do you really know your neighbor?

[nvrenuf]

Oh...buckethead...you mean that isn't the purpose of these forums? Based on most of the threads I read that really isn't evident.

[Springfield Girl]

Just curious. If there is proof someone is innocent or if there is a case of 2 underage kids why would cops pursue the case or why would attorneys prosecute? I would also think a judge could wade through the mess. Are the cops, attorneys and judges all wrong?

[ChriswUfGator]

Just curious. If there is proof someone is innocent or if there is a case of 2 underage kids why would cops pursue the case or why would attorneys prosecute? I would also think a judge could wade through the mess. Are the cops, attorneys and judges all wrong?

There is no discretion provided for by statute, for that to be possible.

The laws are overarching, and include mandatory minimum sentencing requirements, etc. Once a complaint is made, the SA and Judge really have no choice but to simply connect the dots, no matter how badly the situation may reek of injustice. Jail time is flatly required, as is forced registration on the sex offender registry, with no discretion being left to the court.

Unless the defendant can somehow demonstrate that the birth date printed on his license is incorrect or something, then what do you expect to happen? This area of criminal law is a perfect example of why the legislature should never take away a court's discretion to wade through these things.

[Springfield Girl]

I had no idea someone under 18 could be convicted. I assumed, I guess like many that this only happened if one person was over 18. What is the percentage of underage kids that get prosecuted for this?

[Springfield Girl]

I guess I should add this to the list of new things to warn my kids about.

[Springfield Girl]

Why aren't people trying to change the legislation if in case these convictions are happening?

[Ernest Street]

In my Jax experience, if a law doesn't effect them or someone they know...they don't care (or even care to discuss it for that matter)

[ChriswUfGator]

Why aren't people trying to change the legislation if in case these convictions are happening?

The legislation has changed almost constantly, that's actually part of the problem.

Revisions intended to fix one problem have tended to create 5 more. Especially problematic is the involvement in sexual politics of the religo-lobby, which loves drawing lines in the sand and taking a "hang 'em high!" attitude towards anyone who might cross one, even if only by accident.

The really ridiculous thing about it is that most of the "offenders" on these registries were convicted under some prior iteration of these laws, and for a lot of them, their acts probably wouldn't even be illegal under the current law. But because they were already convicted of a sex crime, good luck getting off that list.

The guy the JSO detective referred to in the article I posted earlier is a perfect example of this. He was 18 when he had sex with his 17 year old girlfriend, at a time when 18 was the legal age of consent in Florida. And he was convicted for it, and placed on the list of registered sex offenders. For life.

It doesn't matter that he's still married to that same woman today, and they're both in their 40's. And it doesn't matter that, under our current law, his actions wouldn't have been illegal in the first place. He was convicted, so he *must* be a "baby-raper", and now he's damned well gonna stay on that list! Cause' HE needs to think about MY kids before he goes raping babies next time!

As you've seen in this thread, peoples' attitudes and hostility towards this issue are really surprising.

[ChriswUfGator]

In my Jax experience, if a law doesn't effect them or someone they know...they don't care (or even care to discuss it for that matter)

+1

[Johnny]

In my Jax experience, if a law doesn't effect them or someone they know...they don't care (or even care to discuss it for that matter)

+1

Yeah, because that's not the case in any other city... Damn Jacksonvillians

[ChriswUfGator]

I guess we can add another sex offender to the list...

Guy was arrested for making coffee naked in his own kitchen, in his own house, first thing after getting out of bed in the morning. Some woman walking by outside saw him through his own window, now he's charged with indecent exposure:

Man Charged After Making Coffee Naked

FOX 5 Exclusive

Published : Tuesday, 20 Oct 2009, 12:10 AM EDT

Will
Thomas
By WILL THOMAS/myfoxdc

SPRINGFIELD, Va. - A Springfield, Virginia man is facing an indecent exposure charge after a passerby spotted the man naked in his kitchen and reported it to police.

Eric Williamson, 29, is a commercial diver who grew up in Hawaii and rents home with several co-workers. Williamson told FOX 5's Will Thomas his roommates were not home and he walked into the kitchen to make coffee about 5:30 a.m. Monday.

