Comments about ‘Sex offender's case may affect fate of Web registry’

This is ridiculous, you take your right away to privacy, especially if it is an offense against a minor!

The registry in no way protects the public. It merely serves as extra humiliation on top of these peoples prison sentences. It the equivalent to a giant Scarlet Letter. Do we really want our society to devolve back to the Puritan times? Whatever happened to forgiveness and repentance? Isn't that what our Christian Society is about? Again, as we can see by current event upon current event, we aren't safe. This law doesn't make us safe. Knowing all the past evils your neighbors have committed doesn't make society safe, nor will it ever.

Upon the second offense, the penalty should be life in prison. Then, there is no need for this registry. That is exactly what are prisons are built for, to lock away those who are deemed a threat to society.

Change our laws to execute all 1st degree murderers and repeat sex offenders and none of this silly drug induced needle in your arm. It's a rope around your neck, 10,000 volts or an ounce of lead, they choose.

Stop this crazed, self-righteous act of humiliation guised under the banner of protection of our children. Whom has it protected? Certainly not those victims we mourn for today.

A sex offender receives their sentence and they serve out the mandated actions of the court. Period! They complete their sentence and all the stipulations that went with that sentence. Period, end of punitive punishment requirements! Now, let them integrate into society and attempt to be a productive citizen. I'm not saying for it to be removed from their record, but, the crime should be removed from public view and background checks, they should not have any more restrictions, shaming, banishment, etc. except if such actions were deemed by the courts at the time of their conviction. If someone like this commits another sex offender crime, then they should face a lot more severe punishment. The judge and the jury should be the only ones that hand out the appropriate punishment. Putting this information in the hands of JOE PUBLIC is dangerous, crude and only causing more problems in our society than what it is trying to resolve. I agree 100% with this fight and would be more than willing to give this person a job that is fighting this issue. Those that point their finger at a person have three fingers pointing back at themselves.

I agree with your first and last paragraphs - so true:
"The registry in no way protects the public. It merely serves as extra humiliation on top of these peoples prison sentences. It the equivalent to a giant Scarlet Letter. Do we really want our society to devolve back to the Puritan times? Whatever happened to forgiveness and repentance? Isn't that what our Christian Society is about? Again, as we can see by current event upon current event, we aren't safe. This law doesn't make us safe. Knowing all the past evils your neighbors have committed doesn't make society safe, nor will it ever."
"Stop this crazed, self-righteous act of humiliation guised under the banner of protection of our children. Whom has it protected? Certainly not those victims we mourn for today."

But not with the rest!

We can't judge well enough; the idea that we can is as errant as the "One List Fits All" idea that you and I object to.

Paranoia is running rampant in Utah and the country about sex and human behavior. The registry is unconstitutional and used as a means to persecute unlawfully. The people of Utah are so dumb and ignorant and pathetic its almost sickening. They are paranoid about children on the streets but think nothing of the illegals and drugs in our schools taking education away from american children. Child abuse and sex offenders show up on a daily basis, even in the homes of those suffering the paranoia. The unknown sex offending predator is the one to worry about and some sex crimes do not merit perpetual persecution. Once a person has served their term of incarceration in jail or prison and released they have paid their debt to society. If the debt is not paid then they should remain in jail, otherwise they have the same rights and constitutional protections they are entitled. Persecution is illegal regardless of offense. Laws written by emotion are always bad and do not serve society. We could use the same means of persecution and apply it to religious beliefs or race. The illegals have been using anti persecution laws for decades to avoid deportation.

Criminals have too many rights in this country of ours. You made the choice to have your rights revoked when you commit a criminal act. Our judicial system is so frustrating...

I don't know what Briggs is hoping to accomplish in Utah. Utah county jail has a website WITH PICTURES and names of everyone who has ever been booked there. Apparently, stigmatizing sex offenders just wasn't enough.

I think it does suck for people to be branded for life. On the other hand, why did they go having sex with minors in the first place? Maybe if the public treated them like human beings and limited the discrimination to policing their interactions with minors, there wouldn't be a problem. Unfortunately, there have been incidents of sex offenders driven to suicide by the constant stigma.

Chris, your comment is making my head spin. Forgiveness and repentance in the first paragraph and
inhumane methods of execution in the third. Or are those synonymous in your "Christian Society" (whatever that is)?

When a person commits a crime, that person surrenders certain rights when the choice is made to commit the crime. Due process does not take away "privacy" rights nor a right to life, liberty (not being in jail), nor the pursuit of happiness. Due process is public acknowledgment of the persons decision to willingly surrender the right by his choice of actions. The law is on the books that if you commit certain crimes, your name will be put on a public list. Choose the crime, be on the list.

Re "change our laws to execute all 1st degree murderers and repeat sex offenders and none of this silly drug induced needle in your arm. It's a rope around your neck, 10,000 volts or an ounce of lead, they choose" I would add millstone around the neck and drowned as an option.

Unfortunately, many sex offenders do repeat their acts. There is no way to know who will repeat until after the damage is done.

The public should have access to the registry. If individuals don't want their names to be made public maybe they should think a little more before they act. Rights are lost when you inflict permanent damage on innocent people.

