Prohibitions, Religion and Criminal Records of Sex Offenders




          It’s definitely a violation on Human Rights. In a recent published article by Times, dated October 14, 2009, a man named James Nichols was arrested for just attending church. The police’s reason: criminal records state him as a registered sex offender.


          North Carolina is known to be take religion seriously. This makes it no surprise for people here to question more the law which most U.S. states are beginning to include in their governance—the law which prohibits sex offenders from coming within 300 ft. to any facility which caters to supervision of minors. In James Nichols case, N.C. folks did have their eyebrows raised with the man’s while worshipping in a place which cannot be denied to have facility on keeping watch on children while the parents pray.


          The law is clearly placing a hard fight for those whose criminal records state them to have been convicted of sexual offense. The places they visit after serving their time, paying for the said crime, has been limited due to the fact that most establishments do have their facility for minors. The 300ft limitation—a distance almost the length of a football field—is already a violation for their right. Nichols arrest for one is like going against the mission of the church, or any other religious sect for that matter, to reach out and spread goodwill to all. This is total irony: a man being taken by the police because of doing a non-offensive act. It’s like asking “when does going to church a crime?”


          Other states have made more moves against sexual offenders. In the state of Georgia, convicted sexual offenders are not even allowed to work or live 1000 ft away from places which facilitates to taking care of minors. This makes N.C.’s ruling of a 300ft distance definitely lighter compared to theirs. There have been questions rising particularly on religion specifically on the sexual offender’s partake in church activities like volunteering for kitchen duties of singing in the choir.


          Georgia’s Southern Center for Human Rights had already made a motion to this law. They made note that this is a clear violation of the First Amendment. There are churches that have made themselves fit to the needs of convicted persons; their way of acknowledging chance to those who seek the church’s help as means to deal with their problem especially their past offenses. Nichols is but one who is presently attending such a place of worship.


          The said law was passed by Sen. David Hoyle after Jessica Lunsford, the Florida girl who was kidnapped and killed by a sexual offender in 2005. The girl was born in Dallas where the senator also lives. After many years since the incident, sexual offenders are limited of the places they would go to. Unfortunately, even with the goodwill of children in the senator’s mind, this bill do has some flaws to it, especially with his belief that their constitutional rights should not be worried about especially with the act of taking advantage of a child is in mind.


          Nichols happens to have then reported a co-worshipper at the church, where he was arrested, who was fondling a 12 year old girl. But instead of giving him the treatment of a man who deserves praise for changing his ways, he was taken instead. This is one remorseful situation if not for the church where he presently attends to, headed by Pastor Grace Kim. It’s good that he has still made a turn to God after the events that happened. What matters in that occasion was his move to show how he wishes to change—for that is one of his rights in the eyes of man especially of God.

In Search for the Right Attorney at Law



          Choosing a qualified lawyer needs total attention to the specialization he or she handles and the credibility in terms of performance inside and outside the court. There should be no flaws in accordance to getting the right lawyer. Having such would jeopardize the totality of a case representation and the credibility of the client’s stand on court.

          Lawyers have their own specialization. Most common lawyers are those handling cases on real estates and divorce. Business establishments also require their own legal advisers from their company lawyers. Finding the best is equivalent to a well established enterprise. Finding the right lawyer to handle legal needs can be through a friend’s recommendation or, like in other states, referral agencies. They take into account the client’s problem and recommend the attorney they think can help best. If the referred lawyer is not hired, another recommendation is done.

          In some cases, lawyers via referrals either from agencies and friends are not enough. There are times that to get the right man to get the job done is through thorough background check. Clients should not be afraid to ask questions and should not see any court records regarding the said lawyer. Court records can be a big help in determining a credible lawyer especially in determining if he has done any malpractice. It can also serve as reference regarding the cases handle and his performance in court. They also serve as proof as to the years and numbers of cases he has handled that should are a plus factor to meeting the client’s needs for legal counsel. There are some who believe that the school where they graduated is something to look at, however a law graduate from a prestigious school who has not practice much is not as qualified as someone who came from an unfamiliar law school yet has handled a lot of cases making him master his field. Court records also serve as proof whether a legal council is right to take on the position as judge or not.

          One important factor is the client’s comfort towards conversing with the lawyer. Details on the case should be stated properly for the lawyer to further understand his client’s position in the case. Doing so will give priority in making the needed actions to resolve the case at hand.

          As clients it is a must to double check on the lawyer to hire whether he is what is presently needed to meet the case. Doing do will ensure a good presentation on the client’s part.

The Case of Polly Klass


          Polly Klaas, at the age of 12, resided with her mother and younger sister Annie in Petaluma, California, a low crime town which is forty miles from San Francisco, after her mother got separated from her stepfather. They moved to start anew unaware of the repulsive fate that Polly would face. It was October when it happened.

          October 1, 1993—Polly invited friends over to have a slumber party. It was at that time that a man was spotted on the sidewalks in front of Polly’s home. But none dare to question the man thinking that he was but someone who was on a nightly stroll. However, as Polly opened the door to her bedroom to get her friends’ sleeping bags, she was surprised by the said thickly man who pointed her with a knife. The said man tied Polly and her friends up. He then took Polly as he ordered her friends to count up to a thousand. Over the next two months, endless search for the missing girl was made not only by her family but also by people who felt sorry for the missing girl. The kidnapper was later identified as Richard Allen Davis.

          Davis was already a wanted man from his last parole violation. His criminal records show his numerous arrests. During the 1960’s he was recorded to have been arrested four times, his first assault was when he was arrested for burglary at the age of 12, in Chowchilla. Since then he had been time and again arrested either due to an assault or violations. And by the time he had kidnapped Polly Klaas, his criminal records showed him once again as wanted man for the California Highway had already issued an all points bulletin meaning that any police officer that might encounter Davis should arrest him. It was on November 30 when the police finally arrested Davis as the arresting officer recognized his face from the sketches. It was also when they found his fingerprints in Polly’s room that confirmed him as her kidnapper. Four days later, he led the police to where he had kept Polly’s body, decaying for two months. Richard Davis was sentenced to death.

          After Polly’s death, her father, Marc Klaas, founded the Klaas Kids Foundation making him a child’s advocate helping parents’ with children missing or kidnapped. Another was the heartwarming tribute of actress Winona Ryder as she produced Little Women—a story about the March sisters written by Louisa May Alcott. It was this book that Polly was very fond of that when Ryder saw it on Polly’s shelf she decided to make it into a movie as a tribute.

          Polly Klaas’ tragic story is but one of the many kidnapped and murder case that shook the whole nation. She is but one of the many kidnapped cases.