MA: Sex offenders have access to kids on Halloween

[bostonherald.com – 10/7/18]

Sex offenders are forbidden under state law from driving an ice cream truck, but they can hand out all the candy they want on Halloween in what one child advocate is calling a risky oversight.

“Halloween is like Christmas for sex offenders,” said attorney Wendy Murphy.

“They know they’ll have lots of access to kids and that they can’t get in trouble even though they’re required to stay away from children.”

Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee and Texas all have “no candy” laws that ban sex offenders from handing out treats on Halloween.

In Florida, sex offenders out on parole cannot hand out candy or wear costumes on Halloween night.

Both California and New York have similar laws that allow police to perform unannounced visits to sex offenders’ homes on Halloween night, Oct. 31.

Read more

 

Related links:

MA: Fearmongering Article Falsely Claims ‘Halloween Is Christmas for Sex Offenders’ [reason.com – 10/9/18]

 

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Um…do murderers have access to kids on Halloween? Can murderers drive ice cream trucks, go to the park, library, or their child school? So if I understand correctly, murderers are ok, sex offenders are the worst of the worst. What about an adult who killed a child out of hate? Can they give out candy, go to schools, etc.?

The real “monsters” are the lawmakers. THEY are the ones that manufacture outrage and fabricate unwarranted fear. Too bad they don’t have “access” to common sense.

I’m going to try to get in touch with the moron who wrote the article and the idiot attorney attorney Wendy Murphy.

If this is true maybe the Accusers should cite some real data. This all BS used to feed the media frenzy. Really , Sex offenders are what going to lure kids in their home with Candy? If the public is so worried then chaperone your children. Gotta Love Fake News!

Because it was a little difficult to follow in the General Comments threads, I’m going to post the links relating to a possible defamation suit against Wendy Murphy and the newspaper. Note that the subtitle to the article is “No Mass. law to stop monsters with candy.”

Defamation of Groups or Individual Members
Can I defame a group or class of people?
https://www.minclaw.com/legal-resource-center/what-is-defamation/defamation-groups-members/

Publishing Information that Harms Another’s Reputation
http://www.dmlp.org/legal-guide/publishing-information-harms-anothers-reputation

Can i get in trouble for posting sex offenders addresses on public forum
https://www.avvo.com/legal-answers/can-i-get-in-trouble-for-posting-sex-offenders-add-1938220.html

Answer:

“If you are re-posting this information from the government’s sex offender web site, you will be in the clear as that is public information.

“However, if you editorialize in such a manner that crosses the line to defamation or harassment, you could be creating liability for yourself.”

Can An Opinion Be Defamatory?

Labeling a statement an opinion does not automatically make it an opinion or make it safe from the possibility of it being defamatory. If a reader or listener could reasonably understand that the communication as stating a fact that could be verified, the communication will not be considered an opinion, especially if it is sufficiently derogatory to hurt the subject’s reputation. Also, a communication that is presented in the form of an opinion may be considered defamatory if it implies that the opinion is based on defamatory facts that have not been disclosed.

In other words, the fact that a statement is one’s opinion does not necessarily make one immune from a defamation lawsuit.

Expressions of Opinion

An expression of opinion may be “simple” or “mixed.” A “simple” expression of opinion is made after the facts on which the opinion is based are presented. A “mixed” expression of opinion is not accompanied by the facts. They may be implied by the speaker or assumed by those receiving the communication.

This distinction is significant in light of a Supreme Court decision that holds that an expression of opinion cannot be the basis of a defamation action. Gertz v. Robert Welch, Inc., (1974) 418 U.S. 323, 339. If an expression of opinion is based on disclosed, non-defamatory facts, an action is not supported no matter how unreasonable or derogatory the opinion is. However, if the expression of opinion is based on undisclosed or implied facts, support of an action depends on the understanding of the recipient of the statement, since the meaning of a communication is that which the recipient reasonably understands it to be, even if he/she is mistaken in that understanding. So if the recipient reasonably believes the truth of an undisclosed or implied defamatory fact about the subject of a statement, the speaker is liable.
https://www.minclaw.com/legal-resource-center/what-is-defamation/can-opinion-defamatory/

Meaning of the Communication

The meaning of a communication is what the recipient understands the meaning to be. The recipient may be incorrect in that understanding, but if the incorrect interpretation is reasonable, the recipient’s understanding of the communication is taken to be the meaning of that communication. Generally, words are construed according to the meaning a recipient typically gives them. Southard v. Forbes Inc., 588 F.2d 140 (5 Cir. 1979).

Likewise, the recipient’s understanding of the communication determines to whom the communication refers. A defamatory communication must refer to the plaintiff in order for the plaintiff to have a claim, but the reference is determined by the understanding of the recipient, not the intention of the defamer.

The full context of any communication is considered when identifying the meaning of a communication and determining whether it is defamatory. Therefore, two statements could be identical, but if the context is different, one could be defamatory and other not. Hoffman v. Washington Post Co., 433 F.Supp. 600 (D.D.C. 1977). For example, the headline of a newspaper presents a different context than the newspaper article itself, because many people read only the headlines.

