Given the US Marshalls have no jurisdiction to do home address checks of state offenders, this is definitely a form of something close to harassment. State registrants only have to speak to state law enforcement and can simply decline to speak to any federal officer. What a waste of taxpayer funds... (See this PAGE, scroll down to US Marshals section)5-1-2012 New Mexico:
A Santa Fe lawyer is blasting the U.S. Marshals Service plan of going door to door to verify the addresses of convicted sex offenders in New Mexico. KOB Eyewitness News 4 broke the story last week of "Operation Cleanup."
Marshals plan to check the addresses of the nearly 3,000 registered sex offenders in the state as a matter of public safety.
Santa Fe lawyer Jason Flores-Williams, and the group Reform Sex Offender Laws New Mexico, have concerns about the plan.
Flores-Williams said other law enforcement agencies already check addresses of sex offenders, and wonders why federal authorities are getting involved in something delegated to the state.
"This is nothing more than another gutting of the constitution--a government publicity stunt designed to harass and intimidate that does nothing to enhance public safety," Williams said.
He is telling sex offenders who are not under supervision that they may videotape any encounter at their home with law enforcement and they should get the names of officers who visit.
U.S. Marshals told KOB they have no plans to enter homes. They said they do not have to go inside to check addresses.
They also said they are not conducting the operation on their own. According to the U.S. Marshals, "Operation Cleanup" is an ongoing joint effort between the Marshals Service and state, county and local agencies.
Marshal Conrad Candelaria responded to the plan as a "publicity stunt." He told KOB Monday that he is insulted hearing that. Marshal Candelaria said it is not a stunt to hold people accountable for horrendous acts against families and children.
He also said the Marshals Service also works hard to bring fugitives to justice, including chasing and capturing those who flee to Mexico. ..Source.. by Joe Vigil, KOB Eyewitness News 4
So, Mr Marshall, since when is a teenager who had consensual sex with another teenager "horrendous acts against children and families"? They are on registries also.
ReplyDeleteNot all sex offenders have done "horrendous" acts against families and children. Lumping all sex offenders into one basket is like saying that all thieves are the same. However, the court system's actions against sex offenders AND their families is often quite horrendous. No one ever thinks about the very high price paid by the family of a sex offender. A sex offender who has completed his sentence should be considered a former sex offender, not a sex offender.
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