I don't know why Pastor Martin lacks the backbone to speak out on this. CJ Robinson is a blithering idiot. One has to wonder if Cracker Jack gives Alabama law degrees as prizes.
http://wiat.com/2014/06/27/new-law-forces-chilton-co-sex-offenders-to-leave-pastors-backyard/
New law forces Chilton. Co. sex offenders to leave pastor’s backyard
By Kaitlin McCulley
Published: June 27, 2014, 6:53 pm Updated: June 27, 2014, 7:00 pm
CHILTON COUNTY, Ala. (WIAT) — A man’s dream to rehabilitate convicted sex offenders is coming to an end.
Since 2010, 53 sex offenders released from prison have moved in to trailers in Ricky Martin’s backyard. The property is located at 40 County Road 374 in Chilton County. Of those 53 convicted offenders, 32 are convicted rapists and 21 have been convicted of molestation. 43 committed crimes against children.
Martin pastors Triumph Church, also on his property. Neighbors tell WIAT 42 they do not feel safe in their homes.
Debra Morrison lives next door to Martin and the sex offender camp in his backyard.
“Usually when you go to grandma’s house and you want to go swing on the swing, usually that’s ok,” Morrison said. “But not here.”
Morrison’s young grandchildren are frequent visitors to her home.
“When they come to Nana’s, they know that we’ve got to be with them at all times,” Morrison said. “And they’re scared. There’s always fear, even when we go to bed at night.”
Chilton County Chief Deputy District Attorney C.J. Robinson said neighbors will not have to feel that way much longer. A legislative bill was passed recently,requiring sex offenders in Chilton County to live at least 300 feet apart from each other. The seven remaining offenders living on Martin’s property must leave by July 1st.
“This might be the only chance I ever have as a prosecutor to try to take steps on the front end,” Robinson said. “If there’s something I can do to keep a child from being victimized.”
Morrison is thankful her worst fears have not become a reality. She hopes soon, “Nana’s house,” will be a place of carefree fun.
WIAT 42 Reporter Kaitlin McCulley talked with Martin, but he declined to be recorded on camera for this report and would not answer questions on-the-record. His only comment regarding the sex offenders is this: “I hope they continue their relationship with Christ when they leave here.”
(Copyright WIAT 42 News 2014)
Saturday, June 28, 2014
Saturday, June 21, 2014
Jay Maynor is no hero: Vigilante Violence is NEVER "Justice"
Jeremy and Christine Moody--Skinhead "Heroes" |
“How do we rehabilitate a sex offender? They
cannot be fixed, what they can do, is convinced the Psychologists that they are
‘fixed’ and they are safe to be released into society. The only cure for child
abusers and molesters is to have every member of their immediate family killed.
These nefarious crimes and people should not be allowed to procreate. By
destroying their immediate family members, you purify the blood line. This is
the only way to ensure that they (the pervert or family) cannot ever hurt a
child again. Liberals will think that these statements are immature and that I
must be empty headed. How many people consider the children that were abused or
molested? What about the mental destruction that this child has to live with
for the rest of their lives? How these children will find it difficult to ever
trust another person. How these children may possibly never be able to have
children of their own, because they were raped so severe, that it damaged them
permanently? I don't think my suggestion is immature, I think it's the
only answer, and if you don't agree, then you two should be destroyed[1][i].” –
Jeremy Moody, “Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow.” Lulu Publishing, 2012. p.5
On
Sunday, June 8, 2014, Jay Maynor[ii]
of Cullman, Alabama shot and killed Raymond Earl Brooks, a registered citizen,
who had served time for a sex crime against Maynor’s daughter 12 years ago[iii].