"Yes, I wasn't wearing any clothes but I was alone, in my own home and just got out of bed. It was dark and I had no idea anyone was outside looking in at me," Williamson said.

The complaint came from an unidentified woman who was walking with a 7-year-old boy. A Fairfax County Police spokesman said officers arrested Williamson for indecent exposure because they believe he wanted to be seen naked by the public.

Officer Bud Walker said officers also consulted the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office and they were given the green light to proceed with the charge.

Williamson, who is father of a 5-year old girl, said he feels like the victim.

"I am a loving dad. Any of my friends and anyone knows that and there is not a chance on this planet I would ever, ever, ever do anything like that to a kid," he said.

Williamson is meeting with a lawyer to fight the charge and may attempt to seek damages from Fairfax County Police. If convicted on the misdemeanor charge, he would face up to one year in jail and a $2,000 fine.

END

http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/news/local/101909_man_caught_making_coffee_naked_faces_charges#

Oh yeah, he's the father of a 5-year old girl. She's going to have fun explaining why Daddy's a "sex offender" at school.

[braeburn]

I used to work with a guy who was trying to get into medical school and went out one night. He met this girl at a bar, but she was underage. I guess he presumed she was old enough, given the fact that she was consuming alcohol in a bar...

Well anyhow, they go to a hotel, get it on, and she gets in trouble with her parents the next day. Then the guy gets arrested and goes to jail and is now a "predator" for the rest of his life. He can't become a doctor now, either.

Better check someone's ID before you invite them in and put up the "Do not disturb" sign.... but wait, the ID could be a fake too... hmmm..

[mtraininjax]

He can't become a doctor now, either.

If the crime took place in FL, he can go somewhere else, Alabama comes to mind and apply for his healtcare license and get one, as many states are allowing healthcare professionals with records to apply in their states, so long as the offense did not take place in their state. Scary, but many states are desperate for professionals and the revenue that comes from the State and Fed government.

Follow the money...

[Springfielder]

I guess we can add another sex offender to the list...

Guy was arrested for making coffee naked in his own kitchen, in his own house, first thing after getting out of bed in the morning. Some woman walking by outside saw him through his own window, now he's charged with indecent exposure:

First of all, why in the world is this guy standing in his kitchen naked, when there must not be curtains or shades to keep from being seen by anyone outside. Who cares that he wants to make coffee naked, that's his privilege, but it's stupid of him to do so when he can be seen from outside.

We all know that the law needs to be revisited and make it so those who get caught up in stupid acts like this, or some of the other stupid acts don't haunt them for the rest of their lives. However, at some point, people simply have to think about what they're doing and take responsibility for their own actions.

This constant bringing up cases like this is useless...if it bothers you that people are being tagged as sex offenders, when you feel they are not...then petition the law makers to change the laws.

I'm thankful to not know anyone that was stupid or reckless with their sexual actions, that would've landed them charged with a sexual offense. I can't say that I feel sorry for those who have, it's called doing the right thing and not leaving yourself or opening up yourself to the possibility of violating the law.

[Gonzo]

And as far as the teenage scenario, they know the law, so tough-cookies. Hold out till your 18, esp. if you have crazy strict parents.

BY that reckoning, most people who had any kind of a dating life in high school should be branded a sex offender. The case of a senior dating a freshman or sophmore would be tantamount to rape.

Should schools enforce a no dating outside of your class rule? Should they disallow couples from coming to dances when one of them is younger than the other -- even if by only a month? This would deprive teenagers of learnng important social interaction rules. Granted, sex among teenagers shold be discouraged, but do you really think that two kids making out in the back seat at the local Lovers Lane deserves to be called a sex crime?

If so, lock me up because I am guilty of just such offeneses. While I was high school senior I dated a sophomore, while a freshman in college I dated a high school senior. It was considered normal, when did that change?

Our society has a tendancy to over react and that catches a lot of people in the middle. It is ludicris to beleive that teenagers will not sneak off to make out and even more so to criminalize it. As the parent of two teenage girls, and while I find that the thought of boys with my daughters makes my blood boil, I realize that they are going to have boyfriends. Is there a line which must be drawn? Yes, but it must be reasonable. Punishing two high school kids for necking is going too far. Punishing a 21-year-old man for sleeping with a 16-year-old girl is reasonable.