Ohio considers special license plates for sex offenders

[Thom Little]

Two state lawmakers want violent and repeat sex offenders to have to use specially colored license plates similar to those required for some people convicted of driving drunk.

The tag should keep convicted sex offenders from idling near playgrounds and parks by making them more noticeable, said Rep. Michael DeBose, a Cleveland Democrat.

Ohio has toughened its regulations on registered sex offenders in recent years, banning them from living near schools and approving funding to monitor some violent offenders with global tracking devices.

The ramped-up restrictions have angered some sex offenders who say they're being kept from returning to normal lives.

But Sen. Kevin Coughlin, a Cuyahoga Falls Republican, said the license plate legislation is not intended to ostracize them in scarlet-letter fashion. It's simply a way to make Ohioans more cautious by letting them know when some sex offenders are near, he said.


http://www.cleveland.com/newsflash/cleveland/index.ssf?/base/news-21/113433114688630.xml&storylist=cleveland

[CatholicEdHead]

1. Would this be cruel and unsual punishment?

Will this "scarlet letter" treatment open them up to extra harassment?

[mcscajun]

7. May as well draw a bulls-eye target on their backs.

Let's start giving ALL Ex-cons big colorful identifying marks, then we can move on to the so-called free persons and allocate marks to them, too.

Sheesh.

As far as special plates for drunk drivers...why give 'em plates again at all?

[TaleWgnDg]

32. Exactly . . . why not hang a "scarlet letter" on their car! geezuz.

[liberal N proud]

2. Well the Yellow plates with read letters for Drunk Driving are called

Scarlet Letter plates.

Do they really think pink plates are not going to stand out?

I am not against keeping sex offenders away from kids, but you don't have to be a child molester or rapist to get tagged as a sex offender.

[MercutioATC]

19. Actually, kids call tham "Party Plates"...

...and they're not quite the deterrent the state had hoped.

[napi21]

3. Aren't they trying this same thing in Florida?

I know I read something like this a few weeks ago.

I commented then, as I will now, it doesn't make sense. The "scarlet letter" mark should follow the guilty person and not what he/she may be driving. Anyone can drive any car, and there's also no way to force a convicted offender to buy his own car (therefore having the special plate). They could just have a friend buy a car in their name and the offender would drive it!

I understand the reason why people might like to do this, but it would be way to easy to get around it.

[Ayesha]

4. I don't know

Seems like this could lead to accidents on the road when other drivers see the creep passing by. I wouldn't want anyone innocent getting hurt.

Personally I'd like to see them implanted with chips like those used for inventory control at stores. Then people can buy sensors, and simply scan potential employees, baby sitters etc. to see who's a scumbag. It could even be set so that an alarm goes off when a perv comes within 10 feet of a child carrying the sensor.

Either that, or just keep these creeps in jail where they belong!

[RC]

5. And the purpose of this is ... what?

To get someone beat up or killed?
How did I guess this idea came from a republican.

[High Plains]

8. And is endorsed by a Democrat in the story.

[MercutioATC]

20. To be able to identify a child molestor when they drive through your

neighborhood.

I'm not in favor of these plates for all sex offenders, but I DO support them for convicted pedophiles.

[Heddi]

21. But not just the pedophile/molestor will necessarily be driving that car

Not everyone lives in a 2 car household. God Forbid, but if my husband had a sex-offender crime on his record (forget the fact that would be grounds for divorce in my eyes)--but if we only have one car, why should *I*, a non-child molestor (certainly not convicted) be idenitified as a child molestor, since that's what the purpose of the plates are?

And for people with kids, I don't know if I think that everyone at Johnny's school should know, by virtue of this license plate, that Johnny lives with a convicted sex offender. Yes, I think people should know where offenders are in their neighborhood, but at what point does the conviction of ONE family member impend upon the privacy of the non-sex offenders who are associated with that car as well? I have a feeling Johnny wouldn't be getting on too well in school if everyone he went to school with knew that he was molested by his father, ya know. Kids aren't very sympathetic or caring about things like that.

[MercutioATC]

22. Then how do you protect against child molestors when they're not at home?

I do understand your point and I think this particular legislation needs a lot of refining before it's a workable law. My primary concern is protecting the children, and I frankly don't care how much a convicted child molestor is inconvenienced in the process.

Since (apparently) torturing child molestors to death isn't an option, I think we should go a different route. We should implant them with RFID chips. That way we'd avoid the whole "scarlet letter" issue but we'd be able to keep an eye on them.

