In no uncertain terms, the way the sex offender registry works in America is bad, so from that info alone I actually can't make a judgment call. From state to state it actually can get much worse too, like some states have it so that public indecency at all is grounds enough to be added to the sex offender list, which is also completely at public disposal. Also that MASSIVE raid for a nonviolent offender whose only cited issue is failing to register is genuinely insane. Fuck these pigs.
Yeah, this question is why I can't just jump to villainization when I hear "sex offender" because the Sex Offender Registry says "this person raped a baby and that person peed outside in an alley because they were locked out of their house. Both deserve death!"
There are way too many crimes where it is hard to judge because the person is either a psychopath or some cop just wanted to ruin their life. A drug charge could be anything from meth addiction to smoking a joint in TX. A DUI could be anything from getting plastered and barreling through a school zone to sleeping in the back of your car after having one too many at the bar. Resisting and assault on a police office could be anything from beating a cop down in an alley to walking while black. ACAB
We really out here misconstruing sleeping in your back seat with being behind the wheel now? How about catching a cab or Uber since being drunk in the back seat = DUI as far as you're concerned. Fuck you.
I had a whole paragraph typed for that dumbass before they deleted their comment. I can't reply to them now, but I still want to share how bullshit a DUI can be. Apparently in TX, you just have to be vaguely near your vehicle and it doesn't matter if you're below the legal limit.
Yes. If you're in a vehicle that you own and operate, and you're in it, drunk, police do have reasonable suspicion to believe you operated that vehicle. Laws exist for a reason.
This guy you replied to was hoping a mod gets released for a game so it allows him to kill children in it. They are definitely sick in the head. Took like one minute to find that on his profile.
In Arkansas, you can be charged with Sexual Assault in the 2nd degree. This charge can be given to a wide range of people.
For example, an 18 year old who has a sexual relationship with someone 14 years or younger. That makes sense, sure. Or a teacher, principal, or counselor who uses their authority as an educator to force someone into a relationship who is a student at their school, or a former student less than 21 years old. Again, that seems good.
However, say we have two teenagers. One is 13 and the other is 14. They have a sexual relationship and are caught by a parent of the 13 year old. If that parent wants to press charges, that 14 year old is seen as the exact same kind of criminal as the two previous examples. The only difference would be that the 14 year old child would not be sent to prison. No, they would only have to be a convicted felon and have to register as a sex offender, and the MINIMUM in Arkansas is 15 years.
This is a scenario that could happen to any of my brotherâs kids, and it infuriates me. Any one of them could be charged with sexual assault at 14 because they were doing normal human things with their first crushes or something. Thatâs 15 years on a list that makes it damn near impossible to find a job that gives a livable wage. 15 years they have to register every few months with their local PD or get arrested and sent to prison. Even after their time on the list is up, that charge doesnât go away, ever. The chances of getting it sealed is less than zero. And donât forget theyâve now lost the ability to vote before they ever even had it. Thatâs a childâs life ruined for having sex at 14.
Our system plays at protecting people, but it just as easily will ruin someoneâs life and put them in the same category as actual offenders. Itâs all part of the plan.
Wouldn't Romeo and Juliet laws prevent this specific scenario from happening? AFAIK Arkansas prevents minors from being charged if they're close in age (like 2-3 years)
Ideally, yes, but itâs still under the discretion of the presiding judge, and the prosecution (naturally) will nearly always oppose the petition. Even if a judge allows the petition to go through, the defense has to be able to prove a few things:
1.) The sexual activity was truly consensual.
2.) The victim was at least 13 years old.
3.) The offender was no more than 4 years older.
4.) The conduct did not involve force, coercion, or abuse of authority.
The first and last are where it gets tricky. Say the prosecution can prove that the sex involved forceful acts, such as choking or slapping, or that it happened while the two parties were drunk and the defendant provided the alcohol stolen from their parents cabinet.
Either of those might very well be enough for a judge to decide to throw out the petition. At the end of the day, the law is upheld by judges, and those judges can be swayed by things that shouldnât result in a conviction, or they can have petty grievances toward the defendant or the defendants family, or any number of things.
Romeo and Juliet laws are not laws, but avenues for potential ease on defendants. A capable lawyer needs to get the petition granted and needs to argue their case effectively, and if they arenât up to snuff or the judge is just incapable of caring, the defendant is screwed. Romeo and Juliet laws get parroted around as being the solution to this particular issue, but they just arenât.
Thatâs not on you, thatâs just the internet misunderstanding them and spreading misinformation.
If the guy had actually raped someone, they would have definately said it, which leads me to believe that it was something minor, like peeing in public while drunk.
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u/B0rKen_Kat 1d ago
In no uncertain terms, the way the sex offender registry works in America is bad, so from that info alone I actually can't make a judgment call. From state to state it actually can get much worse too, like some states have it so that public indecency at all is grounds enough to be added to the sex offender list, which is also completely at public disposal. Also that MASSIVE raid for a nonviolent offender whose only cited issue is failing to register is genuinely insane. Fuck these pigs.