Senate committee OKs Jessica’s Law

Annapolis (Map, News) - Legislation barring parole for people convicted of sexual abusing children — commonly known as Jessica’s Law — passed the Maryland Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee Wednesday night.

“These predators are the vilest members of our society and their vile actions deserve severe punishments,” said Sen. Nancy Jacobs, lead sponsor of the bill (SB 413), which has more than half of the Senate as co-sponsors.

Last year, the General Assembly increased the penalties on those convicted of sex crimes. This included a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years for an adult who commits a first-degree sexual offense against a child under 13, and a five-year minimum for a second-degree offense against a child. But the law left open parole for those offenders.

“There is a very high rate of recidivism” among sex offenders, Jacobs said. That’s why she and other supporters want to eliminate the possibility of parole.

The measure is referred to as Jessica’s Law after a Florida statute enacted in 2005 after the abduction, molestation and murder of 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford by a known sex offender who lived near her.

Jacobs said this bill “may only help with five or ten” convicted offenders per year. But Sen. Jim Brochin, D-Baltimore County, who added himself as co-sponsor, said, “I wouldn’t want to take a chance.”

Sen. Lisa Gladden, D-Baltimore City, the vice chair of the committee who is a public defender, said, “Prosecutors are loathe to impose mandatory sentences.”

“We need useful laws,” and mandatory minimums are not useful, Gladden said.

Another opponent of the proposal, Sen. Jamie Raskin, D-Montgomery, said, “I was very moved by the testimony I saw, but very little of it had to do” with what the legislation tries to do.

The hearing on the bill March 14 angered many of the supporters because it occurred at 6 p.m. after a majority of the committee members had left, including Chairman Brian Frosh, D-Montgomery. Frosh said he listened to the hearing on tape.

“Nobody likes to go last,” said Frosh, who opposed the measure.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Joseph Vallario, D-Prince George’s, also opposed the bill last year, and Jessica’s Law’s advocates from around the country are trying to put pressure on him.

Half the Judiciary Committee co-sponsored Jessica’s Law, said member Chris Shank, the House minority whip.

“The votes are there to pass it,” he said.

Paroling Sex Offenders

The Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services said that 28 sex offenders in Maryland were paroled in the past three years. Most of them were released after serving half to two-thirds of their sentence. Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services Legislative Director Rhea Harris said the department does not have an accurate count of sex offenders since many were convicted of different crimes than the sexual crimes for which they were charged. There are more than 25,000 inmates in state prisons. – Len Lazarick

llazarick@baltimoreexaminer.com

Advertisement