Domestic Violence Registry proposed in Texas

[machete]

Shouldn't we all adopt the chicken little position because of laws already on the books elsewhere? No.

yes!!! arent you a lawyer????

how can you never have heard of American Legislative Exchange Council??? ALEC | Home ???? their whole job is to get laws from one state passed in other states...

the job of lobbyists is to go from state to state to get moneymaking laws passed...

apart from that,,,as a lawyer,,,have you never noticed that laws in one state look a lot like laws in other states???

 

[trnsplntfrmohio]

lol

 

[Fletch]

If someone posts something and doesn't find an audience, then most likely they will quit posting such topics. Of course, that would be the adult way to handle it.

Finding someone on the internet who acts like an adult is a rare and precious thing.

 

[ghostinthewood]

Finding someone on the internet who acts like an adult is a rare and precious thing.

I tried to rep you =p

 

[beararms1776]

I could see this being easily abused by an angry ex or an obsessive stalker of an innocent person. No... IT WILL BE ABUSED. It will bring a new meaning to "If I can't have them, then I will make sure no one else wants them and they will have to be with me."

 

[model67a]

I do not know about the laws in Texas but in Indiana if you are convicted of Domestic Violence it is a felony and you are barred from owning a firearm. This may be a sneak tactic by anti-gun groups to make it easier to deny rights. Really I do not agree with our laws. If a couple gets in an argument and the police is called they are going to suffer. How many of us have gotten into an argument with out spouse that was really heated? I think sometimes the police are called for spite from one party or the other to get back at the other spouse without thinking about the repercussions. I know someone that this happened to and now he is barred from owning, enjoying, and defending his life with firearms. Sometimes the action does not warrant the punishment!!!!

 

[machete]

I do not know about the laws in Texas but in Indiana if you are convicted of Domestic Violence it is a felony and you are barred from owning a firearm.

half true,,,it can be either a misdemeanor or a felony...the second part is right...

 

[mrjarrell]

I do not know about the laws in Texas but in Indiana if you are convicted of Domestic Violence it is a felony and you are barred from owning a firearm. This may be a sneak tactic by anti-gun groups to make it easier to deny rights. Really I do not agree with our laws. If a couple gets in an argument and the police is called they are going to suffer. How many of us have gotten into an argument with out spouse that was really heated? I think sometimes the police are called for spite from one party or the other to get back at the other spouse without thinking about the repercussions. I know someone that this happened to and now he is barred from owning, enjoying, and defending his life with firearms. Sometimes the action does not warrant the punishment!!!!

Even if it's a misdemeanor you're barred from owning firearms. It's a federal issue, thanks to Frank Lautenberg and his allies in congress.
Domestic Violence Offender Gun Ban - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[steveh_131]

This argument is getting pretty confusing. I think it needs broken down into three questions:

1. Is it constitutional?

There are interesting arguments on both sides. To me, if it's constitutional for the states to imprison people then it's also constitutional to enforce probation periods and even registries if they want.

2. Is it ethical?

I don't know why someone automatically has to become free and clear after leaving prison. Prison is a part of the sentence but I have no problem with there being more punishments beyond prison. You give up your rights when you violate other peoples' rights.

There are a lot of arguments about the wrong kind of people being put on these registries. However, I don't feel that's an argument about registries but about the laws in general. Obviously an 18 year old sleeping with a 15 year old doesn't belong on a sex offender registry, but then he didn't belong in prison either. Fix the laws, it has no bearing on this argument.

3. Does it make people safer?

Sounds like a mixed review on this.

http://wcr.sonoma.edu/v07n1/01/sexoffender.pdf

The Iowa Department of Human
Rights (Adkins, Huff, and Stageberg, 2000) compared
groups of over 200 convicted sex offenders released
from supervision before the registration requirement
and immediately following the implementation of
the requirement. Results show “mixed effects,” with
registered sex offenders having only slightly lower rates
of recidivism for sexual offenses (3.0% vs. 3.5%), but a
26 percent lower rate of recidivism for all offenses.