The circumstances during which a person is presented the communication may also affect the meaning of the communication and how the person understands it. An otherwise obviously defamatory statement made as a joke to a person or group of people may have been made in circumstances in which no reasonable person would have taken it seriously. In such a case, the statement would not be defamatory.

Elements of Group/Class Defamation

An individual member of a group may be defamed by a statement if:

The group or class is small enough that a reader or listener can reasonably understand that the statement refers to the plaintiff; and
The reader or listener can reasonably infer that the statement refers to the plaintiff based on the circumstances of the publication.

Although the size of the group is not defined by common law, generally plaintiffs have recovered damages when groups have included 25 or fewer people. The circumstances surrounding how the statement is presented has a significant influence on the success of such a claim. A defamatory statement alleging that “most members” of a group of 25 are guilty of bad behavior may defame the members of that group, but the same statement alleging “one member” of the group is guilty of the behavior would probably not be considered defamatory. Neiman-Marcus v. Lait, 13 F.R.D. 311 (S.D.N.Y. 1952)

Source:

Defamation of Groups or Individual Members
Can I defame a group or class of people?
https://www.minclaw.com/legal-resource-center/what-is-defamation/defamation-groups-members/

Fearmongering Article Falsely Claims ‘Halloween Is Christmas for Sex Offenders’
“Pushing for new laws aimed at keeping kids ‘safe’ from ‘sex offenders’ on Halloween is nonsense.”
Lenore Skenazy|Oct. 9, 2018 2:10 pm
https://reason.com/blog/2018/10/09/halloween-sex-offenders-boston-safe

The History and Theory of the Law of Defamation (pointing out that defamation laws were passed in large part to prevent duels and violence, also forms of speech).
https://www.jstor.org/stable/1109121?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents (at least read the last line, lol).

I argue that not taking defamation action when possible is too passive, especially when confronted with the lies and fake news of the press. A little comment to an article is like slapping it with the little finger. One article like the one above is enough to wipe out and render helpless a million words of our resident activist, David Kennerly, a free speech lover. While I would agree that commenting can be helpful and is worth the time, that does not foreclose the use of heavy artillery where possible.

That is not to say and defamation action would succeed. That is yet to be seen. I only suggest further research is needed because it would be a powerful weapon, and like all weapons, it must be understood.

“like Christmas for sex offenders?” You’ve got to be kidding me! Wendy Murphy is obviously campaigning for more clients or to become the DA or something along those lines, and Joe Dwinell must be her campaign manager. What a bunch of garbage! And shame on you Boston Herald for publishing this!

I added some comments at the source article. Please do the same.

What would that article look like if there were 100 comments following it that condemned it?

How about 500? 1,000? There are easily enough of us. Easily. It should be an avalanche.

Just wondering, how many thousands of children have been sexually assaulted on Halloween by a Registered Person?

Or hundreds?

Or dozens?

Or count with fingers on one hand?

Someone must have this extremely significant figure to justify this article. Right?

I will be emailing a long, brass, letter to the editor, the Boston Herald, and all of the groups such as NARSOL, A4CSOL, WAR, FAC and possibly a MA state senator. Everyone will be CCed. I’m not going to let this Bullshit slide. I’m getting really fed up with the endless harassment of people and their families. These bastards propogating the myths and scare mongering need to face jail time.

As far as I know, and this was backed up by an attorney I know, there has never been a child sexually assaulted by a person on the registry giving out candy on Halloween. Definitely not ever in California. So Wendy Murphy like all the fear and hate mongers is a little of with her demagoguery stats.

In TN not only is it CANDY that the authorities think will lure kids to the home of registrants, they also have a
ban on outside and inside Fall Decorations!
Has any kid ever been so taken with a decorative fall wreath and mums on the porch that they just couldn’t resist?
These laws keep getting squirrelier and squirrelier! When will it end?????????

The problem is that 5 times more people read the headline than read the body of the article. So what do most people see in big bold type?

Sex offenders have access to kids on Halloween
No Mass. law to stop monsters with candy

And that is all they will see and remember.

If anyone actually reads the body all the way through (and most will not) they likely do not read the comments. Even if they read the comments, they likely don’t read all of them.

Don’t get me wrong. I’ve been commenting where I thought it counted for almost 15 years. It’s like spitting into the wind and tugging on superman’s cape. I made enemies, but that’s ok. Success is measured by the number of new laws based on evidence-based solutions. Failure is new laws based on fear-mongering. I lost, over and over, but at least the debate isn’t as one-sided as it was years ago. Anyway, there are few other options. I think nothing-personal comments with evidence-based facts are most effective.

WRONG
Both California and New York have similar laws that allow police to perform unannounced visits to sex offenders’ homes on Halloween night, Oct. 31.

NEW YORK HAS THIS FOR PAROLEES AND CERTAIN PROBATIONERS ONLY