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-Lurid Crime Tales-
Sex Offenders Sue Georgia Sheriff for Placing 'No Trick-or-Treat' Signs on Their Property
2019-10-24
[PJ] Looking to protect young children from convicted sex offenders, a Georgia sheriff had his deputies place signs on the lawns of sexual predators, warning children and parents not to trick-or-treat at the house.

Upset that they were exposed by the sheriff, several of the felons have filed a suit, saying that the signs violated their rights to free speech and privacy.

The names and addresses of local sex offenders are already listed on several internet sites in addition to being posted at the sheriff's office. It makes no sense that the perverts believe they have a right to privacy when anyone can access their information that's freely and easily available.

Fox News:
The initiative began in 2018 when Butts County Sheriff Gary Long directed deputies to place "Warning! No Trick-or-Treat at this address!!" signs in the front yards of over 200 sex offenders registered in the county from Oct. 24-Nov. 2. The sheriff’s office plans to use the same tactic again this year, and three registered sex offenders have filed suit.

In a Facebook post, Sheriff Gary Long said he had instituted the signs as a result of the cancellation of a local Halloween festival, "Halloween on the Square," and the subsequent influx of door-to-door trick-or-treaters. He said they had been following Georgia law and protecting children when they implemented the public warnings.

The lawyer for the sex offenders, Mark Yurachek, told Fox News, "The law allows the sheriff to put a list of registered sex offenders at his office, at the courthouse, on the internet. It does not allow him to go door-to-door telling people you have a sex offender living next door to you."

Posted by:Besoeker

#14  Yes. Before going all final solution-y on the issue, see: Wee Care Nursery. Wenatchee Prosecutions
Posted by: M. Murcek   2019-10-24 19:46  

#13  Girls showing their boobs in public can be rated as Sex Offenders. Some Sex Offenders might make better neighbors than others.
Posted by: ruprecht   2019-10-24 19:40  

#12  How about they just nail them to the front of the house with SO branded on their forehead? Honestly, a nice rope or tank of nitrogen after their guilty verdict is best.
Posted by: Silentbrick   2019-10-24 17:35  

#11  Every sex offender should be forced to attend a rehabilitation seminar at the local police station on Halloween to discuss their recovery and put them somewhere safe (from vigilantes and those that would falsely accuse them of crimes).
Posted by: rjschwarz   2019-10-24 16:24  

#10  A wide variation of what constitutes 'Sex Offender', too.

15-year old kid copping a feel tried as an adult comes to mind.
Posted by: Mullah Richard   2019-10-24 14:18  

#9  Totally agree, Dron. However, as soon as we make a category of supercriminal, we make a convenient label to smear innocent people with. See: Nazi.
Posted by: M. Murcek   2019-10-24 10:31  

#8  I think it was brave of the sheriff and completely righteous. Maybe he knew of the continuing danger of said predators living there and took this desperate step to safeguard children during the season.

A sex predator of any sort deserves no rights. It is blight on our civilized world that legal systems draw the line at incarceration, and do not explore the death penalty for such.
Posted by: Dron66046   2019-10-24 10:17  

#7  They botch drug raids by going to the wrong address. If they put one of those signs in my yard "by accident" i'd sue for 9 figures.
Posted by: M. Murcek   2019-10-24 10:16  

#6  Yeah, anyone can look it up online. Most people don't. But the Sheriff putting signs on people's property can set the police up for some serious litigation. Especially if the offender gets hurt or killed by a vigilante. One unnecessary step too far, IMHO.
Posted by: DarthVader   2019-10-24 10:08  

#5  In a lot of places, a real estate agent is not allowed to tell a buyer there is a registered sex offender in the neighborhood. They are allowed to tell people where to find that info for themselves.
Posted by: M. Murcek   2019-10-24 09:54  

#4  
Posted by: Dron66046   2019-10-24 09:35  

#3  It does not allow him to go door-to-door telling people you have a sex offender living next door to you.

If I have a sex offender living next to me, I would like to know that.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru   2019-10-24 09:15  

#2  "It does not allow him to go door-to-door telling people you have a sex offender living next door to you."

I wonder if a mass e-mail is also verboten?
Posted by: Raj   2019-10-24 08:55  

#1  "The law allows the sheriff to put a list of registered sex offenders at his office, at the courthouse, on the internet. It does not allow him to go door-to-door telling people you have a sex offender living next door to you."

So, you admit it is a public record. Therefore, why are you trying to restrict the knowledge of the public record? When bad road conditions threaten the safety of your motorists, you should have a public record of situation, but also post warning signs at the locations.
Posted by: Procopius2k   2019-10-24 08:15  

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