criminals. I am not saying to do away with sex offender registrys. I am saying testing is avalible that should be required by law of ALL KNOWN sex offenders to see how likely they are to re-offend. Then place only those with the highest likely hood to re-offend on sex offender registrys. Tim P.

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That's CRAZY!
Submitted by Carolina76Girl on Thu, 01/24/2008 - 2:02pm.

Tim P says.....place only those with the highest likely hood to re-offend on sex offender registrys. Tim P.

If you committed a SEX crime, then you should be on the registry.

I'm not debating the he was 18; she was 15 issue, that's another argument all together.

We have bigger fish to fry!

As a mother, woman, and concerned citizen, I want all the information possible to be able to protect my family! The knowledge that a predator is living near me is a serious tool.

I do worry, that if those boundary lines are drawn around the schools, etc, then the homes in those areas, as a consequence become higher priced, and the sex offenders are allowed to lurk in med-low income families...which YOUR statistics will show usually mean 1 parent, or both parents work.

I do worry about the builders who have put their livelihood on the line to develop a subdivision and a sexual predator is then allowed to move in to his/her family home. Who would want to move in to that subdivision after that occurs? Who does that builder turn to when everything in the development is lost? Who do the home owners, that already live there, turn to now? They want their children away from the sexual predator! who would buy a house knowing a predator lives 2 doors away?

When did America decide it was alright for the criminal to have more rights than the innocent?

School safety zones you say? Children have to ride the bus?

All your statistics aren't solving the problem, so come up with a test that actually saves a life.

There's no easy answer for this issue, but giving the criminal more freedom and more rights is the wrong direction.

I'm sorry if I've offended you Tim, but the thought of more tax money going to test criminals, and then certain ones passing, and being allowed to no longer be on the registry just upsets me.

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