25 yrs-life for actual rape or sodomy of a child and15 yrs-life for attempted rape/sodomy. Do you feel these harsher penalties will deter this crime despite the perpetrators claiming they had "uncontrollable" urges? Perhaps we'll see if these urges were in fact controllable if the crimes decreased becausethe punishment isn't worth the urge. Personally, i will be glad they are off the streets long-term.
2007-12-17 18:28:58 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
What this will do is increase the severity of the crime. Sex is regarded as one of the biggest evils in america today perhaps even more so than murder, and society is in a state of hysteria over it. But harsher penalties will encourage perpetrators to go to harsher lengths to avoid being caught.. 25 years to LIFE? why not kill the "victim" and dump the body?
if the severity of the punishment exceeds that of the crime than the crime will inevitably increase in severity to match that of the punishment.
And it seems possible that this law is aimed at picking on homosexuals as you said 'sodomy'... sodomy in itself is not rape.
2007-12-17 18:36:47 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
The problem with these laws is that they actually make it more difficult to prosecute the cases. Child victims do not make good witnesses. Recent decisions written by Justice Antonin Scalia make clear that criminal defendants will get the opportunity to cross-examine these witnesses (undercutting some laws passed in the 1980s to minimize the trauma of these cases on child victims).
One way that prosecutors had to resolve these cases was to use shorter sentences and then hope that the defendants were later found to be sexually violent predators. At the very least a plea to a seven year sentence assured that the defendant would have to permanently register as a sex offender.
The reality is that no sentence will have a deterrent effect on sex offenders because so few get caught. All that these new laws will do is guarantee that more of these sex offenders will go free by eliminating any risk of going to trial.
2007-12-17 18:42:22 · answer #2 · answered by Tmess2 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think that is a really good bill personally. Why would an adult rape a child in the first place? If they think like that then of course they should be locked up for a long time. I know I wouldn't want anyone raping my children.
And if they do it once, there is a good chance they might just do it again.
2007-12-17 20:23:59 · answer #3 · answered by countrygal8423 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I hope the rest of the country follows and with even harsher measures... Mental sickness as that one must be eradicated as they do to problematic mental patients... In an institution for life? Well, that's where they belong and not among free society.
2007-12-17 18:36:25 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have a problem with it.
The penalty for raping a child is now, effectively, the same as that for killing one.
Since a murder is in general far harder to prosecute than a child molestation, because of the lack of witness testimony, I see a potential for an increase in molestors whose victims say "I'm going to tell Mommy" killing the victim.
Richard
2007-12-17 18:38:42 · answer #5 · answered by rickinnocal 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
While it will be good to have them off of the streets for a while, a bullet would make sure they did not offend again.....ever! I'd rather see them dead, but since that's not likely, this may be the best we can do for now.
2007-12-17 18:39:21 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
the law is not that harsher enough for me..
it is nothing to the law here in
Philippines were rapist always get death penalty
if convicted...
peace out.. ^_^v
2007-12-17 19:08:17 · answer #7 · answered by Christopher 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Good
2007-12-17 18:32:26 · answer #8 · answered by NickynJessie H 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