Obama Delays Release of Sex Offenders
April 3rd, 2009 at 7:26 pm - by Tom Prout
Chief Justice John Roberts on Friday granted a request of U.S. President Barack Obama to block the release of up to 77 sex offenders; some of the 77 offenders in question were set to be released as early as next week without this intervention by the U.S. Supreme Court. The federal appeals court in Richmond, Virginia, previously invalidated a law allowing indefinite incarceration of perceived “sexually dangerous” inmates.
When Congress enacted a law permitting the indefinite commitment of sex offenders, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals claimed that the decision was beyond the bounds of Congressional powers. The appeal was brought forth by several convicted sex offenders: four men serving terms of three to eight years for a variety of charges, such as possession of child pornography or sexual abuse of a minor. Though the four men were due to be released over two years ago, their incarceration was extended due to a perceived risk of repeat offending.
The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act was signed into law in 2006 by then-President George W. Bush, authorizing civil commitment of such offenders. The act also implemented a national sex offender registry, revised punishments for certain federal crimes, and increased protection laws on child pornography; the act is named after the son of “America’s Most Wanted” host John Walsh, and was signed into law 25 years, to the day, of Adam Walsh’s abduction from a shopping mall in Florida.
The Obama administration is arguing that the legislation is Constitutionally acceptable and is therefore within Congress’ power.
April 5, 2009 at 10:00 AM
My problem with President Obama is not that he won’t effect meaningful changes in how financial business is done in the United States, and globally with other nations, or that he won’t do his best to lift the human condition in America and try to make the playing field more balanced. It is that President Obama like the majority of politicians don’t want to publicly touch the idea of modifying or changing bad unregulated sex offender laws.
Status quo will remain in the area of sex offender laws until the public has been re-educated (deprogrammed) from the misinformation and omissions of facts, and the people really understand and agree how wrong many of these laws are as long as they remain as omnibus laws.