This paper looks at the issue of sex offender notification, making the claim that the rights of potential child rape victims take precedence over the rights of convicted sex offenders.
Abstract This paper argues that community notification of the presence of sex offenders in their neighborhoods should be required. Some of the points the writer emphasizes are that a sex offender's right to privacy is surrendered when he commits his first offense and that the rights of normal law-abiding citizens must in the case of sex offenders outweigh the rights of criminals.
From the Paper "In recent years the issue of the safety of potential victims versus the privacy rights of convicted sex offenders has been debated hotly in the media. Emotional reaction runs high when a child is brutally assaulted and murdered. Public outrage multiplies when a repeat offender is the perpetrator. In 1994 Megan Kanka, a 7 year old new Jersey girl was raped and strangled to death by a twice convicted sex offender living in her neighborhood. Shocked response resulted in the passing of what has come to be known as Megan's Law. Since Megan's Law was passed in 1996 all states are required to enact sex offender notification statutes. States have complied in various ways, instituting laws and registries. Databases for at least thirty four states can now be accessed via the internet. The constitutionality of Megan's Law has been argued and re-argued as activists contest violation of individual rights of released perpetrators. Publicity has made it difficult for parole boards and social workers to place discharged offenders. In a few instances neighborhood groups have responded to notification with unprovoked vigilante action. It is the argument of this paper that justification for the notification of communities to the presence of sex offenders far outweighs any counter argument. People should most definitely be notified of sex offenders in their neighborhoods. This notification should not only be attempted but should me aggressively pursued to assure total coverage."
Abstract This paper reviews and discusses various recent cyber-security breaches in the USA. The paper discusses each event, the method used to breach the cyber-security and the response. The paper focuses primarily on the case of Moonlight Maze, one of the most infamous cyber-attacks which occurred in the late 1990s.
From the Paper "The hackers were apparently working from a location in Russia, though this could not be definitively established due to the nature of the infiltration. All that is known for certain is that the hack into Department of Defense computers had been going on for more than a year and that it is entirely unclear how much information was made off with during that time. This is due in part to the fact that in addition to raiding information directly from the Pentagon, the hackers also used that point of entry to enter other sensitive systems throughout the US government. These included networks at nuclear research labs associated with the Energy Department, NASA, and numerous university research facilities (Drogin, 1999). Investigators reiterate that the attackers obtained no known classified information, but the general uncertainty surrounding Moonlight Maze makes this claim dubious at best."
Tags: infiltrations, sensitive, cyber-attack, computer, system, security, breach, hacker, russia
Abstract In this article, the writer notes that keeping children safe from sexual predators today includes the use of community notification laws to inform the public when sex offenders move into a neighborhood or region. The writer points out that these laws may include direct notification of people in a neighborhood or more general notification by posting names and addresses on a website accessible by all. The writer argues that such laws can help reduce the incidence of sexual abuse of children by putting parents on notice so they can take greater care, though such an approach is not a panacea and will not completely eliminate the threat, only reduce it. The writer concludes that community notification creates an opportunity for parents to become more informed and to exercise greater caution regarding the safety of their children.
Outline:
Introduction
The Argument
The Approach
Another Provision
Problem of Notification Efficacy
Conclusion
From the Paper "This sort of response has been extended to other violent felons as well, with more and more communities fighting the placement of parolees in their area and seeking laws involving everything from notification to the right to refuse entry to a released offender to enhanced incarceration beyond the original sentence. Local groups across the country are trying to block former convicts from settling in their communities and are pressing their state assemblies for tougher detention laws and parole conditions. As a result, more and more states are enacting laws that put the interests of the community before the rights of ex prisoners. The most vociferous demands are for notification laws to alert citizens when a sex offender is about to be released into their community. At this time, many states require that local police be notified when a release is imminent, and now the New Jersey law calls for authorities to notify community members as well. In the U.S. Congress, members approved a provision which requires certain offenders to check in with police every 90 days for the rest of their lives. The New Jersey proposal only requires police to notify neighbors, schools, churches, youth groups and the media within 45 days of an ex offender's moving into a neighborhood."
Abstract In this article, the writer discusses suggested protocol for officers to consider when death notifications become a part of their responsibility. The phases of death notifications are identified and include what the officer should not do. The writer notes that requiring an officer to make any death notification is difficult but the problem is compounded when the deceased victim is an officer. The writer maintains that line-of-duty deaths are by far the toughest for any law enforcement to deal with. This paper briefly covers the unique circumstances officers must consider when notifying a next of kin after a line-of-duty death. Finally, suggested training techniques conclude this paper. The writer includes personal experiences in the paper.
Outline:
Abstract
From the Paper "One late night around 11:00 am, I was radioed in my patrol unit and asked to telephone police dispatch. During this phone conversation, I was told that our agency was notified by a neighboring state agency in reference to a major vehicle accident in that state. The dispatcher was informed that the mother in the vehicle died at the scene and the father was almost certain to die at the hospital. The daughter of the occupants lived locally and the out of state officer wanted me to make the notification of such a tragic event. The only instructions given to me were to withhold the information about the father's almost certain death.
"Although this event took place over one year ago, I can remember vividly making that phone call, receiving my instructions and making a short drive to the daughter's location that seemingly took an eternity."
An examination of the conflict between an individual's right to privacy and the public's need for safety in the context of sex-offender notification rules.
Abstract This paper examines how the United States is a country that prides itself on the level of freedom afforded to its citizens and how freedom and the rights of the individual are two concepts that helped shape the very backbone of the country. It also discusses how the concept of public order provides a framework by which most citizens can operate. In particular, it looks at what happens when there is a clash between individual rights and public order in the context of sex-offender notification rules. It concludes that the safety of the community should and must take precedence over the sex offender's individual right to privacy.
From the Paper "Many cities have sex-offender notification laws on the books. These laws mandate that a convicted sex offender must notify the local police in the community in which he (most sex offenders are male; in fact the Department of Justice [1996] has determined that all but 3 percent of offenders who commit violent crimes against children are male) decides to live upon being released from prison. He is required to provide to the police information such as his place of residence, his place of employment, if he moves and where he is moving to, and other basic information. The police then make this information available to the community in some form, whether it be through a Web site, mailings, announcements in the newspapers, announcements at neighborhood meetings, and so on."
Abstract This paper discusses laws that apply to breach of contract, related to an interview the writer conducted with Mr. James Pflanz (a lawyer specializing in small business issues). The writer explains how the law of contract is part of private law, and is designed to make sure that parties to a contract keep their promises to each other, and to provide remedies if parties do not keep their promises. The writer further discusses how in the case of partial or complete breach of contract, the wronged party may use contract law to try and get a remedy, which is usually damages. The writer asserts that it is very important in business to have a really good contract drawn up by a lawyer, so that a party does not suffer undue losses due to breach of a poorly written contract.
From the Paper "One of the main purposes of contract law is to promote cooperation between parties, and make them keep their promises to each other. When parties cooperate and keep their promises, they can achieve success. However, if they do not work together and cooperate, or if they break their promise, then things can go very wrong. Money may be lost, and it may become a situation where the different parties blame each other for losses. Or else, it may be that a party does not do what they were supposed to do, or do it properly. In this situation, the law of contract lays down ways in which the wronged party can sue for breach of contract. This is the kind of situation I uncovered in a personal interview with Mr. James Pflanz, a lawyer specializing in small business issues."
Abstract This paper discusses breach of accountability within law enforcement over the past two decades. It looks at issues such as police brutality, corruption and other forms of unethical behavior. The paper then discusses the reasons that such breaches of accountability occur and how they reflect negatively upon law enforcement institutions and specific policy agencies.
From the Paper "The implication for the entire police organization at Dallas is that this is a massive undertaking to defraud the criminal justice system. If it has perpetuated for so long it must be an institutionalized problem because many officers must have known of what was happening. The organization may not be judged as completely corrupt, but inattentive at an administrative level. It can also be said that the entire organization has inadequate monitoring and hiring procedures because many of their police officers were shown to be racist. All of these actions reflect negatively upon them to show that in general this police department is ineptly run and monitored. Police corruption has been rampant within Texas for some time and there have been many such instances of criminalized activity within the police department."
Abstract A complete discussion of the prominence of the city of Boston in the eventual breach and Colonial rebellion with England, including some of the important personages of Boston, and traditions and qualities of Boston that contributed to the break is provided in essay format. The paper looks at the impact of the Boston Massacre and Boston Tea Party.
From the Paper "The breach with England that preceded the American Revolution fomented primarily in Massachusetts and New England particularly Boston..."
Tags: John Adams, Sam Adams, Ben Franklin, King George III, American Revolution, Boston Massacre, Boston Tea Party, taxation, Parliament, representation, colonies, colonists, independence, self-governance, politics
Abstract This paper explains that there are various types of identity theft (1) Using fraudulently obtained personal information of another person, such as a social security number, driver's license number and date of birth, to open a falsified bank, credit card or cellular telephone or to obtain false loans; (2) giving another person's personal information to a law enforcement officer when the criminal is arrested and (3) selling stolen identities. The author points out that, in addition to the financial losses, the person whose personal information has been used will have an erroneous credit or criminal history, which is often expensive and time-consuming to correct. The paper relates that the increasing use of computer technology and credit cards will continue to make identify theft much easier, thereby, requiring individual to better protect their personal data. Long quotations.
From the Paper "Part of the problem lies with the consumers themselves. They often are careless about keeping receipts, or not destroying copies of their credit card statements, which means that someone is likely to find numbers, even social security numbers in the trash and then use them. According to the Identity Theft Resource Center, 85% of identity theft victims find out about the crime committed to them due to an adverse situation, such as being denied employment or credit, notification by police or collection agencies and receipt of credit cards or bills never ordered. In other words, 85% of consumers only find out about Identity Theft after it is too late."
Abstract It is the argument of this paper that justification for the notification of communities to the presence of sex offenders far outweighs any counter argument. People should most definitely be notified of sex offenders in their neighborhoods. This notification should not only be attempted but should be aggressively pursued to assure total coverage.
From the Paper "To hear on the news of a brutal rape and murder of a small child somewhere across the country is disturbing enough. To hear of such an outrage in your own neighborhood can bring, fear provoking agony. Imagine the reaction of the mother of 7 year old Megan Kanka when she found out that the man who lived across the street and murdered her daughter had two previous convictions as a sex offender. Why hadn"t she been informed" The perpetrator had paid his debt to society and had his right to privacy. But what about Megan's right to life? What about her right to an innocent childhood free of the horrors of sexual molestation? A value judgement must be made on this issue. Protecting the life of an innocent child must be valued more highly than the privacy rights of a convicted felon. People have not only a right to be notified of sexual offenders living in their neighborhoods, but they have a right to demand that officials make an aggressive effort to notify them. The nation as a whole overwhelming seems ready to make this judgement."
This paper discusses the Supreme Court case, "Planned Parenthood v. Casey" (1992), which upheld the rights of women to have an abortion as guaranteed by "Roe vs. Wade".
Abstract This paper explains the events leading to "Planned Parenthood vs. Casey": the State of Pennsylvania amended its Abortion Control Act to require women seeking abortion to 1) give "informed consent" and the doctors to provide information about the health risks of having the abortion prior to the abortion; 2) a "spousal notification"; 3) "parental notification" from parents of minors; and 4) a 24-hour waiting period before obtaining an abortion. The author points out that "Roe vs. Wade." one of the most controversial rulings in the history of U.S. Supreme Court, which generated heated criticism from anti-abortion groups and gave rise to a pro-life movement, predated "Planned Parenthood vs. Casey". The paper concludes that "Casey" is still relevant because the present U.S. administration is clearly in favor of making abortion illegal, the Congress is dominated by Republicans, and there is a possibility of replacement of more than one Justice on the Court during the second Bush term, who most likely will be anti-abortion.
Table of Contents
Background of the Casey Supreme Court
William Rehnquist
Harry Blackmun
Sandra O'Connor
Anthony Kennedy
John Stevens
Antonin Scalia
Byron White
David Souter
Clarence Thomas
Important Pre-Casey Cases
Roe v. Wade (1973)
Doe v. Bolton (1973)
Harris v. MCrae
Webster vs. Reproductive Health Services (1989)
Historical, Social and Legal Background of Casey
Arguments from both Sides
Essentials of the Plurality Decision
Contemporary Reaction to the Case
Legal Reaction to the Case
Historical Impact
Current Relevance
From the Paper "Several states enacted laws limiting the right of abortion, including laws requiring parental and spousal consent, restricting abortions in clinics, and laws barring state funding for abortions. The Hyde Amendment was passed by the US Congress banning state funds for abortions. In a long series of cases from the mid-1970s to the late 1980s, the Supreme Court consistently struck down several state restrictions on abortions, but upheld restrictions on funding."