[Heddi]

25. This isn't about inconvencing child molestors

It's about stigmatizing OTHER people who drive the car that the license plates are attached to who are NOT molestors or pedophiles or anything like that.

I feel the same way about special license plates for those convicted of DUI---my husband and I share one car between the both of us. If he was convicted of DUI, and I wasn't, I dont' think it's fair that the 2 choices I have to avoid people thinking *I* am the DUI'er (when driving) are

1) get another car
2) don't drive.

Unfortunately, neither of those options work for our situation. Thankfully, my husband is not a DUI'er, and our state doesn't have a DUI-special-license-plate requirement for those convicted of DUI'ing.

I was horribly abused sexually by someone who lived in my home throughout my youth. I have no love in my heart for anyone who is involved in any kind of sex crime--against children or adults. I think they should spend life in prison--as the one who molested/raped/etc me had been convicted numerous times for sex crimes in the past, and was allowed to go on his merry way and rape children throughout our town for nearly a decade. His parole officer knew that a condition of his parole (or probation or whatever) was to not live within X feet of a school. But that officer also knew he lived within that distance and did nothing about it. His officer also knew that it was a violation to live in a household with children, but allowed him to live in the house with me without any problem as well. And this was in the early-mid 90's. To this day he's not on any sex offender list because his crimes were commited before such laws existed. There is no "grandfathering" in sex-offender registries. Which is a shame because he can pretty much do and live wherever he wants without reprucussions unless he's caught again, at which point he will have to register (but most likely won't).

However, that being said, I know of instances where younger people convicted of sex crimes have to live in a controlled environment--usually with their parents and under strict guidelines. Why should the parents in this instance have the "stigma" of being a rapist/child molestor SOLELY because they happen to drive the same car that the child molestor does?

Hey--let the rapists be as embarassed, stigmatized, and inconvenienced as fucking possible. It's still less of a fucking inconvenience that *I* go through having been raped and molested. But I don't think that innocent family members should be stigmatized by a license plate, or sign in front of the house, or whatever.

[MercutioATC]

57. I DO see your point...which is why I like the RFID chip...

It's probably have a better "protection factor" than the plates, too. A molestor can always borrow another car. Knowing they have an RFID tag and their movements can be traced would be more of a deterrent.

[mongo]

65. RFID tags?

Wow, how long before you think they will move on to tagging the rest of us too?

Hitler didn't start out gassing jews on day one, either.

I can see all the arguments about how RFID tags will keep us all so safe....Once we as a people take this mark, there is nothing that the people in power can not due. Their first task will be to eliminate cash.

[Demeter]

40. Supervision of Children By Responsible Adults?

I don't know, parents, maybe? Or teachers? Sheesh!

[MercutioATC]

58. I agree that supervision is key, but that's not the entire solution.

Unless you're willing to lock up your kids, there are times when uninterrupted direct supervision is damn near impossible. Figuring out a way to stop these people from preying on children is also an important part of the equation.

[Redstone]

49. You're the second one to recommend the chip. I agree with you.

(I think special "drunk driver" plates are a REALLY bad idea as well, and I've had relatives killed by drunk drivers.)

Redstone

[greenisin]

6. If this works...

how much longer before the repukes want to start branding other undesirables? I really don't want to be branded a Democrat where I live.

[Ayesha]

10. The difference is

Unlike other so-called undesirables such as gays, immigrants, etc., sex offenders actually ARE a danger to others. And no I'm not talking about public urinators or 15-and-18 situations. At least in my state (CA) those people aren't even on the publicly accessible registry.

[Porcupine]

9. Why not just strap a bomb to them and hand them the trigger?

When you start to put people into the category of dead men walking they will find a way to make the rest of us pay. This is why you have suicide bombers in Iraq and Israel but not in New Delhi. You have to either leave these people with some small hope of having a future or incarcerate them forever. Choose.

The Republicans are desperate to create some class of people the rest of us can publicly spit upon. They want to promote hate and class differences. Without having an identifiable desposed class to hate and fear they have no way to keep idiots voting for "promote the wealthy" policies.

[sweetheart]

15. Yes

Next thing, we'll need our religion on license plates. And for cities, where poeple don't drive,
everyone can wear patches on their sleeves. Gays can wear triangles, and sex offenders can wear
red squares, and jewish people can have stars of david, and buddhists can have a wheel of dharma,
and christians can have a crucifix, and football supporters can have their team logos.

Then we need barcodes and mandatory chip implants to achieve a final solution of imprisoning
an entire population quickly and efficiently. Where these people are going, there is no end.

