LA: Sex offender’s offer of lollipops to children at school bus stop leads to new state law
When law enforcement officers with the Bossier Sheriff’s Office and the Shreveport District Office of Probation and Parole brought attention to a convicted sex offender’s offer of candy to children at a school bus stop in Bossier Parish, it led to an addition to state law.
House Bill 111, passed by the legislature and signed by the governor, went into effect Friday and prohibits convicted sex offenders from coming within 500 feet of a school bus stop from 6 a.m. until 9 a.m. and from 2 p.m. until 5 p.m. It passed the Louisiana Senate by a 38-0 vote and the House by 96-0.
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So many of these laws start with a report from law enforcement that’s not subject to adversarial testing, so who knows what actually happened. As an attorney, I can’t tell you the number of times that I’ve seen what’s in the initial police report turn out to be partially or completely bogus.
That said, at least the law makes allowance for living so it won’t make people homeless. But it seems that, since according to the report, bus stops change all the time and aren’t clearly marked, that screams vagueness challenge to me. If people don’t know where the bus stops are, and thus cannot know what the law prohibits, how are they supposed to follow it?
@GUY
They will come back with the old adage of “Ignorance of the law is no excuse”. Seems like a broad statement meant to override innocence and put more people in jail. Would be interesting to see the statistics of all people in the U.S who have an arrest in their past.
I do know the amount of people in jails and prisons in the U.S is staggering. While one judge may send someone to jail for speeding, and another judge gives someone probation for robbery. That is why I always say the judge you get at sentencing matters and with a few exceptions, you do not have much choice in the matter unless you request a change of venue and that is not always approved.
The issue is “Coming Within 500 feet”. So now you are driving to work, and you the light turns red, you are rear ended right next to a bus stop. The police come to take the accident report and *bam* Violation. Are the residents of LA supposed to alter their commutes or daily routes to stay 500 feet away?
this doesn’t even seem plausible, a convicted offender went out of his way to go to a bus stop and offer candy to children and just happen to be caught in the act. Sounds manufactured, like someone in the government didn’t like the fact that that act is nearly unheard of and inconceivable, so they sent in a decoy to perpetrate the act to justify the bill. And why the specific times, why not a blanket prohibition like is the usual in every other incident across the states?
IMO, Manufactured Perp Fear
Perp fear is not Manufactured, it’s REAL
I agree. Perp fear IS real but perp danger is not. The fears of many regarding former sex offenders are not generally based on objective data. Former sex offenders rarely reoffend sexually and the vast majority of sex offenses against children are committed by family or other trusted associates. Rather than agonizing over registrants, we would be better off keeping an eye on those at our backyard barbecue.
The Karen and Kevins of the world would have registrants punished for owning a Weber grill. The fear is unreasonable.
Why does one damn person have to ruin things for everyone else who are in compliance? This is why it is so hard to get off the registry. Judges use a general rule that we all have a high rate of risk and recidivism which is total B.S.
Every time I think we are closer than ever to get a win, we ultimately get three or four setbacks instead, mostly because someone messing it up for those of us who are not stepping out of line.
Honestly – not going near school bus stops should be a best practice. Who of us really cares? Is this the hill anyone wants to die on? Anyone who really cares about their right to hand out candy to kids at school bus stops or is worried about being prohibited from being around them is probably reason to have this law. Sure, if you have a child in school and want to drop them off at the bus stop so you don’t leave your 5 year old sitting alone on a street corner, this is something to care about, but I would hardly count this as a setback.
It feels like a setback from a viewpoint that any negative action on the part of a registrant only reinforces the negative stereotypes and perceptions that the public has. It feels like it’s one step forward two steps back.
No reason for the offender to be at a bus stop period. I agree it does feel like a setback. When one person screws up, a new law comes out that effects everyone on the registry. So, how is that not a setback back? Another law Another rule. It never ends! My opinion,You have people on the registry 27 years or more that have not committed another crime or even a driving ticket, trying to be a law abiding citizen and the new laws just keep coming. So, I feel any new law is a set back. HOW ARE LAWS RETROACTIVELY APPLIED?
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I care and it is definitely another huge setback, because the law plainly states that “prohibits convicted sex offenders from coming within 500 feet of a school bus stop from 6 a.m. until 9 a.m. and from 2 p.m. until 5 p.m.”
This means you could be driving your car through town and violate this ordinance perhaps dozens of times without even knowing it just trying to navigate you your destination. How on earth would one know where all the school bus stops are and how to avoid driving within 500 feet of any of them?
All a cop has to do is sit near a bus stop with his plate reader, wait for a SOR to drive by and wham!, you are in violation and being carted off to jail or prison!!
You do not have to literally be walking or standing at the bus stop with candy bars to be violating the law as written but just come within 500 feet of a bus stop.
These laws are written so hastily and without thought or reason as most are through politization of Sex offender laws, that many of SOR restrictions are untenable and impossible to comply with without violating them.
FAC-3:
You are totally overlooking the effects of this law. Most registrants live within 500 feet of a bus stop in Lowsyanna. This means that they will be in violation of the law twice per day. This law is totally unenforceable.
Highly impractical.