As with any story involving so-called “vigilante justice,” there are plenty of
individuals coming out of the woodwork proclaiming this man a “hero.” The
killer’s family has set up a Facebook page[iv]
and a defense fund[v],
and has raised $1500 in 10 days (the listed goal is $5000). A few of the
comments from the fundraiser page are frightening and disturbing indeed:
“There is no room in this world for
pedophiles. They cannot be rehabilitated, and there is no cure. They should all
be chucked off a boat and left for sharks.” – Holly Perkins
“We have several sexual offenders living
around us. Unless they start neutering them, I am with Mr. Maynor kind of
justice.” – Kat Perry, who donated $5.00
“As a survivor of abuse I support Mr. Maynor
for seeking justice for his daughter. This demon should have never been allowed
to walk the streets again, to have the chance to abuse another child. You are a
hero to me Mr. Maynor.” – Jeanna Phillips, who donated $20.00
Jay Maynor's Mugshot |
A
woman by the name of Kayla Maddux[vi],
whose Facebook picture is a blue variation of the “Keep Calm” internet meme
proclaiming “Keep Calm and Free Jaybird,” posted a comment to detractors at the
Cullman Times, stating, “Dont [sic]
go trying to tell facts when you dont know them.” When has the lack of facts
stop the mass media from exploiting the tragedy for ratings? Even though the AP
story didn’t mention the shooter’s name to “protect the victim’s identity,”
they had no reservations posting the victim’s mug shot and proclaim him a sex
offender[vii].
The lack of details didn’t stop Catherine Connors, an executive with the Walt
Disney Company and “award winning blogger,” from writing a post on the Nancy Grace
HLN site hinting that what Maynor did, although legally wrong, is
understandable and she would be tempted to do the same thing. Connors states, “I
know, if something like this happened to me, I might be tempted to do wrong,
too[viii].”
Michelle Lund from CrimeJail.com called the victim’s father a “pedo-sympathizer”
and claimed that Cullman County Sheriff Mike Rainey cares more about sex
offenders than “a father who had to watch her child suffer[ix].”
Dr. Drew’s “Behavioral Bureau” also added their two cents[x]. HLN
is notorious for focusing on stories such as this one.
The
Dr. Drew show deserves a more in-depth critique. I have had the privilege of
taking on Dr. Drew’s “Behavior Bureau” on two occasions in the past year. This
is how the Bureau works – the show invites a panel of personalities to come on
the show to discuss various topics, and not all of the panelists have explicit
knowledge of the subject at hand. For this particular episode, the panelists
were Leeann Tweeden, a TV sportscaster for poker and baseball’s Anaheim Angels,
Anahita Sedaghatfar, a civil defense attorney and TV analyst, and Jason Ellis,
a journeyman MMA fighter (who only fought two matches) who hosts a show on
Sirius XM radio. Out of three individuals, only one has any degree of criminal
justice experience, so the outcome of the show should come as no surprise.
Defense
attorney Anahita Sedaghatfar stated she was against vigilante violence and that
we can't be allowed to take the law into our own hands, but in the end, she
still stated, “I would definitely defend [Maynor]. I think he has a strong case
for mitigation in terms of sentencing.” As expected, the discussion simply went
downhill from this point. Leeann Tweeden stares glaringly into the camera and
proudly proclaims, “You do that to my child, I will shoot you in the head.” Jason
Ellis gave the strangest statement of all. So, I don`t wanna -- I already said
what I had to say, this -- when you bring up the extra -- I mean, I didn`t remember
until I was 40 who the guy was that molested me. So, I didn`t know until I was
about 26 that I`d been molested. I had to take a bunch of acid and they also
recall it. Then, at 40 I find out who it is, because my body can`t even handle
knowing who it is. You did that to that girl in that fashion, I don`t need to
be related to the girl, I`ll kill him right now [xi].”
It is interesting that Jason Ellis just stated that he “recalled” abuse that
happened decades ago. (The False Memory Syndrome[xii] controversy
continues, but that is a discussion for a different day.) The point is whether
we want a person who took headshots for a living (like Ellis) or some “eye-candy”
model who peddles her body for a living (like Weeden) to dictate the rules of
society, especially not knowing the whole story behind the murders.
Returning
to Kayla Maddux’s statement about knowing “all the facts,” supplemental
articles have put together the facts. This is the complete story up until this
point. The day of the murder, Jay Maynor got into an argument with his stepdaughter’s
boyfriend (investigators say there was “bad blood” between the two men), and
apparently, somewhere along the way, the boyfriend used the sexual abuse
narrative to criticize Maynor, sending him into a rage. Maynor pulled out a gun
and shot into the Berlin Quick Mart gas station where the boyfriend was
sitting. Painter then went to the home of Raymond Earl Brooks and ambushed him,
killing him in the home of his parents. The defense made the claim that a “catalyst”
or “triggering event” that should considered mitigating factors for lowering
his bail[xiii].