I am very agreed with prickly porcupine here on this... this be a very very very very bad idea
slippery slope with no visible bottom, but down there somewhere on that slope is every ultimate
evil committed by every government on earth in the name of cleansing.

But i wonder if anyone will think they're behaving like nazis?

[mongo]

66. No, it will be seen as a solution to our violent, crime ridden society

Without cash, illegal activity can not flourish (or at least that is what they will tell us).

Just take the RFID chip, and all your purchases are deducted from your checking account. And no one can steal your identity.

[anitar1]

30. After reading all the posts, maybe we should

just ignore crimes against children altogether. Sounds like many are against any sort of punishments for pedophles, who can not be "cured" according to many studies.Sure glad my kids are grown , as we seem to be heading for a complete acceptance of pedophiles. Just nice guys who have an "itch", I guess.What a crock.

[Porcupine]

31. Are all "sex offenders" pedophiles? Are all pedophiles equal?

There are many people whose crimes are classified as "sex offenders" who did not forcibly do anything to anybody. Some never even touched another person in then commision of their offense.(flashers say) Then there are the rapists of adults. Then there are those who forced themselves on teens. Then there are those who forced themselves on children below the age of puberty.

What say we just execute them all upon a thrice repeated accusation in front of a judge.

Not really appropriate huh? Well then we are going to have to look at each case and make judgements based upon our perception of the harm done. I specify "our perception" because there is no possible way of measuring or even knowing the true harm done in each case.

I used to have a family member who had a very physical relationship with a fourteen year old girl. This girl/woman/child of a literary feminist celebrity picked him up in a Berkely bar; at swordpoint. She literally put a sharp rapier to his throat and told him he was coming home with her. So who was the rapist? Should this man be branded and hounded for life?

Blanket laws are stupid.

[personman]

35. Nice straw-man...

Yeah DU, shame on you for advocating pedophilia.
:eyes:

[neoteric lefty]

51. I speak for all of DU when I say NO!!!

to pedophilia, paraphilia, klismaphilia, and especially forniphilia. We must do everything we can to stop all -philias! OK, I'm joking just a little, but really, I think we can all agreed that sex with children is absolutely wrong.

[pokercat999]

11. "violent and repeat sex offenders"

Why are these people on the street at all?

[jsamuel]

18. Death then. right?

or lets brand them... yeah, that's it... with a letter A

:sarcasm:

[Dark]

47. He didn't say kill them.

He just said why are they on the street. A damn good question if you ask me.

[JokingClown]

12. My brother is a so-called sex offender..

He was the most nieve, most well-behaved teenager you could possibly imagine. He worked at an day care center, and was accused of molesting a two year old. no witnesses. The day care owner's son had something like twenty two arrests to his name, including sexual molestation charges, but he wasnt a suspect. My brother was worked over by the cops, and having no laywyer, and believing cops werent fucking assholes, he was scared into saying he did it, although he did not do it.

With that said, you should realize this isnt just for movie like bad guys that act like hannibal all the time. Many are not repeat offenders. The many of the people who do these crimes have fucked up lives and childhoods. And then theres the fact that a fucking huge number of these so-called sex offenders are actually innocent, because any girl can claim a guy raped her, and hes guilty until proven innocent often times.


One last thing.. sending letters out to nieghbors informing them that there is a registered sex offender in the nieghbor hood makes sense. But putting a pink license plate absolutely garuntess that 90% of those claimed sex offenders cars will be keyed, bashed in, have the tires puntured, and in general stolen constantly. Furthermore, think about general road rage. Not the mention, how often will having pink license plates help people be safe. The only real instance i can think of is if a sex offender decides to take out his own car with bright pink licences plates on them and tries to lure a child into his car. Contrary to what many of you may believe, thats not how it usually happens.

I say we have every Middle Easternern have yellow license plates. You know, I have a good idea, why dont we have those damn jews wear little stars on their coats at all times. i bet you that wont cause any hate crimes!

[The Blue Knight]

13. Repeat and Violent Offenders.

I'd support this law 110% if it was held to repeat and violent offenders.

[Endangered Specie]

14. Id support this idea...

though, Id much rather see "repeat violent" sex offenders locked away forever.

[savemefromdumbya]

16. as long as the sex offender has been adequately taken care of

More than often the sex offender has not been helped enough to relieve him of his problem. This is not going to be remedied by putting a colored licensed plate on his car?

[Book Lover]

17. That's one way to ensure your car doesn't get stolen (nm)

[meow2u3]

23. Now we can spot a repuke more easily

:evilgrin:

[genieroze]

54. rotflmao. eom

[The Sushi Bandit]

24. Now EVERYONE will want one!!

They will be selling them on e-bay within a week.

