U.S. sex offenders challenge new passport law

[webfact]

U.S. Sex Offenders Challenge New Passport Law

SAN FRANCISCO – A civil rights group has filed a lawsuit challenging a law that will require sex offenders to be identified on their passports.

President Obama signed the International Megan’s Law bill into law on Monday following Congress passing the bill last week.

The California Reform Sex Offender Laws filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, challenging the laws, which requires the Secretary of State to add “unique identifiers” to the passports of all registered sex offenders.

Full story: http://www.chiangraitimes.com/u-s-sex-offenders-challenge-new-passport-law.html


-- Chiang Rai Times 2016-02-18

[ezzra]

Finally, one thing that Obama did that I agree and applauds him, about time those sex offenders

pay dearly for their criminally sexual deviances......

[Somtamnication]

Might as well put yellow stars on all Jews, then.

[stevenl]

A very slippery slope.

[FritsSikkink]

Might as well put yellow stars on all Jews, then.

why, they haven't commited a crime and aren't a danger to kids all over the world

[Stradavarius37]

A very slippery slope.

Only if you are a kiddy fiddler. Great law. Keep the deviants out of circulation.

[casualbiker]

Very extreme picture in the article. It is suggesting that it is a code in the passport. NOT STAMPED on the front! Personally I think it should be in the biometric not visible on the printed page!

[stevenl]

A very slippery slope.

Only if you are a kiddy fiddler. Great law. Keep the deviants out of circulation.

Many more sex offenders than just kiddy fiddlers. How about statutory rape e.g.? 17 yo boy has sex with 15 yo girl, mark in passport follows. At least that is the impression I get.

[jacko45k]

Finally, one thing that Obama did that I agree and applauds him, about time those sex offenders

pay dearly for their criminally sexual deviances......

I am mulling over the idea whether they should even be allowed passports and permitted to travel to other countries.

[casualbiker]

A very slippery slope.

Only if you are a kiddy fiddler. Great law. Keep the deviants out of circulation.

Many more sex offenders than just kiddy fiddlers. How about statutory rape e.g.? 17 yo boy has sex with 15 yo girl, mark in passport follows. At least that is the impression I get.

So are you suggesting that the 17 year DIDN'T break a law? Or that it is acceptable to have sex with a 15 year old because he was 17?

[manarak]

A very slippery slope.

Only if you are a kiddy fiddler. Great law. Keep the deviants out of circulation.

Many more sex offenders than just kiddy fiddlers. How about statutory rape e.g.? 17 yo boy has sex with 15 yo girl, mark in passport follows. At least that is the impression I get.

yes...

I think it is a very questionable law, precisely for this reason.

is the same thing required for a murderer?

I think this kind of information has nothing to do on a passport, beyond the problem of where to draw the line between dangerous sex offenders and hermless sex offenders (am I right when I believe people caught hiring a prostitute are sex offenders?)

a couple of interesting articles:

http://www.businessinsider.com/surprising-things-that-could-make-you-a-sex-offender-2013-10?IR=T

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/jurisprudence/2014/08/mapped_sex_offender_registry_laws_on_statutory_rape_public_urination_and.html

having such a mark on a passport is just an invitation to get abused, framed or given a hard time by officers all your life just because you urinated in public when drunk.

I can't understand how such a law could be enacted - are we sure the news are not fake?

[Langsuan Man]

This will never pass the Constitutional test

Sex offender status is determined by State Law, and since there are 50 States that all have differing standards for "sex offender" status there is no way a Federal Court is going to allow this "feel good" law to pass the "equal protection" clause in the US Constitution

[eldragon]

A very slippery slope.

Only if you are a kiddy fiddler. Great law. Keep the deviants out of circulation.

Many more sex offenders than just kiddy fiddlers. How about statutory rape e.g.? 17 yo boy has sex with 15 yo girl, mark in passport follows. At least that is the impression I get.

yes...

I think it is a very questionable law, precisely for this reason.

is the same thing required for a murderer?

