For once, and possibly just this once I have to say I agree with Texas government passing “The Jessica Lunsford Act”. The Jessica Lunsford act was started when a 9 year old girl from Florida was kidnapped, raped and murdered by John Couey. John Couey already had an extensive criminal record which had already included 2 instances where he was indecent exposure with a child. Why would this man walking around a free man some might wonder considering his past, well Couey’s time was considered served and he was out paroled. A flaw in the system maybe? After Couey’s third offense with a child which was against Jessica Lunsford, a jury recommended that Couey be sentenced to death.
This is a prime example of why Texas needed to put in place a strict law regarding how to deal with sexual predators.
The Jessica Lunsford Act is going to enforce harsher punishments on offender in order to help protect the innocent children from harm against sexual predators. This act is far from being flawless and could use some amendments but I do believe that in its current state it is doing more good than harm. The law includes the statute of limitations on sexual abuse crimes committed against children being doubled or in some cases eliminated. A minimum of 25 year sentence mandatory for heinous crimes and Life in prison without parole or the death penalty. One portion of the act that I feel strongly should be ratified or amended is the “continuous sexual abuse of a child” statute. When it comes to the continuous sexual abuse of a child a jury does not have to agree unanimously on the acts that are considered continuous. In any other case or any other jury the decision has to be unanimous, I do understand the severity of the crimes sexual predators are committing but feel as though our court system should stay uniform on how a case is determined by a jury.
I feel like after some fine tuning this act will soon become enacted on a national level and that we as a society will feel a little safer knowing that these sexual predators will be brought to justice.
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