Assemblyman Marc Butler (R,C-Newport) disagrees with a recent state Supreme Court ruling that determined several convicted sex offenders are being held illegally in mental-health facilities after they served their prison terms.
This ruling is very troubling to me, said Butler. By not giving the power to parole boards to keep dangerous and potential repeat offenders behind bars, these criminals are going to be free to roam the streets.
A Manhattan-based state Supreme Court justice ruled 12, Level 3 sex offenders are being illegally detained under orders issued by Gov. George Pataki, even though they are confined to mental-health treatment hospitals staffed with professional doctors and nurses to ensure safety.
I vow to stand shoulder to shoulder with Governor Pataki on this issue, Butler said. I will not rest until these sexual predators are safely confined so our families can sleep easy at night.
Sixteen states and the District of Columbia have similar laws that were previously challenged and upheld as constitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court. To find out if a Level 3 sex offender is living in a neighborhood, visit www.criminaljustice.state.ny.us. State-designated Level 3 offenders are classified as the most dangerous of convicted sexual predators and are considered highly likely to repeat their crimes once released from state prison.