The registry should remain public information.

Obviously Bob has some kind of chip on his narrow shoulders concerning the people of Utah, so his comments go right out the window.
Now, we will never know how many potential victims were unknowingly spared due to the laws that are in place at this time. If just one molester was deterred from repeating, then the laws in place have served a great purpose.

To DJT...
Persons do not surrender rights when they commit a crime. The constitution has much to say and if you read it, it addresses the protecting rights of the accused. It was motivated by the egregious violation of the rights of accused and convicted by the King of England.
If you note in the article, this victim of the government zeal was convicted of committing a crime in 1986, 10 years prior to the law. There is something in the constitution which says "no ex-post facto law shall be passed". Your obvious attitude is that these laws were made to punish and you would make the punishments harsher. You are insulting the 100,000's who died protecting this counties constitution if you allow this man to be further punished for a crime he committed prior to the law for that punishment.

To Cilla...
Exactly why there should not be a registry. The registry in effect is punitive and in this country we do not punish people for what they might do in the future. In fact we do not punish unless there is 100% proof that a crime has been committed.

The problem is with the laws on the books that has lead to wrongful convictions. When the accused is released...they still have to register...because they were convicted. They are still regarded as "Sex Offenders" even though they have had their conviction overturned. Putting this information in the public domain without discrimination on the level of degree or circumstances is unjust. I know a co-worker who had served his time, taken therapy and has worked real hard to get his life together. But another employee found his registration on line and made it his business to publish it in the office. This has caused all kinds of headaches for Human Resources who has to feild complaints about have a registered offender in the office from concerned women. They have to be reminded that the employee has not violated any sexual harrassment policies and the employee is doing a real good job. This is not fair to someone trying to get their life back together.

I agree that beanding them as a sex offender for life is very unfortunate but they made the choice and that's part of the consequence. Anyone who sexually assults a child desrves all the branding in the world. It's not being closed minded to protect your children This is different than a scarlet letter because this affects the inoccent children.
Many do repeat the offense. I do think there could be different levels than they currently hav on the registry to show the severity of the crime. And we also could work hard with ourselves to not judge the person but just be cautious of letting our children ever be alone with them.

There are certain crimes that people commit that do have consequences beyond their judicial punishment. If you steal from the bank, do you get a job as a bank president after you get out of prison? If you molest children, do you get to work in an elementary school? Of course not, so your position that once you serve your sentence, all is forgotten is ludicrous and simplistic. Committing crimes have life long implications and they should.

How long do victims have to live with what happened? Do they suffer 5, 10, 20 years and then all is well? No, they live with the tragedy the rest of their lives. Their rights have been violated.

If we error in causing a little unjust shame and humiliation to an offender and prevent a second occurence or prevent another from committing a crime, then the law is justified.

One offense is one too many. We should have zero tolerance.

If Utah's law is struck down by the State Supreme Court then what becomes of the Federal Law just recently passed that requires all states to have a sex offenders registry and share the information between states? Sounds to me like this decision is going to get appealed to a higher court no matter what.

It is not the offenders on the registry that society needs to worry about but the many who are not on the registry. The ones who do dutifully register are also, in my opinion, the ones least likely to repeat. Unfortunately, because they do register they are socially stigmatized for the rest of their lives even though they are the most likely, again in my opinion, to return to life as law abiding and productive citizens.

Those of you who think that people who commit sex crimes should be forgotten or left alone after they serve their time are kidding. These people have made choices the same as anyone to get themselves on this list, now they deserve to live with the consequences. We all make our choices in life and we all have to live with them afterwards.
If you can't handle having your name on the public list then don't commit the crime. I completely believe this is just one more way to deter some would be criminals. They may have some thoughts to doing wrong but then realize the possibility of being added to this list and rethink it.
I wish they put out a list of all offenders. Maybe tomorrow we will be looking at the list of home invaders and thieves in your neighborhood.

I think we need to be concerned about the known offenders on the registry AND the unknown ones out there that are not on the registry. Are the known offenders any more trustworthy left to their own devices than the unknown offenders? No. We do what we can and put controls on the offenders we know about. Of course, there is not much we can do about the unknown offender. We are commanded to forgive those who harm us, but that doesn't mean they get our trust back. We need to ask ourselves the question "would I leave my child alone with a sex offender even though they have served their time and gone through counseling?"

I have to agree with what a lot of you have said... except for the "if they do it a second time". Once was enough. It sounds like it is okay to allow society to wait for a second time for them to REALLY be punished. What if the predator's 2nd offense was your child? Another life being marred is not the answer. Keep those on the registry that hurt children.... I could care less about a 17 year old having sex with a 15 year old. You have no clue who it has saved... it's ridiculous to think that these registries are all for nothing as you cannot make a correct list of "what might have happened in the future and didn't because of the registry". And by-the-way... some of you say they have served their debt to society... how? By sitting in jail reading books and getting to watch TV if they are really good? I want to know if these people have been "rehabilitated" by a professional, and with their expert opinion feels they will no longer harm children. That would be paying just a small portion of their debt.