JESSICA'S LAW

Monday, May 02, 2005

FLORIDA PASSES JESSICA'S LAW!

One down, 49 to go - because EVERY state in the union should have this law on the book (hat-tip Michele Malkin)- AP:
Spurred by the kidnapping and murder of a 9-year-old girl, Gov. Jeb Bush signed legislation Monday that strengthens punishment and monitoring of child sex abusers. The Jessica Lunsford Act sets a mandatory sentence of 25 years to life in prison for people convicted of molesting children under 12. If offenders serve less than life, they would be required to wear a global positioning system device after their release so authorities can monitor their whereabouts. [...] The proposal sped through the legislative process, pushed by outraged lawmakers - many of whom said it was hard to temper their anger and not go for something even harsher. It passed both the Senate and House unanimously and was sent to Bush on April 22. [...] The House had passed the bill unanimously April 19, two days after another sex offender was charged in the abduction and murder of 13-year-old Sarah Lunde of Ruskin.[...] Advocates for satellite monitoring of offenders say that in addition to warning authorities when a sex offender is someplace he shouldn't be - such as near a school - it also will allow for quick pinpointing of suspects if a child is abducted. The tracking requirement only affects people convicted in the future, but current sex offenders who violate their probation would be ordered back to jail or be placed under GPS monitoring.