Ooo, look: a sex offender (is doing what he should)
It seems as though Connecticut’s problems with its probate courts have been solved and they’re running all hunky-dory. How else can one explain the unsolicited comments by two probate judges (remember, these aren’t actual judges. In fact, they aren’t even lawyers. So I can’t dust off that old “what do you call a lawyer with an IQ of 50″ chestnut) that sex offenders are entering their building.
Except, um, their building also hosts a damn probation office where they are reporting.
Probate Judges Frank Forgione and John Keyes say sex offenders are among the clients visiting the Adult Probation Office at the State Street building.
Forgione says probation officials told him they’re making every effort to ensure children are not in danger. But the New Haven Register reports there were no guards at the probation office door or the front lobby of the building Friday afternoon.
So here’s a new rule, in this age of unbelievably stupid hysteria surrounding sex offenders: they should be banned from all places a child may conceivably go, no matter how ridiculous or far-fetched it may sound. This way, sex offenders will be banned from everywhere, including courts, jails, a street and your mind.
Don’t even go there.
| Print article | This entry was posted by Gideon on August 18, 2009 at 8:27 pm, and is filed under ct legal news, sex offenders. Follow any responses to this post through RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site. |



about 11 months ago
Glad you posted on this. First of all, I am fairly certain that the probation office was there before the court. Even if that’s not accurate, kids rarely go to court so it’s unlikely anyone will be “exposed.”. Forgione is not a bad guy so I’m not
sure what this is about. Probably just more bureaucrats opening mouth, inlswrting foot.
about 11 months ago
I am so glad you posted this. I think people are afraid to speak out about the total obsession over sex offenders. Here are a few of my disjointed thoughts on the subject.
1. I’m glad the sex offender list exists online
2. I wish that sex offender list would more clearly explain offenses so that impatient readers or those with low literacy can figure out that not all sex offenders are the same. When I learned that an acquaintance of mine was on the list, I took the time to plow through the legal jargon (and I’m not a lawyer, so this was difficult) to find out that his crime was having sex with someone two or three years younger than him. Because the offense was from the early-to-mid 80s, I have reason to believe this was trumped up because the sex was of the homosexual variety. I think he was 19 and with a 16 or 17 year old. Maybe not the BEST idea, but certainly not someone I’d cross the street to avoid. Not the same as a 50 year old assaulting a 7 year old kid.
3. If you live in a city, you learn that sex offenders are everywhere. Everywhere. Does this information help me in any way? Does it just make me paranoid?
4. Parents should watch their children more carefully, regardless of if there is a “predator” in the neighborhood or not.
5. Knowing that someone is a registered sex offender only means that s/he got caught. What about all those who have not been arrested for their crimes?
6. People are most vulnerable to those they know. Are parents and other family members screened as to how respectful they will be of children in their own families?
about 11 months ago
The Economist ran a cover story a couple of weeks back on the US’ nutty sex offender laws. The sad part is that other countries are now copying them.
http://www.economist.com/displayStory.cfm?story_id=14164614&source=most_commented
about 11 months ago
Great article. Thanks for the link.