LAGUNA HILLS – The City Council on Tuesday will consider reversing an ordinance that bans registered sex offenders from city parks and private parks run by homeowners associations. …
… Also a factor for Laguna Hills is the threat of litigation by the California Reform Sexual Offender Laws organization and the American Civil Liberties Union if the ordinance is not repealed, according to the staff report. Full Article
I like the headline…They “may” reverse the park ban, like they have a choice? How about you WILL reverse the park ban or you’ll get sued!
Consider reversing it’s ordinance?!? At this point I don’t see how they have much of a choice. I suppose they can keep it if they want, but they can’t enforce the ordinance without winding up in court pursuing a case they can’t win. They were foolish to pass this ordinance in the first palace based on what Tony Rackauckas and his witch in waiting told them; he admittedly didn’t know much about the issue he made up in the first place.
Being confident a law is constitutional and then passing a law you aren’t 100% sure is constitutional is irresponsible at best. It’s going to be interesting to see if Tony Rackauckas is going to have another legal equivalent temper tantrum in Santa Ana like he did when he asked for a review of the states original decision.
If he is going resist being sent to his room for a time out because he talked a bunch of dummies into passing illegal ordinances I think it will be in Santa Ana.
Laguna Hills was the only city, to my knowledge, that had it written in their ordinance that there must be signage at each prohibited area alerting those banned about the law. Fair enough – for 2.5 years each park had signs to that effect around the perimeter.
Two weeks ago I was at a Laguna Hills park – Costeau Park to be precise – and what do you know…. the signage was gone.
So not only is the City of Laguna Hills violating the California Constitution, it is also in violation of its own ordinance!
Take away the “Sex Offender” connection and there would be hell to pay for this…. oh well, at least the “bad dream” will be over soon.
Alternate headline: Government May Decide to Obey the Law
Laguna Hills repeals ban on sex offenders in parks
The 3-1 vote was taken without discussion. Councilwoman Barbara Kogerman opposed the repeal; Councilman Randal Bressette was absent.
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/county-614120-parks-laguna.html (pay article)
Councilwoman Kogerman – for real????
Well, lets be real. Whoever thought of these laws was a very hateful and angry individual. We have individuals who multiple felony convictions, murderer’s, drug dealers and people with multiple drunk driving offenses as well as those convicted of vehicular manslaughter (they killed someone) who more rights then some guy running around with a misdemeanor sex offense. What if a sex offender didn’t own a car or went back to school and had to use the public library? Or, what if the bus they used to go to school was right next to a school bus stop? Lets be real. What about the homeowner who pays HOA fees and is banned from the park? I’m not sure who these City Officials are, but lets be real. This is a very prejudicial and hateful law.