You're driving down the street obeying traffic laws and generally being a good citizen, when some idiot kid wanders into traffic.
You slam on the brakes and swerve, missing the kid and leaving a puddle on the car seat.
You have two choices. You can shut up, drive home 5 miles an hour and have a stiff belt. Or you can take a moment to tell the kid how she almost got herself killed and ruined your life forever.
You're better off going with the first option, considering what happened to Barnaby, who went with the second.
This is because the 28-year-old Evanston, Ill., man ended up - and this is not a joke - being officially branded a sex offender.
Read the entire article at: http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050706/OPINION01/507060334/1035/OPINION
All of you say that there is no way for anyone to be labeled as a sex offender for the off the wall things, read this and tell us you still do not believe it could happen.
In the USA, anything goes 2ba SO
2006-06-14 16:40:36 · 15 answers · asked by kiokwus 2 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
Had he hit this child and hurt her, he would have been charged with maybe not having control of his car. Most likely a misdemeanor. Had he hit her and she died, most likely he would have been charged with involuntary manslaughter and maybe 3 to 5 years prison but NO Sex Offender Registration. I guess we all need to remember when kids run out in front of us that we should hit them. Isn't it sad that this country has come to that? And the non voting people are the most to blame.
I hope you all can see this is just one stupid instance for being on the registry. I will try to find some more.
2006-06-17 17:11:12 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Assuming the facts of the article are correct, it appears the prosecutor should have utilized his discretion and NOT filed this case. It almost seems too odd to be true ! I may do a Lexis search on the case and see.
As a prosecutor, I agree that, if the story is factually complete, it is outrageous and not at all the intent of the law.
That said - sexual offender registration laws do serve an important public purpose if utilized the way they are intended.
Okay, I tried to read the case on Lexis, but it doesn't appear to be a reported decision - - so, I guess we'll have to rely upon the newspaper's representation of the facts. The only thing I can tell you is that every story I've been involved with in the media has been inaccurate to some degree. (If someone has a citation, please provide it).
2006-06-14 16:52:10 · answer #2 · answered by MeinOH 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The label is extreme, but Barnaby made a mistake by grabbing the girl by the arm. He did it out of anger, although he had good intentions by getting (and keeping) her attention.
In any court if pressed far enough, everything is broken down to a fundamental level. In this case, the "grabbing" part violates the girl's rights, like it or not. The rest of the situation is not taken into account.
It's an unfortunate circumstance and being labeled as a "sex offender" is completely inapproriate, but his "use of force" had something to do with it...
2006-06-14 16:55:56 · answer #3 · answered by SirCharles 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As it always seems Men pay the price for being of that gender I guess were all just DOGS (wwone-wwtwo-Korea-Viet Nam etc.) cant wait till the women catch up. The draft is coming and they'll be going this time all will finally be truly equal. Anyway my friend had a bee fly under his clothing and he unbuckled his pants to check for the bee. Long story short he is now a sex offender. A bus driver tapping his steering wheel in time to music almost a sex offender (he was proven innocent in a jury trial)
2006-06-14 17:10:50 · answer #4 · answered by wackydac 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What the hell is America coming to?!?! A person can sue anyone for anything and now there's this?! He wanted to help the girl and possibly save her! If just grabbing a kids arm means you're a sex offender then can a mother not grab her child when he or she runs away? Or can I not play tag, or hide and seek with my 2-year cousin?
2006-06-14 16:50:40 · answer #5 · answered by Monty Python 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What Bullshit!! I hope there is some way he can take this to a higher court and fight it or something. Hopefully people feel the same as I and will support him with signs and media attention and such. I f they are going to charge him with that, then what about the 14 yr old. how about charge her with obstructing traffic and who knows maybe she was prosituting right?? What the hell
2006-06-14 16:58:13 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You omitted the part where he got out of his car and took her by the arm, and when she ran away. His intentions start to look a little more questionable at that point.
That said, it DOES seem extreme, at least as the article portrays it.
2006-06-14 16:49:06 · answer #7 · answered by Yoooink! 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Although I agree with you that this instance was incredibly stupid and shame on the judge,but It seems as if the world is being run over with pedophiles lately.Everyone's on a manhunt and paranoid as hell,there's bound to be some screw ups.
2006-06-14 16:49:25 · answer #8 · answered by hippiegirl672003 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
OH MY GOODNESS. That is outrageously crazy! I cannot believe this guy actually had to become a registered sex offender over that!! Whatever happened to kids actually taking responsibility for their actions???
2006-06-14 16:50:10 · answer #9 · answered by ShineOnYouCrazyDiamond 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
that is way beyond too harsh, i suppose from now on the rest of us will just run the kids over, probably get less time that way since sex offender is a life long lable.
2006-06-16 06:06:53 · answer #10 · answered by Sam 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