CA State Assembly Pass New Sex Offender Law
As we have discussed, Chelsea's Law would lock up some child molesters for life, without the possibility of parole. The new sex offender law recently cleared the California State Assembly.
The Assembly passed bill AB 1844, known Chelsea's Law, on a 65-0 vote, the Associated Press reports. It was sponsored by Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher (R-San Diego) and would put some child molesters in prison for life after a first offense.
It now goes to the state Senate.
As previously discussed, the parents of slain San Diego County teenager Chelsea King are pushing for stricter penalties on sex offenders.
In addition, the bill calls for some child molesters to be on lifetime parole with electronic monitoring. The bill would establish a new penalty of a life sentence without the possibility of parole for forcible sex crimes against those younger than 18 when there are aggravating circumstances.
The revised sex offender law is in response to John Albert Gardner III, who was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole for the rapes and murders of Chelsea King and Amber Dubois, as previously discussed.
The two murders have pushed many people to their tipping point over how the legal system manages California sex offenders.
Amber's father, Maurice Dubois, is also pushing for child sex predators to carry specially marked ID driver's licenses identifying them as such.
A new full legislative package was rolled out recently on National Missing Children's Day and endorsed by Maurice Dubois.
Law enforcement officials are currently investigating Gardner as a suspect in assaults against women and teenage girls in San Diego, San Bernardino and Riverside counties.
- New CA Sex Offender Law May Require Marked ID (FindLaw's Blotter)
- New CA Sex Offender Law Comes with Large Price Tag (FindLaw's Blotter)
- Convicted Sex Offender John Gardner Gets Life in Prison (FindLaw's Blotter)