The Texas State Legal body will attempt to address the problem of sexually violent crimes by working to adopt into its penal code new law. "Continuous abuse of a child", which is abuse of a child in more than one instance over a period of 30 days and Jessica ___ ___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Jasonica Lunsford who was abducted from her home in Florida, sexually assaulted and buried alive. become one adopted similar measures into law.
Jessica & # 39; s Law seeks to accomplish the following:
1. Ensure that all child molesters are put into a prison with a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years or 25 years to life and offers the death penalty for
continuous abuse of a child.
2. Eliminate all "good-time" credits for sex offenders ensuring that these sex offenders are required to serve their own sentence and not released
early for good behavior.
3. Electronically monitoring of convicted sex offenders for life, if they are ever released from prison, through GPS tracking.
4. Create a 2,000 foot "predator-free" zone around schools and parks to prevent sex offenders from living near where children learn and play.
5. Do away with the statute of limitations for testifying against perpetrators.
Currently, the statute only possible victims 10 years after their 18th birthday to file charges against their 18th birthday to file charges against their monsters and rapists. Many of the elements of fear, guilt and shame associated with their experiences, many victims wait until they are in their 40s and 50s to tell and some never tell. According to the Rape And Incest National Network 44% of rape victims are under age 18 and 59% of all rape / sexual assaults go unreported.
Educating the Public
Karen Amacher, Communications Director of the House of the Senate. This is further border out in an interview with an area Dallas resident.
"I have about current restrictions on convicted child molesters and rapist where I have never heard of Jessica" # Law. "When asked if she is thought the death penalty was too harsh a penalty for violent child Thomas replied, "I am concerned because I am concerned because I think people get caught up sometimes without good representation but I do not think the death penalty is too harsh", said Frances Thomas of east Dallas. "People do not care anymore! They are difficulty with re all that they are difficulty with so that they have difficulty with those who have difficulty with them? integration. This writer spoke to many others in the Dallas southwest area with the same or similar. what Jasonica & # 39; s Law is or Continued Sexual Abuse of a Child. uable and important enough to have more public discussion about the issue.
Uphill Journey
Attorney General Greg Abbott and Senator Robert Duel, appearing before the Senate Criminal Justice Committee, refused to back down from their death penalty for violent child sex offenders despite growing opposition. Also testifying were victim advocacy groups and perpetrators who said that the attachment of the death penalty would make it even harder to get convictions and force child victims (who most often are victimized by family members and acquaintances) to testify against them with the knowledge that they will be sending someone to death, said Kelvin Bass (spokesperson for Senator Royce West). Williamson County District Attorney stated he believed the death penalty attachment would even encourage sex offenders to kill their victims (The Statesman).
When asked about the possibility of decentralization with respect to minority sentencing Bass replied, "Senators Ellis and Hinijosa raised this very question with regard to application". It is their content that that minorities will be adversely affected because of adverse representation and other factors which traditionally The United States Supreme Court In Coker vs. Georgia (1977), in a vote of 7 plague lower socio-economic status individuals who find themselves in constitutional challenges. -2 found the death penalty excessively and unconstitutional, citing racial discrimination and discretionality for the crime of raping a 16 year old. The court rule that that those convicted of murder can be put to death.
In an interview with Don Forest, Communications Director for Senator Robert Duel and Legislative Aid responsibly for Jessica ___ ___ ___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ know what the punishment will be .. .. what the punishment will be .. . "
In Summary
"This bill and its substitute were voted successfully out of the criminal Justice Committee and the bills are anticipated to the floor in a couple of weeks." We are confident that by the end of the session that we will get get something out that everyone can come on board with. "He stated further that Senator Duel was listening closely to opponents such as the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault Who is are a bad idea and who are supporting Senate bill 97 and House bill 204 as substitutes for the current bill According to Karen Amacher, Communications Director for TAASA. Senator Robert Deull, a medical doctor, was tapped by Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst to lead the charge for sponsorship of this bill. It will be offered as a part of Dewhurst & # 39; s "Texas Children & # 39; s First "program.
In Texas, 1.9 million adult Texans (1,479,912 female and 372,394 male) or 13% of adult Texans have been sexually assaulted at some point in their lifetime (Institute on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault at The University of Texas at Austin, 2003). translates to roughly one rape every 1 hour and 1 minute (Texas Crime Clock; Crime in Texas 2005).
