County Attorney Questions Sex Offender Laws
County Attorney Questions Sex Offender Laws Monday, December 19, 2005, 5:26:58 AM By Katie Wiedemann KCRG-TV9 News (Dubuque – KCRG) -- It's almost becoming a trend. Small eastern Iowa communities keep adding their own restrictions on to the state's sex offender residency law. In Dubuque County alone, Asbury and Cascade both banned sex offenders from living too close to parks, libraries, trails and bus stops. Dubuque and Dyersville have similar plans in the works. But what you haven't heard is that a county attorney is saying these laws go too far. Dubuque County Attorney Fred McCaw has the Iowa law books memorized. He knows right where to find the state's new sex offender law, Chapter 692-A. But he thinks the law has no place in these books. “That's really taking a bad situation and making it worse. It makes the places where sex offenders can find stable circumstances even harder to find." (AWWWWW My heart bleeds. :roll: ) McCaw says these stricter ordinances push sex-offenders away from the normal life many of them want. “We're taking that away from them and actually probably making it more likely that they'll re-offend.” (What about the victim's chance at a normal life? That was shot the minute these perverts touched them. And strict ordinances wont make them reoffend. The putrifying sickness in them will.) Dyersville city leaders want to take the trend to the next level. They want to ban sex-offenders from living inside the city limits. McCaw says that's a bad idea. “It's an illegal and unconstitutional ex post facto law, and it won't stand in court." McCaw says if this keeps up, sooner or later the entire state of Iowa could be off limits to sex offenders. “The result will be there will be an actual banishment from sex offenders to live anywhere except farm fields." (Ok, explain the problem with THAT!!!) Now, county attorneys statewide want to change in this law before it spirals out of control. McCaw says legislators need to tone down the law. I that happens, it will be easier for him and other attorneys to throw the book at sex offenders. (Yea, and easier for the scum suckers to find victims too) Tonight, the Dyersville city council will listen to people's thoughts on banning sex offenders from town. The council will also decide whether to pass the second reading of the ordinance. KCRG