It
is rather ironic that the term “trigger” was used Maynor’s defense since
pulling a gun trigger landed Maynor in jail. The term “Trigger Warning” (or TW
for short) is a relatively new buzzword. “In the area of mental health, a
trigger is something which causes instant distress in a vulnerable person. If
you know what can trigger a bad reaction, you can try to avoid those triggers
in the same way that someone with an allergy might take steps to avoid dogs.” Trigger
warnings first appeared on feminist websites to flag up stories of abuse[xiv].
This word is particularly dangerous because, in the words of Rhiannon Cosslett,
triggers “smacked to me of victimhood.” Cosslett does not believe triggers
hinder free speech, but states, “they do display an increasingly nannying approach
to language that is being used to shut down discourse and to silence. Often, it
is coupled with a sense of passive aggressive glee…I do not doubt that they are
of enormous service to survivors with specific triggers likely to reoccur on
feminist websites, but it has got to a point now where I feel women I have
never met are trying to wrap me in cotton wool, and I detest that. PTSD can
make you hypersensitive and hyper-aware…[xv]”Furthermore,
trigger words perpetuates cultural victimhood; as one example, college campuses
are considering placing trigger warnings on classic literature because people
do not like feeling even slightly uncomfortable. As one RT reporter proclaimed,
“Our kids WANT to be nannied. They WANT to be protected, and feel safe, and
coddled [xvi].”
And fear justifies some very atrocious behavior, like canonizing a man who
shoots into a business establishment because he later killed a pariah of
society.
When
society canonizes a vigilante, society overlooks a lot of things; however, we
should not forget Maynor’s actions have harmed many people, not just the
murdered Registrant. Those victimized by Maynor’s actions found Maynor to be
anything but heroic.
At
Maynor’s bond hearing, “Cullman County District Attorney Wilson Blaylock called
two witnesses, Jeremy Trimble and Bobby Weeks, who were present for the gas
station shooting. Trimble testified he was present in the store at the time of
the shooting and claimed one of the stray bullets came within 10 feet of
hitting his child. ‘I was alarmed for my son’s safety and it made my heart
stop,” he said. “He tried to shoot someone and shot another man.’Weeks was
attending a child’s birthday party at the karaoke business located beside the
gas station and said he heard a gun shot then looked outside to see Maynor with
a gun drawn chasing another man. At that point, Weeks said he gathered the
children together and took them inside for safety. ‘It sounded like he was
yelling, ‘Come here you motherfucker,’ Weeks testified. ‘It scared me and the
kids[xvii].’”
Jay Maynor showing how he feels about society's laws |
“Mike
Hays, who cooks and operates a small barbecue restaurant inside Berlin Plaza
Quick Stop, where the shooting occurred, said he came face-to-face with the
shooter after the man opened fire outside and then entered the store looking
for his intended victim, who wasn't hurt. ‘People here are calling him a hero
for killing a child molester. I'm calling him a psychopathic lunatic for
endangering peoples' lives, including mine,’ Hays said. After stopping his
motorcycle at an intersection outside the store, the father fired once at a man
who was standing beside an ice cooler, Hays said. The bullet entered an
exterior wall of the store and chipped a window but no one was injured. Hays
said he retrieved his own weapon and confronted [Maynor] near the cash
register. ‘He had the gun down by his side. He was calm, as calm as you are
standing there now. But he had that look in his eye,’ said Hays. ‘I have no
problem with him shooting a child molester, just not 12 years later. If it was
my daughter he would have died back in 2002[xviii].’”
“Brooks'
father, Ralph Brooks, told WBRC-TV in Birmingham that his son did not deserve
to die. He said Raymond Earl Brooks turned his life around after his conviction
and lived a godly life that included being active in his church. Because his
son's conviction happened so long ago, he said he couldn't be sure if the shooting
was a form of revenge. ‘It would be unbelievable to hold animosity in your
heart for 12 years,’ Brooks said[xix].”