Sick, Sick, Sick

[killbotfactory]

26. So are they going to have some for "murderer", too?

How about "drug addict"?

[DubyaSux]

27. The problem here...

....is who they say is a sex offender. Many people are labeled sex offenders that have done nothing of the sort.

Arrested for pissing in public? You may be labeled.

Swat you kid on the butt for having a meltdown in Walmart? Same thing. They claim both these actions are precursors to a real sexual offense even though they have nothing to do with it. The list is so watered down with non-offenders, there's no telling who the bad guys are anymore. I wouldn't want my tags to show me as a sex offender for pissing in public.

So, this is totoal bullshit.

[derby378]

28. Damn good idea - in fact, I've got a color code for all offenders

See what you think:

Pink - Child molesters
Blue - Rapists, including child rapists
Black - Murderers
China White - Drug dealers
"Hash" Brown - Drug addicts
Yellow - Conscientious objectors
Red - Convicted of passing hot checks

See where I'm headed here?

[Demeter]

41. Sounds Like A Rainbow Coalition (n/t)

[tinrobot]

29. If they've completed their sentences... they should be free

It's called paying your debt to society. Once the sentence is over, a person should become a full member of society once again.

If these sex offenders are so incredibly dangerous that we have to put their names on lists and give them special license plates, then they need to still be in jail. Maybe Ohio should focus on longer sentences if they're so awful they can't be trusted on the streets.

[MercutioATC]

59. Life sentences for child molestors?

That's got my vote.

[rooboy]

33. And to keep them safe, a star for jews...

and a pink triangle for homosexuals.

[derby378]

42. And rooboy gets a bubblegum cee-gar

He nailed it. Well done.

[MercutioATC]

60. That makes NO sense...

...unless you're equating Jews and gays with pedophiles.

This is a way to identify convicted sex offenders who may pose a continued danger to the community, not persecute a group of people based on religion or sexual orientation.

[HuffleClaw]

34. this is the very definition of the proverbial 'slippery slope'

and its an EASY one to implement too, for who's gonna go to bat for sex offenders? but, as these things invariably do, next it will another class of offender, say 'drug offences' or 'terror-related offences', all in the name of protecting the CHILDREN! this is NOT about sex offenders really, its about RIGHTS.

[mdelaguna2000]

36. "violent and repeat" offenders

Hello? My view: don't let them out. What's so hard to define about "violent and repeat" offenders? Not a slippery slope at all. They are not normal and don't deserve a chance at a normal life. Keep these monsters away from our kids.

And if they "must" be let out:
Points made above that they can just obtain a different car are good ones. Implants make sense. But let us all own a sensor so we can know if they're nearby.

[HuffleClaw]

38. sure it makes sense

UNTIL they decide that OTHER folks need to be tagged similarly. this sort of thing NEVER EVER stops once it begins, it spreads until its YOU who are affected.

[KitchenWitch]

37. Not that I am an apologist for sex offenders

but wouldn't the license plate be unconstitutional on the grounds that the person has already served his sentence?

[Occulus]

46. The courts call the registries "not a punishment".

So, no, it's not unconstitutional.

[primavera]

48. Know any cases?

I'd love to know more about how the courts have reasoned on this one. I mean, you're obviously right: the courts haven't seen fit to get in the way of things like Megan's law and the like, but I can't help but wonder how it could be considered anything other than an additional form of punishment. If you or I, as persons not convicted of a crime, were required to wear big scarlet letters around all of the time and face the prejudicial and potentially violent treatment that accompanied wearing those identifiers, would we not consider it a form of punishment? I find it hard to believe a judge would volunteer to wear a scarlet letter everywhere. So if we can all agree that having to bear these identifying marks is not something to which we ourselves would voluntarily submit ourselves, how can we pretend it isn't a form of punishment for anyone else?

I could kind of see it being tacked on at the time of sentencing as a component of the punishment for newly convicted offenders, but to go back after a person has already served out the punishment sentenced to them at the time of their trial and say "oh no, wait, we changed out minds, we've come up with an additional punishment you need to undergo," no, that just doesn't seem right. After all, at sentencing, the defendant has the right to be represented by counsel and offer mitigating circumstances, remorse, etc., to be taken into consideration when the judge imposes sentence. How is the defendant supposed to offer any such defense if the additional punishment is imposed after the trial is already completed and sentence already imposed?

If anyone knows of any cases which have come up in which the courts have explained their view of this as anything other than a form of punishment for which due process protections apply, could they please let me know the citation(s)?

Many thanks!

[MissMillie]

55. I'm w/ you on that one

but (I believe) that Sex Offender Registries have been deemed constitutional... I think this is just an extension of that.

I think the registries lull people into a false sense of security. You could live in a neighborhood that has no registered sex offenders, but that doesn't mean that there are no child molesters there. I'm betting most molesters never get caught. I'm also betting that most molesters are relatives (uncles, step-parents, etc) or domestic partners of parents.

I saw teach the kids to be a little wary of everyone, and the registries are unnecessary.

[MountainLaurel]

61. You're right

The majority (about 90+ percent) of child rapists are people the victim knows and who can get close contact with the child without others around: sibling, cousin, grandfather, their sister's best friend, the soccer coach, their pastor.

That's why teaching your kids about how their body works (using the anatomical names for body parts), what private parts are all about, that they have the right to say no when they don't like how they're being touched, and that they can come to you to talk about anything even if they think they'll be in trouble (molestors will often tell the child that they'll get in trouble or that their parents won't love them any more, or that their parents won't believe them). But, I guess this has to be backed up with actual behavior -- being an advocate for your child, assuring them that they can always come to you, loving them unconditionally. And that's where the problems come in: Too many parents would rather believe a spouse or a boyfriend than their child, too many kids wouldn't feel able to bring something like that to their parent in the first place.

[Demeter]

39. Ohio Politicians Should Be Tagged

(after sterilization and before releasing into the wild) with radio-transmitters.

[superconnected]

43. If you want people to willingly give up their civil rights - start by

taking them away from the pariahs of society. People will cheer.

Of course it will have to be eventually extended to anyone convicted of a crime, they're already talking about doing it to drunk drivers.

If it happens, it will spread to gays, and islamic people quickly. Aids and terrorism you know.

[MercutioATC]

62. That arguement is a straw man.

By extention, I could make the same arguement about ANY form of punishment (jail, fines, probation)

"First they'll punish the criminals...THEN they'll punish everybody."

By yur reasoning, nobody should be punished in any way.

[Toucano]

44. Why Pink?

Are you trying to reinforce the misconception that gays are child molesters? Or do you just like Pink, Mike?

[OzarkDem]

45. Pink is for the breast cancer license plate, not for sex offenders

An umbrella group of breast cancer organizations from around Ohio recently got legislation passed for a breast cancer license plate with funds going to assist low income and uninsured women undergoing treatment for breast cancer.

Now these bozos want to issue a pink license plate for sex offenders, a move that will definitely hurt sales of the breast cancer license plate.

Please call and politely ask them to pick a different color...

http://www.senate.state.oh.us/senators/bios/sd_27.html

http://www.house.state.oh.us/jsps/MemberDetails.jsp?DISTRICT=12

[neoteric lefty]

52. but for a select few,

this could kill two birds with one stone. With pink, a man can say, "I am not just a sicko, I am a compassionate sicko"

[OzarkDem]

64. On the contrary

People who want to buy the breast cancer awareness plate will change their mind for fear of being labeled a pervert.

The losers are the breast cancer patients. As usual.

[neoteric lefty]

50. this seems too much imho

I know that we must protect our children and make sure that these people don't repeat their crimes once they have paid their debt to society, but this is a bit too far. How can a person live a normal life with a big sign on their car that says that they are a sex offender? Will they make exceptions for non-violent sex offenders (e.g. a man convicted of statutory rape after sleeping with his girlfriend of 16 years of age when he was 20 years old)?

[genieroze]

53. Why don't they just tattoo the word pervert on their foreheads

:sarcasm:

[primavera]

56. Don't give them any ideas...

I'm sure there's no dehumanizing violation of human rights so base that Congress wouldn't relish the chance to implement it and curry a few brownie points with the wingnuts.

[realisticphish]

63. This is a moronic idea

and here's why. Most child molestors DO NOT get their victims by cruising by schools. Most of the time, victims are molested by their own family, or friends, and a pink license plate wouldn't mean shit to them.

The thing is, they have paid their debt to society. Bottom line. Theives don't have to wear/drive with any such things; there are a hell of a lot more of them, and they have a direct effect on a much larger proportion of society. So why don't we do it? Because they have served prison time, or paid a fine, or community service, and have thus completed their penalty as given down by the legal system. Have a problem with the penalty? Ok, then lengthen prison time. But DO NOT start punishing people once you have supposedly forgiven them for their crimes