Commentary
There was a time during my law enforcement career when I believed that the California Legislature made protecting children a priority. I’m specifically thinking about the 2006 California ballot proposition. Prop. 83 was authored by California State Senator George Runner (R-Lancaster) and was overwhelmingly supported by Californians by a margin of 70.5 to 29.5 percent.
Prop. 83, also known as Jessica’s Law or the Sexual Predator Punishment and Control Act, received its name from the 2005 tragic abduction and murder of 9-year-old Jessica Marie Lunsford by 46-year-old convicted sex offender John Couey, who lived in her neighborhood. The case received national attention as Couey was already in violation of the law prior to the incident by not reporting his domicile to authorities as required….