Wisconsin High Court: Lifetime GPS Monitoring Not Punishment

The Wisconsin Supreme Court says a judge wasn’t required to tell a man he would face a lifetime of GPS monitoring upon pleading guilty to child sex crimes because such monitoring is a public safety measure, not a form of punishment.

A Wisconsin judge wasn’t required to tell a man he would face a lifetime of GPS monitoring upon pleading guilty to child sex crimes because such monitoring is a public safety measure, not a form of punishment, the state Supreme Court ruled Friday.

The court concluded in a rare 7-0 decision that monitoring is designed to protect the public rather than punish the offender further.

“(Lifetime monitoring) provides a middle ground between releasing dangerous sex offenders into the public wholly unsupervised and civil commitment,” Justice Michael Gableman wrote in the ruling. “In light of the ‘frightening and high’ rate of recidivism for sex offenders, the relatively minimal intrusion of lifetime GPS tracking … is not excessive in relation to protecting the public.”

READ MORE


Discover more from Florida Action Committee (FAC)

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

43 thoughts on “Wisconsin High Court: Lifetime GPS Monitoring Not Punishment

  • May 20, 2018

    Another weak-kneed and brain dead judge (Gableman) quoting that OLD and denounced (and withdrawn by its own author) statement about “frightening and high.”

    Reply
  • May 20, 2018

    The better question is, how much more liberty and freedoms will the American people sacrifice for the sake of more “safety?” Do they really think the government cares about making the general public safer from “fake boogeymen” (i.e. lurking stangers, terrorists, and other dangers that statistically have a low chance of happening)? No. They won’t stop until they have total control over every aspect of our lives. That is the bigger picture here. And the state Supreme Courts and the US S.C. all support it, as you can see. We’ve lost our country that our forefathers gave us folks. The sooner you admit this to yourself, the better off you’ll be and the sooner you can do something about it. Trying to change things peacefully in the courts doesn’t really look like it’s going to go to the average American citizen’s advantage, but rather, whatever the judges and lawmakers decide they want for you and me. Just sayin.

    **Telling someone they have to have a monitor for life for the sake of public safety……..sheesh…..yeah, I’m sure that’s what the Stasi told the European Jews. “Here, we need you to wear this yellow star of David on your clothes everywhere you go so the general public can be safer. You want people to be safe around you don’t you?” Unbelievable. R.I.P. America: 1776-present day

    Reply
    • May 21, 2018

      Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.

      Reply
      • May 21, 2018

        Benjamin Franklin is the only founding father to have signed all four of the key documents establishing the U.S.: the Declaration of Independence (1776), the Treaty of Alliance with France (1778), the Treaty of Paris establishing peace with Great Britain (1783) and the U.S. Constitution (1787).

        https://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/benjamin-franklin

        Ben would die of sorrow if he could see what has happened to the paradise he helped to create. I hope this case is appealed to SCOTUS.

        Reply
    • May 21, 2018

      Agree 100% thank you.

      Reply
  • May 20, 2018

    I get more confused everyday about recidivism rates 4 prior sex offenders. Can it be that the sex offenders in Wisconsin are the only ones in the United States that reoffend or recommit sex offenses? Where do these judges get their statistics that shows a high recidivism rate in their state. I noticed that they do not quote any study 2 bolster their claim of higher reoffending by sex offenders!!! Is there not a definitive study showing the numbers ?

    Reply
  • May 20, 2018

    What utter bullshit! Tell you what…have that judge Michael Gableman wear one and then ask him 15 years later if that was not punishment!

    Add to that the bold faced LIE “Justice Michael Gableman wrote in the ruling. “In light of the ‘frightening and high’ rate of recidivism for sex offenders, the relatively minimal intrusion of lifetime GPS tracking … is not excessive in relation to protecting the public.”

    If you are going to be a judge then you really should have your facts correct and not just use hearsay as the basis for making choices that effect countless others.

    This is the sort of incompetent judge that should be removed from his position.

    Reply
    • May 21, 2018

      My son wore one for dating a minor, she was17. He was 22. The PO kicked him out of our home, we paid over $6k on hotels cuz she wouldnt let him stay in most cities, Im still paying this Visa bill. Point is, not a punishment??? His ankle was RAW and constantly bleeding from the ‘braclet’. These judges and PO officers should have to wear one for a week.

      He was homeless in hotels for 2 months until some kind person took a “chance on him” as a roommate in his apartment. Still they left that bracelet on him until the PO thought ‘he was settled in’. It was on for 3 months!

      I cannot imagine having to wear that for life, very very unfair.

      Reply
  • May 20, 2018

    Oh no, not another ignorant determination utilizing the “frightening and high rate of recidivism” excuse. When are these judges going to get an education on this subject before they continue to ruin lives and families? I have a a GPS monitor on me…for saying ‘good morning’ to a neighbor’s son with both his and his parent’s approval, but the ‘disapproval’ of a nosy neighbor…for over nine years and the nerves in both of my ankles have been damaged. The monitor has not been on my right ankle for about four years and I can still feel it as though it was there. I can’t go swimming or scuba diving because of GPS and I occasionally get awaken in the middle of the night to go outside to reestablish contact. I can’t even go to parts of my home without having to carry the ‘mini-brick’ with me. Don’t tell me it’s not punishment.

    Reply
    • May 21, 2018

      I am so sorry for your situation.

      Reply
  • May 20, 2018

    What’s it going to take to kill this “frightening and high” lie?

    Reply
    • May 20, 2018

      The US Supreme Court to hear another SO case.

      Reply
    • May 20, 2018

      Studies have shown that 9 out of 10 judges are mentally unbalanced.

      I was told by someone my friend knew who read that in some magazine somewhere so it must be true. From now on this is the official statistic – everyone agree?

      Let’s not question the number or source but just use it as a FACT!

      Reply
    • May 21, 2018

      For one thing from here on out the Supreme Court is not going to hear any cases. They are going to leave them all to the individual States. To drag all out and keep the confusion.while not having to commit themself one way or the other.

      Reply

Comment Policy

  • PLEASE READ: Comments not adhering to this policy will be removed.
  • Be patient. All comments are moderated before they are published. This takes time.
  • Stay on topic. Comments and links should be relevant to this post.
  • *NEW* CLICK HERE if you have an off-topic comment or link.
  • Be respectful. Do not attack, abuse, or threaten. This includes cussing/yelling (ALL CAPS).
  • Cite. If requested, cite any bold or novel claims of fact or statistics, or your comment may be moderated.
  • *NEW* Be brief. If you have a comment of over 2,000 characters, please e-mail it to us for consideration as a member submission.
  • Reminder: Opinions and statements in comments are neither endorsed nor verified by FAC.
  • Moderation does not equal censorship. See this post for more information

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *