Butts Co GA Sheriff Gary Long is misinterpreting notification laws to place harassment signs in registrant yards

While O.C.G.A. 42-1-12-i(5) covers some form of notification, I am sure that this was not the intent of notification. This filthy pig simply wants attention as well as cause harm to registered persons and their loved ones. If you have Facebook, educate this fool.

https://fox11online.com/news/nation-world/georgia-sheriffs-office-places-no-trick-or-treat-signs-in-sex-offenders-yards

Georgia sheriff's office places 'No Trick-or-Treat' signs in sex offenders' yards

by Chris White

A Georgia sheriff's office is placing signs that read, "WARNING! NO TRICK-OR-TREAT AT THIS ADDRESS!!" in registered sex offenders' yards. (Courtesy: Butts County Sheriff's Office)

JACKSON, Georgia (WSYX/WTTE) —
A Georgia sheriff's office is placing "No Trick-or-Treat" signs in sex offenders' yards in an effort to keep children safe.

"As Sheriff, there is nothing more important to me than the safety of your children," said Butts County Sheriff Gary Long. "This Halloween, my office has placed signs in front of every registered sex offender's house to notify the public that it's a house to avoid."

Long said Georgia law forbids registered sex offenders from participating in Halloween. That includes decorating their property or handing out candy.

The sheriff told residents to keep an eye out for signs marking the sex offenders' houses.

The sign reads, "WARNING! NO TRICK-OR-TREAT AT THIS ADDRESS!!'

Long says the signs were placed in accordance with Georgia Law O.C.G.A. 42-1-12-i(5), which states the sheriff shall inform the public of the presence of sexual offenders in each community.

https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/georgia-sheriffs-office-placing-no-trick-or-treat-signs-in-yards-of-registered-sex-offenders/275-609453487

Georgia sheriff's office placing 'No Trick Or Treat' signs in yards of registered sex offenders
Georgia state law prohibits registered sex offenders from placing Halloween decorations on their property.
Author: Michael King, Nick Sturdivant
Published: 2:21 PM EDT October 29, 2018
Updated: 3:59 AM EDT October 30, 2018
JACKSON, Ga. -- Thousands of kids will hit the streets for trick or treat in just days.

In Butts County, Sheriff Gary Long said deputies in his county are putting preventative measures in place to keep kids safe. They have started placing 'No Trick Or Treat' yard signs in front of registered sex offenders homes in their county.

"This Halloween, my office has placed signs in front of every registered sex offender's house to notify the public that it's a house to avoid," Long said in a Facebook post.

Georgia state law prohibits registered sex offenders from placing Halloween decorations on their property. The signs have the universal "no" symbol over a trick or treat bag underneath the message "NO TRICK-OR-TREAT AT THIS ADDRESS!!"

"Georgia law is very, very clear," he said. "It doesn’t say that the sheriff can or the sheriff may. It says the sheriff shall and it says that the sheriff shall in fact notify each community of the presence of sex offenders."

The idea to put yard signs in front of registered sex offenders homes came after organizers decided not to have an annual trick-or-treating event.

"The big challenge that we face here in Butts County, for years and years and years and years they’ve always done Halloween on the square and on Halloween night we would have anywhere from 2,500 to 4,000 children," he said.

With no central place to go, the sheriff said he knows more kids will be going door-to-door to trick-or-treat. Instead of putting signs on offenders doors like the sheriff's office has done in years past, Sheriff Long said he decided to place them in the yard where everyone can see them.

"The activity in our neighborhoods is really going to increase," he said. "We actually launched the signs out Saturday."

There are more than 50 sex offenders in Butts County, according to Sheriff Long. The Georgia Bureau of Investigations' website shows close to 31,500 registered sex offenders in the state.

In Gwinnett County authorities will be doing compliance checks. They also plan to post their offenders watch page as well. A few years ago, The Bartow County Sheriff's Office did a similar initiative, posting "No trick-or-treat" signs on the homes and apartments of sex offenders.

‘There are some sex offenders that are not happy, "Long said. "But I’m not in the business of making them happy. I’m in the business of keeping safe communities and making sure that our children are protected."

Each county has an offender watch page on its website and a link to the statewide sex offender registry.

Misguided New York advocate Michael Carey also trying to oust registrants from homes for the disabled

Notice that this story could not even provide an anecdotal example of someone ob the registry abusing those in homes for the disabled. Why? Because they are extremely rare, that's why! I've already debunked the myth of "sex offenders running wild in nursing homes." Feel free to tell Michael Carey that his campaign is misguided and based on lies.

Just look at his press release. He uses a case to try to prove his point:

https://bbg.einnews.com/pr_news/465034409/gov-andrew-cuomo-is-secretly-moving-convicted-sex-offenders-from-prisons-into-group-homes

Here is what a convicted sexual predator and pedophile said of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s system, it is “a predators dream.”

"The lack of supervision there made it easy to do what I did," DeProspero said in a handwritten affidavit obtained by The Associated Press. "I could have stayed in that house for years and abused him every day without anybody even noticing at all. It was a predator's dream."

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/new-york-pay-3m-family-boy-molested-group-home-article-1.2977392

There's just one problem-- the person he is using as an example WAS NOT A RESIDENT of the nursing home-- he was a a staff worker who passed a background because, like most in NY state arrested for a sex offense, had no prior sex offense record.

https://www.whec.com/news/advocate-fights-to-remove-sex-offenders-from-group-homes-for-the-disabled/5086313/#.W9CyFjqsDXE

Advocate fights to remove sex offenders from group homes for the disabled

September 26, 2018 11:11 PM

There are more than two dozen sex offenders living side-by-side with our most vulnerable in Monroe County, according to the Jonathan Carey Foundation.

The foundation was started in 2007 in memory of Jonathan Carey, a 13-year-old with autism who died in a group home after being suffocated by staff who improperly restrained him.

"I've been doing this for 11 and a half years and it's absolutely wearisome because I'm fighting a system that does not want to change," said Michael Carey, Jonathan's father.

According to the state Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD), privacy laws prohibit agencies from letting families know if, or when this happens, leaving many in the dark when special needs loved ones are living under the same roof with sexual predators.

Carey also claims incidents that do occur aren't reported and aren't prosecuted. Instead, Carey says many incidents are dealt with internally and kept quiet.

"They discriminate against the disabled and deny them equal access to 911 medical and police services," said Carey.

Federal law requires state & federal Medicaid-funded facilities to be free of abuse and neglect, human rights violations and sexual exploitation.

That is hard to guarantee when the most vulnerable are roommates with sex offenders.

According to the Disabled Rights Protection Commission, only three percent of sexual abuse cases get reported.

The DRPC also estimates about 90 percent of people with developmental disabilities will experience sexual abuse at some point in their lives.

"Right now around 8,000 calls a month go into the state abuse hotline a month," said Carey.

Congresswoman Claudia Tenney, R-NY, is calling on the New York State Attorney General’s Office to investigate saying, “Placing convicted sex offenders in the same state-run homes as the developmentally disabled is a new low, even for Governor Cuomo.”

Sharon Ashe of Kingsbury NY already forced one registrant out of a home for the disabled and is now pushing to make this statewide

This is Sharon Ashe, and she wants registrants in need of nursing homes or homes for the disabled segregated into forensic homes concentration camps. Feel free to contact her Facebook page and tell her how you feel.

https://wnyt.com/news/plans-to-move-sex-offender-into-group-home-delayed/5056470/?cat=10114

Plans to move sex offender into group home delayed

September 03, 2018 06:37 PM

GANSEVOORT - Plans to move a two time convicted sex offender into a group home in Gansevoort have been delayed.

James Becker, 33, won't be moving in on Tuesday, but the concerned mother who reached out to NewsChannel 13 last week said the fight isn't over yet.

"It's got to stop,” Sharon Ashe said. “It has got to stop now, we cannot keep turning our backs on this."

Late Sunday night Ashe learned Becker won't be moving into a group home for people with developmental disabilities on Route 50.

Ashe's 47-year-old son Scott lives in that home. She said Scott functions at about an 8-year-old level. He lives in the home with three other 40 to 50-year-old men who have also been diagnosed with a developmental disability.

Ashe said the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities, the state agency that runs the facility, delayed the move over the weekend.

Ashe said it's a step in the right direction, but it's not a solution.

"A postponement is not the answer,” she said. “There are other homes within New York State under OMRDD [OPWDD] they're called Forensic homes. They are filled with other sex offenders. That is where this man belongs."

Becker spent three years in jail after he pleaded guilty to having sex with two underage girls.

Since Ashe spoke out last week, a number of people have stepped in to try and stop the move.

Activist Michael Carey wrote an email to the Justice Center, which read in part:

"This act is illegal and in direct violation of NYS Penal Law 260.25, Endangering the welfare of incompetent and physically disabled people."

New York State Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner said she's concerned by the lack of official notice the group home gave resident's families.

In addition to formal notification, Woerner believes there should be meetings scheduled to ensure transparency.

"I would like to see OPWDD have a process so it's not just sending them a letter sending, the parents a letter but sitting down with the parents and talking through what their staffing plan is and what their concerns might be,” Woerner said.

In a statement the Department of Corrections and Community Services said Becker “would be under close supervision in Saratoga County.”

OPWDD released a statement about their placement process last week, it said in part,

"OPWDD provides supports for people with developmental disabilities in the most appropriate environment based upon their needs, we do not deny needed services based on incidents that occurred in an individual's past."

Woerner said the situation presents significant challenges for everyone involved.

“I understand that this is a difficult situation but we need to balance the rights of the residence of the group home with the rights of the individual being released from prison and find a solution that doesn't put anybody in danger,” she said.

In the meantime, Ashe said she'll continue to fight.

"I have to keep going on this until we know that this is permanently gone around New York State,” Ashe said.

A representative from OPWDD said privacy laws protect Becker's information in this case. The representative said OPWDD only works with people who have a documented developmental disability.

Stay tuned to NewsChannel 13 for updates on this developing story.

Providence RI's Luis Aponte wants to make his city the Miami of the North. Guess what else he has in common with MIami?

I guess Providence RI wants to be the Miami FL of the north. I guess Luis Aponte wants RI'ers to forget about the fact he is facing prison time himself. Interestingly, Ron Book, the guy responsible for the mess in Miami was also convicted of crimes related to campaign contributions, just like Aponte is facing now. Obviously Aponte's pending conviction is the reason for this Hail Mary tactic.

https://www.wpri.com/news/local-news/providence/councilman-aponte-seeks-to-ban-sex-offenders-from-child-safety-zones/1534342549

Councilman Aponte seeks to ban sex offenders from ‘child safety zones'
By:  Dan McGowan
Posted: Oct 18, 2018 08:00 PM EDT

Updated: Oct 18, 2018 08:00 PM EDT

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) – As Washington Park residents continue their efforts to drive a convicted child rapist out of their neighborhood, their councilman has put forward a proposal that would ban registered sex offenders from residing near schools or other facilities frequently visited by kids.

Councilman Luis Aponte, a Democrat from Ward 10, introduced an ordinance Thursday that would prohibit registered sex offenders from living within a 500-foot radius of a “child safety zones,” which would include schools, daycares or recreational areas.

The ordinance would also ban the ex-cons from “entering upon or loitering” within 500 feet of the same facilities. Violators would be subject to fines of $250 on the first offense, $350 on the second offense and $500 for all subsequent violations.

“This is an immediate reaction given some of the things I heard last night,” Aponte told Eyewitness News, referring to a contentious neighborhood meeting attended by more than 200 residents Wednesday after they learned a man convicted of sexually assaulting children in Warwick and Massachusetts in the late 1980s was released from prison and moved to Washington Park last week.

Aponte said he modeled his proposal after other ordinances approved in communities across the country, including Lincoln.

“This is not a foreign concept,” Aponte said. The ordinance was co-sponsored by 11 of Aponte’s Democratic colleagues and referred to the Ordinance Committee. (Three councilors were absent.)

Residents were outraged this week to learn ex-con Richard Gardner moved to a home in Washington Park. After Wednesday’s community meeting, they rallied outside his residence. The neighbors planned to continue protesting Gardner Thursday night.

Gardner’s situation is unique because his offenses pre-date Megan's Law, a measure that led to the federal government requiring that all states establish sex offender registries, meaning there's no requirement to inform the community about where he lives. Mayor Jorge Elorza has promised to keep a police detail on Gardner to ensure he doesn’t re-offend.

There are currently more than 500 registered sex offenders living in Providence, according to police.

Aponte acknowledged his proposal would not apply to Gardner because he already lives in Washington Park, but he said he’s hopeful it will address future situations. He said the area around Gardner’s residence has several small home daycares where individuals take care of children, so he wants to ensure no sex offenders can live in the area going forward.

A spokesperson for Elorza said the administration intends to review the proposal before commenting.

Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza procliaims registered person has "given up his right" to be in his community

There are plenty of Shiitake-worthy people in this article, but I'll settle on Mayor Jorge Elorza, mayor of Providence RI, for the comments suggesting he gets to decide who lives in Providence and who does not.

http://www.providencejournal.com/news/20181017/providence-neighbors-protest-outside-child-rapist-home

Providence neighbors protest outside child rapist home

By
Madeleine List
Journal Staff Writer

Posted Oct 17, 2018 at 9:24 PM
Updated at 7:53 AM

Residents of the Washington Park neighborhood met Wednesday night to discuss the arrival of a new neighbor — a convicted child rapist recently released from prison in Massachusetts.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — A Washington Park Neighborhood Association meeting Wednesday night attracted hundreds of residents and ended with dozens of them protesting outside the home of a registered sex offender convicted of sexually assaulting children.

Outraged residents chanted, “We want him out!” and “Que se vaya!” and shone flashlights into the windows of 207 New York Ave., where the offender, Richard Gardner, moved in with his fiancée last week.

“We don’t feel safe in the neighborhood,” said Erlina Pichardo, speaking in Spanish. She lives in a house across the street from Gardner and has a 13-year-old son. “I’m scared.”

Gardner was convicted in 1989 of kidnapping and sexually assaulting three boys between the ages of 6 and 10 in the Warwick area. He was released last Thursday from a Massachusetts facility where he was serving time for a probation violation, and notified the Providence Police Department later that day that he was moving to New York Avenue.

Because Gardner was convicted before the passage of Megan’s Law, a 1996 law that requires sex offenders to register publicly and the community to be notified when they move into a neighborhood, he does not appear on the state’s list of sex offenders.

He is required to register with the police every time he moves, but that information is not made public, said Providence Officer Timothy Rudd, who manages the city’s sex offenders.

Ward 10 City Councilman Luis Aponte, though, said he found out that Gardner had moved into the neighborhood when he got an “unofficial heads up” from someone in the Police Department.

News spread fast, and the topic was added to the agenda of the Washington Park Neighborhood Association’s Wednesday meeting.

“It’s scary,” said Jennifer Ramirez, 29, who attended the meeting. “I have an 8-year-old son that’s always outside.”

Hundreds of people crowded into the Washington Park Community Center for the standing-room only meeting that often devolved into shouting and chaos.

Residents yelled when Rudd told them that Gardner declined to wear a GPS ankle bracelet, which he is not required by law to wear. “What about our rights!?” “This is bull----!”

Police told residents that Gardner, who is currently on probation, is not allowed to go within 300 feet of a school and that officers would check on his residence frequently and increase their patrols in the neighborhood. Beyond that, they said, there wasn’t much they could do.

“We’re going to be as vigilant as we possibly can be,” Rudd said.

But that didn’t satisfy residents.

“We don’t want him here!” they shouted.

Aponte tried to keep the peace.

"The Police Department did not put this guy here,” he said. “Us yelling at them is not going to change the circumstances.”

Mayor Jorge Elorza said he approved overtime for a police detail to monitor Gardner around the clock and make sure he doesn’t re-offend. Providence police Maj. David Lapatin said two officers will be stationed outside Gardner’s house, and will follow him each time he leaves, 24 hours a day, indefinitely.

“When I read about what this guy, what this predator, has done — it is absolutely heinous,” Elorza said. “He has given up his right to be here in the community.

“He does not belong in our city. He does not belong in our community,” he said. “I want every parent to know that we will not stop until this is absolutely addressed. I’ll say it one more time: He has no place in our community. Period.”

State lawmakers in attendance also pledged to introduce a bill, when the legislative session starts, to place more restrictions on where sex offenders can go, and to rewrite the law governing community notification.

But residents said they didn’t want to wait for laws to change, and were eager to take matters into their own hands.

Lisa Scorpio, a community activist, said she planned to get a group together to return to Gardner’s home every night to protest and implore him to leave.

“Cold, rain, whatever,” she said. “Six o’clock. Every night.”

(Correction: An earlier version of this story reported that Gardner is on parole. He’s on probation.)

— mlist@providencejournal.com

Republican NY State Sen. Jim Tedisco exploits Predator Panic on nonsensical OpEd

This OpEd is very distorted and intentionally misleading (the governor's "conditional pardon" was only to the extent of granting voting rights)

https://www.saratogian.com/news/reader-s-view-parole-board-must-make-crime-victims-a/article_19b185c4-ccc5-11e8-a9df-2f39b22e40bd.html

Reader's View: Parole Board Must Make Crime Victims a Priority
By State Sen. Jim Tedisco 17 hrs ago

Remember the late 1970s and 1980s when crime in New York State was out of control and some of the most dangerous offenders were often paroled long before their prison terms were up only to wreak havoc once more?

Unfortunately, if the Governor has his way, and if Upstate loses its Majority in the Senate as a check on the Executive and an Assembly, that’s two-to-one controlled by downstate interests, the bad old days may return.

In the past few months, the Governor, through executive orders without any legislative consultation, has pardoned or commuted the sentences of over 24,000 criminals including cop killers, child murderers and sex offenders. The Governor has gone so far as to issue conditional pardons and voting rights privileges to at least 77 sexual predators who are being civilly confined – the offenders who are most likely to re-offend.

This is done against the backdrop of a broken parole system here in New York that makes it difficult for crime victims and their families to have meaningful input on decisions about whether to free those convicted of violent crimes.

As a member of the New York State Senate Crime Victims, Crime and Correction Committee, I recently participated in a legislative hearing on this issue. We heard some powerful testimony on the need for reforming the parole system and making it more responsive to crime victims and their families.

Among those testifying were Regina and Michael Stewart of Clifton Park, the parents of the late Christopher F. Stewart, who was tragically killed in 2012 by a drunk, drugged and dangerous driver.

Stewart was 17 years-old and co-captain of the Shenendehowa Football Team. Shen student Deanna Rivers also lost her life in the incident and students Matthew Hardy and Bailey Wind were seriously injured.

While the individual who killed Christopher Stewart and Deanna Rivers was recently denied parole, he will be up for another parole hearing in two years, causing further anguish for the families who will have to go through the process again.

Shockingly, when victims and families give their impact statements to the Parole Board, they only speak to one board member, with no guarantee that individual will be on the three-person panel that makes the decision as to whether to parole or not. This frustrating situation is faced by all crime victims and their families who want to make their voices heard to the Parole Board.

We can be compassionate for people who have made mistakes, done their time and are trying to turn their lives around, but first and foremost, we need justice and compassion for crime victims.

There should be no more get-out-of-jail-free cards for the worst-of-the-worst offenders like baby killer Mary Beth Tinning and cop killer Herman Bell, whose crimes are so heinous they should never see the light of day, let alone be paroled, pardoned and given the same level of rights and benefits as hard-working, honest, law-abiding citizens.

My Senate colleagues and I have already passed a holistic package of bi-partisan bills to protect our communities and be a voice for victims and their families. These include:

- Authorizing the imposition of life imprisonment without parole for persistent violent felony offenders (S.4036).

- Requiring a sentence of life imprisonment without parole for murder in the first degree involving killing of a first responder (S.7976).

Wendy Murphy has already won 3 Shiitakes over the years, now she makes her case for a 4th

Ah, Wendy "I Never EVER Met a False Rape Claim" Murphy. She already has the distinction of being the all-time leader on the Shiitake Awards with THREE Shiitake Awards under her belt. That puts her ahead of Bobby Jindal, Mark Lunsford, Ron Book, and even Lauren Book. With this latest article regarding Halloween laws, this gives her a chance to extend her lead.

A dishonorable mention to the Boston Herald for writing such a bad fluff piece but Murphy just outstupids the rest of the stupidity in this article.

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/local_coverage/2018/10/sex_offenders_have_access_to_kids_on_halloween

Sex offenders have access to kids on Halloween
No Mass. law to stop monsters with candy
Joe Dwinell Sunday, October 07, 2018

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.

Some states also ban offenders from corn mazes and haunted houses.

The Massachusetts Sex Offender Registry Board does map Level 3 sex offenders on the registry’s website.

The locations of bus stops near where Level 3 sex offenders live — considered the most likely to re-offend — have sparked calls to Bay State schools and the registry board, the Herald was told.

But there are no specific restrictions about participating in Halloween on the books.

Murphy, who represents victims of sexual abuse, said the annual fall tradition of trusting your neighbors is rife with pitfalls.

“Not having a law in place to protect kids on a day when they will excitedly be running toward people they should be running away from exposes kids to serious danger,” she said.

“Massachusetts already has a well-deserved reputation for not effectively protecting children from sexual abuse,” Murphy added.

The state Legislature would need to add any Halloween directive to the sex offender law for it to stick.

The Missouri Supreme Court, according to published reports, did rule that state’s Halloween ban could not be applied retroactively.

As for operating an ice cream truck, Massachusetts law states a sex offender caught doing so faces more than two years in jail or a $1,000 fine. And, the law adds, they can be arrested on the spot.

Floridiot persecutor Ryan Will builds pocket parks to remove registrants from their homes, and now thinks he can be an impartial judge

In case there was any doubt that this guy gets his jollies kicking registered citizens from their homes, just watch the video. By the way, did you know he was publicly reprimanded by the Florida Bar Association? He's barely holding on to his license now.

http://www.staugustine.com/news/20181006/linda-gaustad-ryan-will-tout-experience-in-7th-circuit-judge-race/1

Linda Gaustad, Ryan Will tout experience in 7th circuit judge race
By Frank Fernandez

Posted Oct 6, 2018 at 2:38 PM
Updated Oct 6, 2018 at 2:38 PM
 
Both Linda Gaustad and Ryan Will are trumpeting their experience as they head toward a face-off in for an open circuit judge seat.

Will, 38, who lives in Daytona Beach with his wife and children, is a homicide prosecutor with the 7th Circuit State Attorney’s Office, who is emphasizing his many jury trials in criminal court, including some high-profile prosecutions like that of Luis Toledo, who killed his wife and her two children.

“I’ve tried about 70 jury trials in the last 10 years. She’s had four or five,” Will said. “There’s a tremendous difference in our courtroom experience. I know what it takes to be a judge. I’ve worked with good judges. I’ve known good judges. I’ve known them as friends. I’ve known them as mentors. I’ve known them as judges on my cases.”

Gaustad, 56, of Deltona, counters that Will has spent most of his legal life in criminal court while she has a vast amount of varied experience in family law, real property, trusts, wills, estate, business and criminal law. A private attorney with an office in Orange City, she said most of the cases she works on are resolved before trial because litigants want to avoid the expense of a trial or they are a type of case, such as probate, that rarely go to trial.

“I have a very broad range of experience,” Gaustad said. “It’s very diversified experience.”

Will, who grew up in Ormond Beach and graduated from Seabreeze High School, is the son of retired Circuit Judge Joseph G. Will and was admitted to the Florida Bar in 2006.

Gaustad spent her early childhood years in Illinois before moving to Central Florida when she was 9. She started living on her own at the age 15 but is now married with children and grandchildren. She received a high school diploma from what was then Orlando Technical and has lived in Volusia County since 1989. She was admitted to the Florida Bar in 2000.

All registered voters in the circuit covering Volusia, Flagler, St. Johns and Putnam counties can vote in the Nov. 6 general election for the seat, which comes with a six-year term earning $160,688 per year. The seat is open due to the retirement of J. Michael Traynor, who presides over civil cases at the judicial center in St. Augustine.

In the August primary, Will won all four of the circuit’s counties. Will received 34,044 votes in Volusia County where Gaustad finished third with 31,265 votes behind Sebrina Slack’s 33,245 votes. In Flagler County, Will received 7,698 votes while Gaustad finished second with 6,775 and attorney Slack came in last with 6,368. Slack finished third overall and was eliminated from the race.

Both Will and Gaustad said they have the temperament to become a judge and that they would be patient and respectful of the litigants and attorneys coming before them.

They also say they are both involved in the community. Gaustad said she purchased Christmas gifts for children in foster care and school supplies for students. She likes to help seniors avoid scams and won’t charge them for the consultation.

Will also said that he did some civil work for nearly a year for companies in the oil and gas industry in Alabama. He said he also did some probate and real estate work on the side.

Gaustad said just because he did some probate or real estate work doesn’t make him an attorney in that area.

“You can change something minor in your car but does that make you a mechanic?” she said.

One of Will’s activities outside the courtroom is helping communities build parks in locations that use state law to keep sexual predators from moving into the neighborhood. Will led the effort to build the first one in his own neighborhood

Will is far ahead in contributions with $69,560 to Gaustad’s $23,684. He also has many more individual contributors than she does.

Of Will’s money, $26,000 is his own money or loans to himself. Of Gaustad’s money, $21,435 is her own with $14,100 of that in loans to herself and the rest in-kind contributions to herself.

Gaustad said that voters need to make a fully informed decision.

“I think it’s important that people realize that I’ve never been reprimanded by the Florida Supreme Court,” Gaustad said.

Will was reprimanded in August 2014 by the state Supreme Court after the Florida Bar found probable cause that Will had demeaned and ridiculed a defendant named Jerry Crew by repeatedly calling him a crackhead while prosecuting him during a 2012 murder trial. Probable cause was also found that Will had erred in other ways, including demeaning the defense attorney and his theories of defense. Will entered a conditional guilty plea.

In an interview this week, Will described it as a learning experience.

“It wasn’t a proud moment in my career,” Will said. “It’s something that taught me a lot about myself and taught me a lot about the courtroom. I think it probably made me a little bit more humble, a little bit more focused in my approach, taught me how to be a better lawyer, and I think has given me a little bit better experience seeing the perspective of the judge, knowing where the line is and drawing that line.”

Rep. Matha Roby declares children, "Our most precious responsibility". Where have I heard that before?

Whenever I hear the terms, "children" and "most precious" come from the mouth of a politician, it makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. It is a scary quote considering that Hitler penned those words so many years ago--

"The folkish state must make up for what everyone else today has neglected in this field. It must set race in the center of all life. It must take care to keep it pure. It must declare the child to be the most precious treasure of the people." -- Adolph Hitler, Mein Kampf.