It
should not be surprising with anyone that Jay Maynor had a criminal history.
Maynor had made several court appearances over the years—once for DUI and three
times for domestic violence (though the domestic violence charges were
eventually dropped). It is laughable Maynor’s defense attorney brought these
prior charges up in attempt to show the court that Maynor would come to court
responsibly and should thus receive a lower bond. Thankfully bail was not
reduced[xx].
This
story has played out numerous times over the years. This brings me to the
statement by Jeremy Moody at the beginning of this article. Moody’s proclamation
could have been written just as easily by any anonymous commenter. But Moody’s
proclamation was written in a self-written skinhead manifesto, alongside
discussions on racial purity and ethnic cleansing. (Ironically, the head of
Moody’s skinhead group, known as “Crew 41,” is a Registered Citizen[xxi].)
Patrick Drum, who murdered two registrants in Washington State in 2012, had 47
criminal convictions over a 15 year period, including assault, drug, and burglary
charges. One of his victims landed on the list for a consensual act with a teen
when he was 17 years old. Drum and the Moody clan were unrepentant thugs with
disgusting pasts. Had they killed anyone else, society would not have given any
of them a second thought except to call for the heads of these men on a silver
platter. But because their victims were Registered Citizens, people want to
give murderers a free pass.
Even
the Neo-Nazi skinhead Jeremy Moody had support from the public, as illustrated
by this statement from a CNN commenter:
Kimberly269life
– “In this case the dude had been convicted of a sex crime on a child!where is
the good old killemall mindset we normally apply to pedophiles?What is your
prob people? Pedophilia is a well known incurable condition-even castration
doesn not cure this despicable condition in many men! He def needed killing.His
wife on the other hand seems to have been collateral damage-but thats the price
you pay for being connected to child molesters! Its true that many wives allow
crimes against children-their own and others-by doing nothing and turning
away.They are culpable.They are helping ! Nazis and other white supremists are
really disgusting people-yes-but the pedophile is probably even lower
...frankly its a win/win from what I can see[xxii]”
[Kimberly’s grammatical errors included]
The
vigilante violence and the people who support them are definitive proof the
registry, or any degree of public disclosure of Registered Citizens in the
community, should be abolished. Until the registry is abolished, we will see
this same story play out repeatedly in the coming years. Patt Morrison from the
LA Times says, “Justice in a
democracy cannot be some tit-for-tat clan vendetta, or determined by bribes or
bias. It must be the dispassionate act of the people and the state, whose good
order and laws have been violated. Vigilante justice erodes the authority and
regard for a legal system that can’t be about vengeance or passion… And when an Alabama father or a
California mother usurps that role, they are not heroes, because vengeance is
not justice. And justice, not just someone’s child, becomes a victim too[xxiii].”The
registry is a “catalyst” and a “trigger event” that enrages the community, and
when a person is assaulted or murdered because of this registry, justice is
perverted.
[i] http://www.lulu.com/us/en/shop/jeremy-moody/yesterday-today-forever/paperback/product-20441110.html
[ii]
In terestingly enough, the AP did not publish the perpetrator’s name, stating “The
Associated Press doesn't identify victims of sex crimes, and it isn't naming
the man charged with murder to protect his daughter's identity.” Yet, they
published the victim's name and picture and proclaimed him a sex offender. See
Jay Reeves, “ALABAMA MAN CHARGED IN SLAYING GAINS SUPPORT.” AP, June 10, 2014. http://bigstory.ap.org/article/alabama-man-charged-slaying-gains-support
[iii]
Trent Moore, “Cullman man charged with murder in Berlin shooting.” Cullman
Times, June 9, 2014. http://www.cullmantimes.com/breakingnews/x1396881180/Cullman-man-charged-with-murder-in-Berlin-shooting
[iv] https://www.facebook.com/pages/Family-Friends-and-Supporters-of-Jay-Maynor/325444844270469
[v] http://www.gofundme.com/a51e8g
[vi] Apparently Kayla the daughter of
Jay Maynor, though she does not list him as her father on her Facebook page.