Abstract This paper deals with the problems in implementing Megan's Law also known as community notification laws for sex offenders This paper lays out in great detail the problems this law presents to law enforcement officers. The author argues that Megan's Law has a lot of flaws and questions that must be addressed.
From the Paper " In the wake of the murder of seven-year-old Megan Kanka by a convicted sex offender, the State passed a series of bills designed to toughen the states handling of sex offenders. These bills Senate No. 13-1994 and Assembly No.85-1994, commonly known as Megan's Law, range in scope from requiring convicted sexual offenders to provide blood specimen's to a DNA database, to studying the effectiveness of the state's treatment center of sexual offenders. These bills address the danger of recidivism by sex offenders. It requires the registration of sex offenders to their local police. If their municipality does not have a local police department, they must register with the State Police. They must verify their address with the police every three months. The most controversial provision of Megan's Law is the community notification provision that provides notification when a sex offender will be let out of prison at least 45 days before they are released. The bills passed both houses by an unanimous vote. It was signed into law by Governor Whitman on October 31, 1994. (Dougherty)"
Tags: community, law, laws, megan, notifaction, offenders, sex
From the Paper " The problem of what to do with the habitual sex offender has become a major issue in American society today and of vital interest in a society where the pictures of missing children adorn milk cartons, where more and more offenses against children are being reported in the media, and where the issue of repeat offenders has become a scandal. A number of children have been killed in recent years in media-featured cases where a sex offender who has been released from prison at the end of his sentence takes and kills another victim. Different states have imposed new laws and restrictions on sex offenders as a result, and one of the issues that has developed is the question of notification, whether the neighbors of a released sex offender should be told that the offender is in their midst. Traditionally, parole or release from prison has been a matter.."
Abstract This paper examines the issue of habitual sex offenders and what to do with them when they are released from prison in order to protect the community. It provides arguments for and against laws such as Megan's Law (named for a year-old girl named Megan Kanka, sexually assaulted and killed by a known pedophile that was her neighbor), which allow notification to the community of known sex offenders living in the neighborhood. It argues how although these laws may seem appealing, they raise numerous issues of privacy which, while applying only to sex offenders today, could apply to others tomorrow. They also carry the potential for adverse community action outside the law and can prevent any chance of real rehabilitation.
From the Paper "Once the federal government passed its version of this law, the idea spread and was taken up by states across the country. The federal statute called on states to enact registration and notification laws by September 1997 or lose part of their federal law enforcement funds. In effect, this imposed the idea of a Megan's Law on all states, since none wants to lose this funding. The last of the states to do so was New Mexico, which missed the deadline but which had a law pending in 1998. These laws have been popular, and one poll showed that 89 percent of adults favored such laws. Observers note that these laws are flawed, for they vary greatly between states because Congress did not specify "how, how much, or to whom states must release registration information" (Johnson 9)."
A debate on the advantages and disadvantages of a constitutional requirement that would require that a minor have parental consent before getting an abortion.
Abstract This paper discusses how the U.S. Supreme Court is currently reviewing the case of Ayotte v. Planned Parenthood. This is a case out of New Hampshire regarding a law that would require parent notification before a minor could receive an abortion, even if it is a life threatening situation.
Outline:
Introduction
The Law and its Controversy
Benefits of the Law
Disadvantages of Law
Conclusion
From the Paper The law originated in the state of New Hampshire from a woman in the legislature by the name of Phyllis Woods. She was a former credit bureau manager prior to being elected to the legislature. Her decision to enter politics was based on the issue of abortion as in 1997; New Hampshire repealed some laws which removed some restrictions. She was quoted as saying, "I felt the legislators were doing something wrong."
Tags: United, States, Supreme, Court, planned, parenthood
