The city of West Lake Hills adopted changes to its sex offender ordinance to be in compliance with state law during the Dec. 13 City Council meeting with hope that the changes will cause Texas Voices for Reason and Justice to drop its lawsuit against the city. Full Article
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Wow, what a convoluted law!
“The ordinance also doesn’t apply if the offender is going “immediately to or from” a parole office or other court-mandated destinations, or if the offender was in or near a child safety zone “for a legitimate purpose,” including transporting a child they are allowed to be with.”
So apparently if you need to go grocery shopping you have to a huge alternative route. Because its impossible for you to offend on your way to drop off your kid or to see the PO but guaranteed to offend if you need to do anything else.
There should be criminal consequences for legislature that crafts crap like this. We can’t fart without risking prison but they get to destroy peoples lives for votes.
Pretty soon we’re going to need a hall pass to walk outside where we live!
Pathetic.
This Ordinance reeks of vagueness. “[P]remises where children commonly gather.” What is the definition of “commonly”? Can a LEO give an objective description of that word? Under this usage, it would be illegal to be near a public pool during the winter when it’s closed, as there’s mention of children *currently* gathering. Similarly, one cannot go to a mall, even during school hours on a weekday, because “children commonly gather” there on Friday nights and weekends. Same with a movie theater…no matinees during school hours.
The same vagueness applies to “legitimate purpose”? Can a LEO give an objective description of what is “legitimate”? Does this apply regardless of whether or not school is in session? Depending on the definition of “school safety zone” it may include the motor pool where the buses are parked, if the property is school owned.
There’s a Snyder-esque element to attack, too. Previously, the City provided information for where a RC could be, now they don’t. The City is demonstrating they have information to help a RC comply with the law, but is actively withholding said info. This goes back to the question of from where are boundaries measured, and how is a person of average intelligence supposed to discern these boundaries?
I love that these lawsuits are happening more and more. Aside from the money it costs the governmental body, every little win will start to cause legislators to think a bit more. It may be slow and incremental, but each loss *will* have an effect, as they will start to see “green light,” they feel they have sometimes turns yellow and red, too.