[vii] Jay
Reeves, “ALABAMA MAN CHARGED IN SLAYING GAINS SUPPORT.” AP, June 10, 2014.
http://bigstory.ap.org/article/alabama-man-charged-slaying-gains-support
[viii]
Catherine Commons, “Avenging a horrid crime: Right, but still wrong?” HLN, June
18, 2014. http://www.hlntv.com/article/2014/06/18/catherine-connors-dad-kills-sex-offender-two-wrongs-right
[ix]
Michelle Lund, “Jay Maynor, Hero Shoots Man Who Molested His Daughter.”
CrimeJail.com, June 14, 2014. http://crimejail.com/jay-maynor-hero-shoots-man-abused-daughter/
[x]
Dr. Drew staff, “Father charged in shooting death of daughter's molester.” HLN,
June 12, 2014. http://www.hlntv.com/video/2014/06/12/father-kills-daughter-sex-offender-decade-later
[xi] http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1406/12/ddhln.01.html
[xii] http://www.fmsfonline.org/
[xiii]
Trent Moore, “Maynor’s attorney: ‘Trigger event’ caused shooting, seeking bail
reduction.” June 12, 2014. http://www.cullmantimes.com/breakingnews/x998005628/Maynor-s-attorney-Trigger-event-caused-shooting-seeking-bail-reduction
[xiv] “Trigger
warnings: What do they do?” BBC, Feb. 24, 2014. http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-ouch-26295437
[xv]
Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett, “Why I don’t agree with trigger warnings.” New
Statesman, Jan. 29, 2013. http://www.newstatesman.com/sci-tech/2013/01/why-i-dont-agree-trigger-warnings
[xvi] “Our
Kids Want to be Nannied. We’re Screwed.” The Resident (Russia Today), May 27,
2014. http://www.theresident.net/our-kids-want-to-be-nannied-were-screwed/
[xvii]
Trent Moore, “BREAKING: Bond reduction denied in Maynor murder case.” Cullman
Times, June 19, 2014. http://www.cullmantimes.com/breakingnews/x1669975480/BREAKING-Bond-reduction-denied-in-Maynor-murder-case
[xviii]
Jay Reeves, “ALABAMA MAN CHARGED IN SLAYING GAINS SUPPORT.” AP, June 10, 2014.
http://bigstory.ap.org/article/alabama-man-charged-slaying-gains-support
[xix]
Ibid.
[xx]
Moore, “Breaking”
[xxi] “Killing
Sex Offenders: The Apparent Hypocrisy of Crew 41.” Southern Poverty Law Center,
July 29, 2013. http://www.splcenter.org/blog/2013/07/29/killing-sex-offenders-the-apparent-hypocrisy-of-crew-41-2/
[xxii]
http://edition.cnn.com/2014/05/07/justice/south-carolina-neo-nazis-murder-sex-offender/#comment-1378773440
[xxiii]
Patt Morrison, “Opinion Does an angry parent killing a child molester ever
serve justice?” LA Times, June 17, 2014. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/opinion-la/la-ol-jay-maynor-ellie-nesler-child-molesters-justice-20140616-story.html
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Cullman County: Vigilante thug murders registered citizen and shoots up a gas station
http://www.cullmantimes.com/breakingnews/x1396881180/Cullman-man-charged-with-murder-in-Berlin-shooting
Vigilante "justice" is no justice. This man shot into a crowded business. I hope this punk is never freed again.
Cullman man charged with murder in Berlin shooting
By Trent Moore
The Cullman Times
BERLIN —
A Cullman man has been charged with murder after allegedly shooting into a local gas station, then driving to a man’s home and killing him Sunday night.
Jay Maynor, 41, of Cullman has been arrested and charged with the murder of 59-year-old Berlin resident Raymond Earl Brooks. He was arrested by Alabama State Troopers shortly after the shooting occurred. Brooks was a convicted sex offender.
The Cullman County Sheriff’s Office initially responded to a call regarding gunfire at the Berlin Plaza Quick Stop on U.S. Highway 278 at approximately 7 p.m. Sunday night, then followed Maynor’s trail to Brooks’ nearby residence at 4340 U.S. Highway 278 East.
