How an Issue Becomes a Law
July 30, 1994 would be the day that would change the Kanka family forever. Seven year old Megan Kanka was last seen playing and riding her bicycle the previous day in front of her home, her body would later be found in a Mercer County Park in New Jersey. Megan Kanka was raped and murdered by her neighbor Jesse Timmendequas, a convicted sexual predator that unbeknownst to the Kanka family had pled guilty and served time for the sexual assault of two young girls previously. (History Channel, 2016) This horrific crime and devastating circumstances is what drove Megan’s parents to demand a change within our judicial system.
The Kanka family pushed legislatures to change the laws for sexual offenders, requiring all sex …show more content…
The public’s view of this crime and others like it caused the public to cry for change. “Megan’s Law renewed public attention to the problem of sexual assault and mapped out the most significant changes to the state’s sex crimes laws in over a decade” (Corrigan, 2006, p. 268). Megan’s Law gave the public a sense of control over the devastating risk that sexual predators pose to society. As Brooks (1996) details, the public outrage that followed Megan’s death was trailed by a signed petition of over 1500 signatures to the New Jersey Governor calling for a change in legislation to prevent a tragedy of this sort from occurring again. Less than two months later, which in most instances is quick, nine statutes relating to the reporting and documentation of sexual offenders was proposed and enacted. What moves legislation at a rate this rapid?
The public’s outrage and emotional connection to this crime due to the victim’s age and severity of the crime is what struck a nerve with the public as well as with legislators. The nerve that was struck is what propelled Megan’s Law; however, one must look at the validity and constitutionality of this law and determine if the manner in which Megan’s Law was instilled correct and if it serves the public in which it aims to …show more content…
Attention must be paid to the rate at which this law was passed and the impact it has. The legislative opinions regarding Megan’s law and the way in which it came to be has been in question from the beginning, McLarin (1994) states “…several legislators expressed concern about the speed with which the Assembly was acting, saying that discussion had been stifled and the constitutionality of the bills had not been tested” (para. 5). This law was initiated under emotional distress, from both the public and the legislature. Megan’s Law aims to address the fundamental question posed about what should be done with individuals who engage in deviant sexual behavior against society. Megan’s Law was created with emotional passion and with the hope and ideal that society would be safer if this law was created, and enforced. The question still remains does Megan’s Law protect society, the rights of the accused, and the victims of criminal sexual deviant
July 30, 1994 would be the day that would change the Kanka family forever. Seven year old Megan Kanka was last seen playing and riding her bicycle the previous day in front of her home, her body would later be found in a Mercer County Park in New Jersey. Megan Kanka was raped and murdered by her neighbor Jesse Timmendequas, a convicted sexual predator that unbeknownst to the Kanka family had pled guilty and served time for the sexual assault of two young girls previously. (History Channel, 2016) This horrific crime and devastating circumstances is what drove Megan’s parents to demand a change within our judicial system.
The Kanka family pushed legislatures to change the laws for sexual offenders, requiring all sex …show more content…
The public’s view of this crime and others like it caused the public to cry for change. “Megan’s Law renewed public attention to the problem of sexual assault and mapped out the most significant changes to the state’s sex crimes laws in over a decade” (Corrigan, 2006, p. 268). Megan’s Law gave the public a sense of control over the devastating risk that sexual predators pose to society. As Brooks (1996) details, the public outrage that followed Megan’s death was trailed by a signed petition of over 1500 signatures to the New Jersey Governor calling for a change in legislation to prevent a tragedy of this sort from occurring again. Less than two months later, which in most instances is quick, nine statutes relating to the reporting and documentation of sexual offenders was proposed and enacted. What moves legislation at a rate this rapid?
The public’s outrage and emotional connection to this crime due to the victim’s age and severity of the crime is what struck a nerve with the public as well as with legislators. The nerve that was struck is what propelled Megan’s Law; however, one must look at the validity and constitutionality of this law and determine if the manner in which Megan’s Law was instilled correct and if it serves the public in which it aims to …show more content…
Attention must be paid to the rate at which this law was passed and the impact it has. The legislative opinions regarding Megan’s law and the way in which it came to be has been in question from the beginning, McLarin (1994) states “…several legislators expressed concern about the speed with which the Assembly was acting, saying that discussion had been stifled and the constitutionality of the bills had not been tested” (para. 5). This law was initiated under emotional distress, from both the public and the legislature. Megan’s Law aims to address the fundamental question posed about what should be done with individuals who engage in deviant sexual behavior against society. Megan’s Law was created with emotional passion and with the hope and ideal that society would be safer if this law was created, and enforced. The question still remains does Megan’s Law protect society, the rights of the accused, and the victims of criminal sexual deviant