Sex offender law takes another hit
October 28, 2008 at 1:04 pm by Scott Henry in NewsThe state Supreme Court chipped away at Georgia’s draconian sex-offender law on Monday by striking a provision that requires homeless offenders to register an address. Under the law, sex offenders are required to re-register with the state every time they move. And listing “no address” is not an option.
The Court ruled that the law is unfair to homeless offenders because it does not provide them with an alternative to having a home address – effectively criminalizing homelessness. Convicted sex offender William Santos, the homeless man who filed the lawsuit challenging the law, faced a mandatory life sentence because he was unable to give an address.
The ruling is additional confirmation that the law, concocted by state Rep. Jerry Keen, R-St. Simons, a former head of the Georgia Christian Coalition, simply was not intended to comply with the real world.
October 28th, 2008 at 1:23 pm
Wonder why Santos didn’t just give the Peachtree-Pine shelter address like so many others have done?
Then he wouldn’t be a test case. I wonder if that had anything to do with it?
October 28th, 2008 at 4:07 pm
Peachtree Pine, as well as every other homeless shelter in the state of Georgia, is in violation of some part of the sex offender law because it is within 1000 feet of one of the many forbidden places: schools, churches, bus stops, pools, etc etc. The one shelter that did comply with the law was in Rome, only had 2 beds for sex offenders, and recently decided to stop admitting them anyway.
October 28th, 2008 at 5:34 pm
That hasn’t stopped them from givig the address. Just search the offender registry for Fulton county and look at all the 477 Peachtree addresses.
October 29th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
Fulton County has yet to enforce this law consistantly- part of the problem. Though the Peachtree Pine address is listed, these individuals are subject to eviction or arrest at any time because 477 Peachtree is within 1000 feet or at least one church and one daycare in violation of the sex offender law.