“We responded to the Berlin Plaza Quick Stop where witnesses told deputies a male subject pulled up on a motorcycle before shooting the store’s window. After the would be victim was able to elude the shooter, the suspect then drove off and went to the residence of Raymond Earl Brooks,” sheriff Mike Rainey said in a press release. “At this time we are still investigating both crime scenes, the one at the store and at Mr. Brooks’ residence. We just ask that the public stay patient as our investigators work to piece together the events which took place Sunday night.”
Maynor was apprehended by Alabama State Trooper Anthony Peebles, who was responding to the call when the suspect reportedly pulled out in front of him.
“I want to extend a personal thank you to Trooper Anthony Peebles for his quick response and apprehension of the suspect,” Rainey said.
Maynor is currently being held at the Cullman County Detention Center, and has been charged with one count of murder, one count of attempted murder and one count of shooting into an occupied dwelling. Rainey said he hopes additional interviews with Maynor can shed some light on the motivations that led to the shooting.
Rainey noted Brooks was convicted of sexual abuse in the first degree in 2002 in a case involving an eight-year old female. Since that time he has had to register as a sex offender. Rainey said investigators are still working to determine if that previous charge had anything to do with the events of Sunday night.
“We are investigating all aspects of this case and cannot comment on a motive at this point,” Rainey said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim’s family.”
Vigilante "justice" is no justice. This man shot into a crowded business. I hope this punk is never freed again.
Cullman man charged with murder in Berlin shooting
By Trent Moore
The Cullman Times
BERLIN —
A Cullman man has been charged with murder after allegedly shooting into a local gas station, then driving to a man’s home and killing him Sunday night.
Jay Maynor, 41, of Cullman has been arrested and charged with the murder of 59-year-old Berlin resident Raymond Earl Brooks. He was arrested by Alabama State Troopers shortly after the shooting occurred. Brooks was a convicted sex offender.
The Cullman County Sheriff’s Office initially responded to a call regarding gunfire at the Berlin Plaza Quick Stop on U.S. Highway 278 at approximately 7 p.m. Sunday night, then followed Maynor’s trail to Brooks’ nearby residence at 4340 U.S. Highway 278 East.
“We responded to the Berlin Plaza Quick Stop where witnesses told deputies a male subject pulled up on a motorcycle before shooting the store’s window. After the would be victim was able to elude the shooter, the suspect then drove off and went to the residence of Raymond Earl Brooks,” sheriff Mike Rainey said in a press release. “At this time we are still investigating both crime scenes, the one at the store and at Mr. Brooks’ residence. We just ask that the public stay patient as our investigators work to piece together the events which took place Sunday night.”
Maynor was apprehended by Alabama State Trooper Anthony Peebles, who was responding to the call when the suspect reportedly pulled out in front of him.
“I want to extend a personal thank you to Trooper Anthony Peebles for his quick response and apprehension of the suspect,” Rainey said.
Maynor is currently being held at the Cullman County Detention Center, and has been charged with one count of murder, one count of attempted murder and one count of shooting into an occupied dwelling. Rainey said he hopes additional interviews with Maynor can shed some light on the motivations that led to the shooting.
Rainey noted Brooks was convicted of sexual abuse in the first degree in 2002 in a case involving an eight-year old female. Since that time he has had to register as a sex offender. Rainey said investigators are still working to determine if that previous charge had anything to do with the events of Sunday night.
“We are investigating all aspects of this case and cannot comment on a motive at this point,” Rainey said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim’s family.”
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
Rep. Kurt Wallace pulls backroom deal to pass a Segregationist (anti-clustering) bill in Chilton County
While ReFORM-AL was mounting opposition for a statewide anti-clustering bill, professed "Christian Conservative" State Rep. Kurt Wallace pulled out the politician playbook and called a trick play.
This is how they built typically passes to the Alabama Legislature. A bill is introduced and assigned to a committee. There is generally time allotted for the public to become aware of a pending bill. Before a bill passes committee, the public has a right to request a public hearing on the bill at hand. It is a narrow window, but an individual generally has at least a couple of weeks or so to catch a bill as it pops up before committee.