There aren't many good studies out there on this topic. Obviously there won't be any studies on a domestic violence registry because there isn't one. This study has a tiny sample size with a bazillion variables unaccounted for. Overall, it looks to me like registries aren't worth the time or expense.

 

[mcolford]

Ok... I am kind of on the fence about this registry, and I will explain why.

IF the police were called by some nosey neighbor, and tell the police I allegedly smacked my wife, which is something I would NEVER do, More than likely I am going to jail. Why? Because the law is to protect, and me being almost a foot taller and 60 pounds more than my wife, I am a bigger threat. But if I go to jail, I am most likely getting convivted, and this pulls my happy ass onto this list. I didnt smack my wife, but due to a conviction, I would be tossed on "the list."

Now on the other hand, I am very anti domestic violence. I have no respect for som scum that smacks his wife/girlfriend/etc. So, in the event of this happening, I would want her protected, as you cant keep an officer by her side, and I dont really see a piece of paper known as a restraining order too safe.

Anyways.. I think that violent folks (can be man or woman) that cause injury to their spouse intentionally, yes, there should be a way of knowing.

As far as cost: In my county, and possibly its statewide, I dont know, Sex Offenders are charged $50 up front to register, and $5 everytime they update, move, etc. This covers all costs of running, and upkeep of the site. Institute a similiar idea for other sites like this.

The downfall with a website is there are some people that are not too computer fluent, thus a website wont help them. Whereas, maybe a pamphlet distributed with the newspaper once every 6 months or once a year, would be beneficial.

Some of you I know are thinking well what about their rights? Personally, I am more concerned about the rights of the victim before the perp. Thats just how I feel.

-MColford

 

[nate1865]

Public registries are just indirect ways to increase the penalties for certain crimes.

Challenge is that when you say "domestic violence" it can mean a wide array of things, and what people normally imagine isn't necessarily reality.

Background checks aren't that expensive - what $50 maybe?

Sounds like a very wise investment to me if you need one and wish to safeguard your financial future and happiness. If you aren't willing to spend $50 for that you shouldn't risk everything you own and your reputation.

 

[Bond 281]

Challenge is that when you say "domestic violence" it can mean a wide array of things, and what people normally imagine isn't necessarily reality.

Spanking a child is considered by some to be domestic violence. Slapping a woman once is arguably domestic violence. There's not a very clear line and the potential for abuse of the system is clear, as courts favor women.

And what about an assault registry, so people can know who violent individuals are. That way a playground fight that overzealous administrators got kids jailed over haunts them.

Or how about we register gun owners, so we know who has the potential to shoot people. They're clearly violent people anyway.

Let's also register individual guns while we're at it.

Etc.

Etc.

Registries really aren't the direction I, or most people, really want things to go.

 

[public servant]

Slapping a woman once is arguably domestic violence.

If you do it hard enough...once is all it takes.

Are you serious???

 

[Bond 281]

If you do it hard enough...once is all it takes.

Are you serious???

In many cultures, and not too terribly long ago in ours, it's not considered abusive if a man slaps a woman. I'm not talking beating her to a pulp or leave bruises or anything but slap. Kinda like the old James Bond films. It's not something I've personally done, but I would never string a guy up because he slapped his wife once. Children are much weaker and vulnerable than women are but I doubt most people have a huge issue with spanking children. It is my honest opinion that although there are plenty cases of abuse of women, we've become overly sensitive and put women on a pedestal that they haven't earned. Relationship dynamics are much more varied than what oprah and the media portray, but that's a whole different discussion.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FgMLROTqJ0"]YouTube - Barbra Walters interviews Sean Connery on slapping women[/ame]

Edit: And speaking of spanking...just after 5 minutes in.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vC20tpqaqk[/ame]