I'm sure you are familiar with part of this quote, but you've usually seen it with this statement added, "As long as the government is perceived as working for the benefit of the children, the people will happily endure almost any curtailment of liberty and almost any deprivation." That was not penned by the REAL Hitler, but a fictional Hitler in a CS Lewis Screwtape letters styled social commentary by Rabbi Daniel Lapin in 1999. However, the part aboyr declaring the child to be the "Most Precious" was indeed the quote by Hitler.

Yes, I can hear a couple of triggered folks whining, "OMG I can't believe you went there."Now, I'm NOT comparing Roby to Hitler. I AM, however, pointing out that her statement is flat out creepy and disturbing in using this statement to promote the type of legislation that is a better fit for 1980s Berlin than 2018 USA.

http://altoday.com/archives/26743-martha-roby-our-most-precious-responsibility

Martha Roby: Our most precious responsibility
BY GUEST AUTHOR ON SEPTEMBER 28, 2018

As a society, our children are perhaps the greatest, most precious responsibility given to us. They are vulnerable, innocent, and wholly dependent upon the adults surrounding them for protection. While horrible and unthinkable, the unfortunate reality is that not everyone takes this responsibility seriously, and there are even those who would do children harm.

The National Center for Victims of Crime reports that while the prevalence of child sexual abuse is difficult to determine because it is often unreported, experts still agree that the number of incidences is vastly greater than what is reported to authorities.

Children are the most vulnerable members of our society, and there is perhaps no greater responsibility before Congress than the call to protect them. I believe it is our job to provide the most effective tools available to confront, fight, punish, and ultimately prevent horrific crimes against children. Our legal protections for children and the punishments for those who harm them must be as strong as possible.

That’s why I was grateful that the House of Representatives recently passed my bill, H.R. 6847, the Preventing Child Exploitation Act of 2018, in the House where it recently passed. This bill combines four pieces of legislation in an effort to fight the abuse and exploitation of children and strengthen protections for them under the law. I’d like to take a moment to share with you more specifics on what this package of bills would accomplish.

First, my bill includes H.R. 1842, the Strengthening Children’s Safety Act, which makes our communities safer by enhancing penalties for sex offenders who fail to register in the national sex offender registry, and then commit a crime of violence.

Second, the bill includes H.R. 1862, the Global Child Protection Act, legislation I previously introduced to combat global sex tourism by closing loopholes that allow child predators to go unpunished for their abuse of children overseas.

Third, this bill includes H.R. 1761, the Protecting Against Child Exploitation Act, to add legal measures to strengthen protections for victims of child pornography.

Fourth, and finally, my bill includes H.R. 1188, the Adam Walsh Reauthorization Act, to continue our support for programs that help prevent child abuse by ensuring that the public has access to information about known sex offenders in their neighborhoods.

In addition to introducing the Preventing Child Exploitation Act, I was also proud to join my colleagues in cosponsoring the Victims of Child Abuse Act Reauthorization Act of 2018. As you may know, the Victims of Child Abuse Act was first passed in 1990, and it provides federal funding for the development of Children’s Advocacy Centers (CAC).

The primary mission of a CAC is to prevent further victimization of a child by ensuring that child abuse investigations are comprehensive and that intervention and healing services are age-appropriate for the needs of each individual child.

Congress unanimously reauthorized the Victims of Child Abuse Act reauthorization in 2014, but it is set to expire this year. I am hopeful that the House will take up this important piece of legislation soon to ensure that CACs have the resources necessary to serve the children who need them most.

In Congress, I am grateful to have the opportunity to serve on the Judiciary Committee where we have worked very diligently to combat crimes against children. In recent years, we have made remarkable progress in this fight – but we can, and we must, do more. I’m encouraged by House passage of the Preventing Child Exploitation Act, and I am hopeful that the Senate will act on this bill quickly to protect the most vulnerable among us. We must use every tool available to prevent horrific crimes against children.

Martha Roby represents Alabama’s Second Congressional District. She lives in Montgomery, Alabama, with her husband Riley and their two children.