With HB 556, and anti-clustering bill just for Chilton County, the public was literally given a single day’s notice. On Thursday, February 27, 2014, HB 556 was introduced and read for the first time before the house legislature, and was assigned to the “LL” (local legislation) committee. By Tuesday, March 4, the bill had been read a second time and placed on the calendar, and the next day, it had been read a third time and put to a vote. Only 38 representatives voted, all of them “yea,” of course, and 47 representatives were not even present to vote on March 5.
In short, the public was never truly given adequate notice. ReFORM-AL had been checking the Alabama state legislature (“ALISON”) website every Friday during the legislative season, and not a single notice of HB 556 was seen. A bill was literally introduced and passed through the house in five business days, but that a single notice given to those who were to be impacted by these laws.
Keep in mind at this point, once a bill goes before the full legislature outside of committee, the public cannot request a public hearing. The best hope is to attempt to stop the bill by convincing legislators outside of committee to vote against the bill. To be honest, how many people do you think actually read, debated, or consider the negative consequences of this bill?
Could we have stopped the bill in the Senate? Since no one was even aware of HB 556, no one realized that the very next day, the bill was read for the first time in the Senate. The following Thursday, March 13, the bill was read a second time, and on Tuesday, March 18, the bill was read a third and final time and was put to a vote. This time, 21 people voted yea, and three people voted to abstain from voting. It was “enrolled” and sent for the governor to sign.
In total, 18 days had passed between the time the bill was first read in the time the bill was sent to the governor's office, or rather, 12 business days. That is superfast by Alabama Legislature standards.
State Rep. Kurt Wallace has been pushing his segregationist policy for years, all just to shut down a transitional housing program in his home County. This time, he got what he wanted. ReFORM-AL has already received a number of phone calls from individuals negatively impacted by this countywide ordinance. It is amazing how Wallace and his stooge CJ Robinson pushed for this idiotic legislation while admitting that residency restriction laws were the cause of the problem in the first place, testifying that these laws lead people to take advantage of registered citizens.
It seems the “good old boy” network is alive in rural Alabama. I'm sure Jesus is just ecstatic that Wallace has made people homeless in his name. On the upside, Wallace just lost his bid for re-election.
So here is the bill in its entirety. It seems violating the bill is a "civil" penalty. In other words, they will sue you into poverty.
ENROLLED, An Act, Relating to Chilton County; to prohibit certain sex offenders from establishing residence within a home or other living accommodation with another sex offender; to prohibit certain sex offenders from establishing a residence within a home or other living accommodation that is located on a lot or piece of property where another sex offender has established a residence unless there is at least 300 feet between the residences; and to provide civil penalties for violations.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. This act shall only apply in Chilton County.
Section 2.
(a) No adult sex offender shall establish a residence in a home or other living accommodation where another adult sex offender whose name appears on the Alabama Bureau of Investigation sex offender registry resides unless the offenders are married or the offenders are related as ancestors or descendants by blood or adoption, as brothers or sisters of the whole or half-blood or by adoption, as stepchildren or stepparents while the marriage creating the relationship exists, or as aunts, uncles, nephews, or nieces of the whole or half-blood.
(b) No adult sex offender shall establish a residence in a home or other living accommodation that is
Random anti-Kurt Wallace Political Ad
This is how they built typically passes to the Alabama Legislature. A bill is introduced and assigned to a committee. There is generally time allotted for the public to become aware of a pending bill. Before a bill passes committee, the public has a right to request a public hearing on the bill at hand. It is a narrow window, but an individual generally has at least a couple of weeks or so to catch a bill as it pops up before committee.
With HB 556, and anti-clustering bill just for Chilton County, the public was literally given a single day’s notice. On Thursday, February 27, 2014, HB 556 was introduced and read for the first time before the house legislature, and was assigned to the “LL” (local legislation) committee. By Tuesday, March 4, the bill had been read a second time and placed on the calendar, and the next day, it had been read a third time and put to a vote. Only 38 representatives voted, all of them “yea,” of course, and 47 representatives were not even present to vote on March 5.
