OFFENDERS: An attempt to mislead

David Robins claims the statistical picture on sex offenders I cite is unclear, but he then cites unknown studies that attempt to “predict” future reoffense rates that he says range between 5% and 80%, depending on many undisclosed factors. In addition to misquoting the actual reoffense rate of 3.5%, you are intentionally misleading, sir.

People have used public registries to look up names, addresses, and even maps directing them to the homes of registrants whom they have then murdered. The official four who have been murdered in this fashion were not living with innocent family members at the time of their murders, but one can imagine what might have happened had they been. Registration laws exude hatred, sir, and hatred breeds hatred. These assassins were complete strangers to those victims, and were simply caught up in the hatred promoted by these draconian laws.

All 50 states were forced by the federal government to accept and implement these laws under threat of federal money to states being withheld. If I have learned anything, it is that if an idea is really good - it sells itself. Minus such coercion, one cannot say with certainty how many states would have thought the idea good.

I spent $6,000 seeking relief from the courts. I had support of friends and neighbors, and an expert psychologist testified that I was “highly unlikely to reoffend” and posed “a very low risk to reoffend or commit any violent crime.” The judge even admitted his belief that I would not reoffend, but denied petition based on the notion that all these things did not necessarily meet the “clear and convincing” standard of proof. The attorney who represented me before the judge that day in that courtroom, later became the judge in that very courtroom. Did he take my money and represent his own interests that day? I don’t know. I only know that it didn’t pass the smell test.

Sex predators: Have you never viewed the TV program “To Catch a Predator” with Chris Hansen? As a registrant, I was curious to see how many registrants would show up, and after viewing 30-plus episodes, I counted only two. Typical profile was like that of Jim Rauch, a 59-year-old retired music teacher in an elementary school, but employed as a professor of Criminal Justice at the University of Cincinnati at time of arrest for using his web cam to send pictures of his private parts, and making horribly explicit sexual suggestions to a person he believed to be a 13-year-old girl who was home alone.

Mr. Robins, while I sincerely appreciate your efforts to stop these type of sex crimes against our children, I deeply resent your conscious attempt to link them to registrants who clearly play no significant role.

ARTHUR JOHNSON

Rathdrum