First, they came for the sex offenders
In TN, the state will monitor sexual offenders. Monitor being a nice euphemism for forbidding them from doing certain things:
The offenders cannot answer the door for trick-or-treaters, pass out candy, decorate their homes, host Halloween parties or wear costumes. Attending corn mazes, haunted houses, hayrides or other seasonal activities is not permitted.
I’m no lawyer but this, to me, seems like a slam dunk case.
October 28th, 2011 at 9:35 am
So the state thinks the can rape the sex offenders… Nice.. Problem is whenever the state does something this stupid they end always pick up the soap in the end.
October 28th, 2011 at 9:36 am
http://techliberation.com/2009/08/08/rethinking-sex-crimes-and-sex-offender-registries/
October 28th, 2011 at 12:14 pm
I dunno, the SCOTUS has always agreed with the States imposing “restricted Fourth Amendment rights” as a condition of probation/parole.
What needs to be looked at is the serfdom that probation entails nowadays. Having worked in the criminal justice system for 25 years, I can tell you that very few probationers could rise to meet all the challenges of their conditions of probation, and the District Attorneys could ALWAYS find some cause to return a probationer to jail.
Probation/parole needs to be simplified, and put into a lock-box by the SCOTUS, so it can’t be abused.
October 28th, 2011 at 1:56 pm
The real problem is that the “sex offender” rules apply to you even if you finished your sentence/probation etc and if you were convicted before the rules were even in place. But as we all know, if it’s “for the children” any rationality is lost.
October 28th, 2011 at 2:56 pm
Look gang, I do HATE PEDOPHILES but….
This is just stupid.
Now on the sex offender databases I’ve seen about 1/2 of then are 16 year old kids that had sex with kids who were 15 or so. Yea thats statutory rape.
So they can’t answer the door?
I mean this is STUPID.
October 28th, 2011 at 3:49 pm
I think they do the same in Texas. They tell the Sex Offenders that they aren’t allowed to put their light on for Halloween or hand out candy and they send people to drive by houses to make sure the porch lights are off.
October 28th, 2011 at 4:06 pm
The state needs criminals.
October 28th, 2011 at 5:13 pm
Behold the miracle of democracy! Rights? You got no rights if enough of us say you don’t, pal.
October 29th, 2011 at 1:09 am
Shit, we got ‘three strikes'[25 to life] prisoners for getting busted with maryjawana three times.
October 29th, 2011 at 12:27 pm
If they are still dangerous, then why are they not in prison?
This whole “felon” business stinks. Especially now when you can be a felon for draining a mud puddle on your back forty, or 10,000 other stupid things.
October 29th, 2011 at 11:03 pm
Kristopher: I wish it was only 10,000 things, last I saw, they’d lost count of the felony laws. Because when the guys that just have to count the laws throw up their hands and say “Fuck it, we don’t know anymore,” that’s totally cool. *shudder