I think this kind of information has nothing to do on a passport, beyond the problem of where to draw the line between dangerous sex offenders and hermless sex offenders (am I right when I believe people caught hiring a prostitute are sex offenders?)

a couple of interesting articles:

http://www.businessinsider.com/surprising-things-that-could-make-you-a-sex-offender-2013-10?IR=T

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/jurisprudence/2014/08/mapped_sex_offender_registry_laws_on_statutory_rape_public_urination_and.html

Johns are not sex offenders.

[manarak]

Johns are not sex offenders.

according to the articles I linked they are, at least in some states !

[casualbiker]

A very slippery slope.

Only if you are a kiddy fiddler. Great law. Keep the deviants out of circulation.

Many more sex offenders than just kiddy fiddlers. How about statutory rape e.g.? 17 yo boy has sex with 15 yo girl, mark in passport follows. At least that is the impression I get.

yes...

I think it is a very questionable law, precisely for this reason.

is the same thing required for a murderer?

I think this kind of information has nothing to do on a passport, beyond the problem of where to draw the line between dangerous sex offenders and hermless sex offenders (am I right when I believe people caught hiring a prostitute are sex offenders?)

a couple of interesting articles:

http://www.businessinsider.com/surprising-things-that-could-make-you-a-sex-offender-2013-10?IR=T

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/jurisprudence/2014/08/mapped_sex_offender_registry_laws_on_statutory_rape_public_urination_and.html

having such a mark on a passport is just an invitation to get abused, framed or given a hard time by officers all your life just because you urinated in public when drunk.

I can't understand how such a law could be enacted - are we sure the news are not fake?

I'm pretty sure that a murderer would ACTUALLY be in jail! Surely the sex offenders in the US are in a central register anyway! If not. What a fxxking cockup!

[Berkshire]

Might as well put yellow stars on all Jews, then.

Seriously? These are convicted/registered sex offenders. It's not remotely like identifying an innocent person based on ethnicity or religion. I'm amazed anyone would have a problem with this.

[manarak]

yes...

I think it is a very questionable law, precisely for this reason.

is the same thing required for a murderer?

I think this kind of information has nothing to do on a passport, beyond the problem of where to draw the line between dangerous sex offenders and hermless sex offenders (am I right when I believe people caught hiring a prostitute are sex offenders?)

a couple of interesting articles:

http://www.businessinsider.com/surprising-things-that-could-make-you-a-sex-offender-2013-10?IR=T

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/jurisprudence/2014/08/mapped_sex_offender_registry_laws_on_statutory_rape_public_urination_and.html

having such a mark on a passport is just an invitation to get abused, framed or given a hard time by officers all your life just because you urinated in public when drunk.

I can't understand how such a law could be enacted - are we sure the news are not fake?

I'm pretty sure that a murderer would ACTUALLY be in jail! Surely the sex offenders in the US are in a central register anyway! If not. What a fxxking cockup!

murderers are released once they did the time... don't you know that?

[SgtRock]

A civil rights group has filed a lawsuit challenging a law that will require sex offenders to be identified on their passports.

Holding a passport is not a legal requirement.

No need to bring in laws. Passport denied will suffice.

[Somtamnication]

Labeling of any kind on an identification document bothers me. First, sex offenders. On paper, it looks ok. Political affiliation? Done. Discrimination based on what zip/postal code is in it? Done.

Sorry, I won't hire you because your id shows that you prefer chihuahuas over a doberman. Next!

[Stradavarius37]

Labeling of any kind on an identification document bothers me. First, sex offenders. On paper, it looks ok. Political affiliation? Done. Discrimination based on what zip/postal code is in it? Done.

Sorry, I won't hire you because your id shows that you prefer chihuahuas over a doberman. Next!

Yes, its exactly the same thing.

[casualbiker]

yes...

I think it is a very questionable law, precisely for this reason.

is the same thing required for a murderer?

