Megan's Law Violater Released by Judge in New Jersey

Megan's Law Violater Released by Judge in New Jersey
**Is there a requirement in some states that Judges have limited brain capacity or what??** Thursday, January 5, 2006 By BRENDAN BERLS Herald Staff Writer A former Alabama man who is a registered sex offender was freed on bail Tuesday after admitting before a judge that he violated a provision of Megan's Law, the Sussex County Prosecutor's Office said Wednesday. Thomas Ziniewicz, 33, who moved to Newton earlier this year, is registered at an address on Merriam Avenue near the elementary school, to the concern of some parents of pupils there. Ziniewicz was convicted of second-degree rape in Alabama in 1999, according to the national Internet registry of sex offenders; the victim was a 13-year-old girl. In Illinois in 1995, he also was convicted of aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a girl between the ages of 13 and 16. Classified on the Internet as a "Tier-2" offender — that is, one considered a moderate risk to re-offend — he was arrested in November after investigators learned he had moved to another address in Newton without notifying police, officials have said in court. He was held in the Sussex County jail on $5,000 bail. In a court hearing last month, a prosecutor said Ziniewicz might qualify for a pilot program under which the most serious sex offenders are being monitored with satellite tracking devices. According to acting Gov. Richard J. Codey's office, the program — which went into effect in November — was to involve only the 200 or so offenders considered the highest risks to re-offend. It was unclear Wednesday whether Ziniewicz had actually been qualified for the program. If he were, he would be the only such offender living in Sussex County. The prosecutor's office declined to elaborate on the case. In court Tuesday, Ziniewicz admitted that his unauthorized move took place on or about Oct. 16, the prosecutor's office said. A sentencing date was set for Feb. 10, but in the meantime he was freed on bail. The conditions of the bail were not immediately available. Outside the Merriam Avenue School on Wednesday, some parents said they had known about Ziniewicz living in the neighborhood for several months, thanks to the Internet registry. One woman, who asked that her name not be printed, said she learned of his presence in June and now no longer lets her children walk home from school — even though they live just up the street. "What really scares me is I know where the house is and there's a baby swing on the front porch," the woman said as school let out, loading several children into a minivan. http://www.njherald.com/345952059518373.php

**Ok my point is made! Idiots! :roll: ** GPS technology leads to Megan's Law arrest for sex offender Wednesday, May 31, 2006 NEWTON (AP) -- A high-tech tracking system led authorities to charge a high-risk sex offender with a Megan's Law violation in a first-of-its-kind case in the state. Police say Thomas Ziniewicz, 35, was living at his girlfriend's house, rather than his registered address. Sex offenders are required under state law to notify law enforcement if they plan to live somewhere other than their registered address. A Newton police affidavit says a GPS tracking report shows Ziniewicz was living at a different address for 21 days between April 24 and May 23. The arrest marks the first time GPS technology has been used to gather evidence for a Megan's Law violation, said Capt. Sean Asay of the state Parole Board, which monitors New Jersey's GPS tracking program for sex offenders. A two-year pilot program approved in 2005 by then-Gov. Richard J. Codey requires the state's 210 registered Tier 3 sex offenders -- those considered most at risk of repeat offenses -- to wear global positioning tracking bracelets. While some have cut off the bracelets, this case is the first prosecution against an offender for living somewhere other than were he said he was, Asay said. Ziniewicz was being held without bail Tuesday at the county jail in Newton. He was classified as high risk because of convictions for sexually assaulting a girl younger than 13 in Alabama and a girl younger than 18 in Illinois. Megan's Law requires sex offenders released from prison to register with police when moving into a community. The law is named for 7-year-old Megan Kanka, a Hamilton Township girl who was raped and killed in 1994 by a neighbor who was a twice-convicted sex offender. http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060531/NEWS01/60531009/1003/BUSINESS

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