In short, the public was never truly given adequate notice. ReFORM-AL had been checking the Alabama state legislature (“ALISON”) website every Friday during the legislative season, and not a single notice of HB 556 was seen. A bill was literally introduced and passed through the house in five business days, but that a single notice given to those who were to be impacted by these laws.
Keep in mind at this point, once a bill goes before the full legislature outside of committee, the public cannot request a public hearing. The best hope is to attempt to stop the bill by convincing legislators outside of committee to vote against the bill. To be honest, how many people do you think actually read, debated, or consider the negative consequences of this bill?
Could we have stopped the bill in the Senate? Since no one was even aware of HB 556, no one realized that the very next day, the bill was read for the first time in the Senate. The following Thursday, March 13, the bill was read a second time, and on Tuesday, March 18, the bill was read a third and final time and was put to a vote. This time, 21 people voted yea, and three people voted to abstain from voting. It was “enrolled” and sent for the governor to sign.
In total, 18 days had passed between the time the bill was first read in the time the bill was sent to the governor's office, or rather, 12 business days. That is superfast by Alabama Legislature standards.
State Rep. Kurt Wallace has been pushing his segregationist policy for years, all just to shut down a transitional housing program in his home County. This time, he got what he wanted. ReFORM-AL has already received a number of phone calls from individuals negatively impacted by this countywide ordinance. It is amazing how Wallace and his stooge CJ Robinson pushed for this idiotic legislation while admitting that residency restriction laws were the cause of the problem in the first place, testifying that these laws lead people to take advantage of registered citizens.
It seems the “good old boy” network is alive in rural Alabama. I'm sure Jesus is just ecstatic that Wallace has made people homeless in his name. On the upside, Wallace just lost his bid for re-election.
So here is the bill in its entirety. It seems violating the bill is a "civil" penalty. In other words, they will sue you into poverty.
ENROLLED, An Act, Relating to Chilton County; to prohibit certain sex offenders from establishing residence within a home or other living accommodation with another sex offender; to prohibit certain sex offenders from establishing a residence within a home or other living accommodation that is located on a lot or piece of property where another sex offender has established a residence unless there is at least 300 feet between the residences; and to provide civil penalties for violations.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. This act shall only apply in Chilton County.
Section 2.
(a) No adult sex offender shall establish a residence in a home or other living accommodation where another adult sex offender whose name appears on the Alabama Bureau of Investigation sex offender registry resides unless the offenders are married or the offenders are related as ancestors or descendants by blood or adoption, as brothers or sisters of the whole or half-blood or by adoption, as stepchildren or stepparents while the marriage creating the relationship exists, or as aunts, uncles, nephews, or nieces of the whole or half-blood.
(b) No adult sex offender shall establish a residence in a home or other living accommodation that is
located on the same lot or piece of property as another adult sex offender whose name appears on the Alabama Bureau of Investigation sex offender registry, unless there is at least 300 feet between the residences or the offenders are married or the offenders are related by blood or adoption, as brothers or sisters, as stepchildren or stepparents while the marriage creating the relationship exists, or as aunts, uncles, nephews, or nieces of the whole or half-blood.
Section 3.
A violation of Section 2 shall constitute a public nuisance. The district attorney may institute a civil action in the Circuit Court of Chilton County before the resident Circuit Judge for the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit against the owner or lessor of the property on which the nuisance exists for the purpose of abatement of the nuisance. The district attorney shall have the right to reimbursement of all costs associated with the litigation of the action, to be paid by the defendant.
Section 4.
The court, at its discretion, may assess a civil fine of not more than five thousand dollars ($5,000) nor less than five hundred dollars ($500) against the defendant for each separate civil action. The civil penalties shall be payable directly to the Office of the Circuit Clerk of Chilton County and disbursed evenly among the district attorney's office and the office of the circuit clerk.
Section 5.
The county commission may develop and implement forms and procedures for the issuing of citations for civil violations and payment of civil penalties to implement this act.
Section 6.
This act shall become effective on the first day of the third month following its passage and approval by the Governor, or its otherwise becoming law.
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