I think this kind of information has nothing to do on a passport, beyond the problem of where to draw the line between dangerous sex offenders and hermless sex offenders (am I right when I believe people caught hiring a prostitute are sex offenders?)

a couple of interesting articles:

http://www.businessinsider.com/surprising-things-that-could-make-you-a-sex-offender-2013-10?IR=T

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/jurisprudence/2014/08/mapped_sex_offender_registry_laws_on_statutory_rape_public_urination_and.html

having such a mark on a passport is just an invitation to get abused, framed or given a hard time by officers all your life just because you urinated in public when drunk.

I can't understand how such a law could be enacted - are we sure the news are not fake?

I'm pretty sure that a murderer would ACTUALLY be in jail! Surely the sex offenders in the US are in a central register anyway! If not. What a fxxking cockup!

murderers are released once they did the time... don't you know that?

REALLY! In the USA can you Actually name one murderer alive that was released from jail.. Ie: he didn't get life imprisonment!

[eldragon]

Johns are not sex offenders.

according to the articles I linked they are, at least in some states !

And I'm sure there are some who consider those who consume certain herbs to be illicit drug users.

[HooHaa]

Might as well put yellow stars on all Jews, then.

isn't that essentially the same thing?

not a spurious comparison in the least.

personally i question whether of not a convicted sex offender, murderer or anything to that effect is even allowed a passport.

we should all start with the same basic rights, i agree, however certain actions must have consequences.

[Emster23]

"REALLY! In the USA can you Actually name one murderer alive that was released from jail.. Ie: he didn't get life imprisonment!"

About 3% offenders in state prisons for violent crime murderers in 2011. Of violent criminals let out on parole, murder and negligent homicide lowest percentage to return for parole violations. I would rather have a murderer living next door than someone convicted of violent assault, if I had to choose.... http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/p12tar9112.pdf

[Ulic]

A very slippery slope.

Only if you are a kiddy fiddler. Great law. Keep the deviants out of circulation.

Mooning someone, streaking, urinating in public, juveniles sexting each other . All can

result in getting you classified as a sexual deviant and registered. A very slippery

slope in deed. Never mind the consensual sex between a 15 and 17 year olds.

Common sense is extremely rare in law enforcement.

[NickJ]

Sure. For paedophiles and crimes against minors. These people if and when they get out should not be given passports ever.

Just last month the IRS was given the power to revoke a passport if they even think you owe 50k in taxes. This latest law is just giving more and more control over people to the govt.

[Lupatria]

Might as well put yellow stars on all Jews, then.

why, they haven't commited a crime and aren't a danger to kids all over the world

"aren't a danger to kids all over the world"

Palestinian kids living in the west bank may have a different opinion...

[jaywalker]

A very slippery slope.

Only if you are a kiddy fiddler. Great law. Keep the deviants out of circulation.

Many more sex offenders than just kiddy fiddlers. How about statutory rape e.g.? 17 yo boy has sex with 15 yo girl, mark in passport follows. At least that is the impression I get.

I met a guy in the US a couple years ago that had gotten a 15 year old pregnant when he was 17.

He had just gotten out of jail, in his early 30's after doing 15 years in the penitentiary.

I hired him to do a few odd jobs (trimming trees etc) and did a background search on him. He was telling the truth.

Guy did 15 years and is a felon sexual predator in the eye of the law.

'Lawmakers' all too often have no concept of real life.

[onni4me]

Then we can add some more info to the passport also:

- committed a crime, whether it was speeding or not paying your taxes or getting drunk in public

- religion

- divorced/adultery

- employed/unemployed

- DNA sample

- any nutters in family

- annual income/wealth

Soon we will arrive to paradise, it's called Dystopia.

Whatever happened to done your jail time and having a second chance? Will this be denied from now on?

[HenryB]

Might as well put yellow stars on all Jews, then.

why, they haven't commited a crime and aren't a danger to kids all over the world

Somtamnication should be barred for 25 years for his anti semantic remark

Maybe his love one left him for a nice Jewish Person and that cause his problem

I will pray for his soul in Church this week