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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: December 13, 2005
Contact: Jennifer Stone (619) 531-4766

COUNTY TURNS TO ‘JESSICA’S LAW’ TO TOUGHEN SEX OFFENDER LAWS

SAN DIEGO - The County of San Diego Board of Supervisor voted unanimously today to support “Jessica’s Law,” a State ballot initiative that aims to strengthen California laws that currently govern sex offenders. The initiative is named in memory of Jessica Lunsford, a 9-year-old Florida girl who was abducted and sexually assaulted before being brutally murdered by a registered sex offender.

“Whether it’s mandatory GPS tracking or barring offenders from living close to schools and parks, our kids deserve nothing less than the toughest sex offender laws in the nation,” said Supervisor Dianne Jacob who teamed with Supervisor Ron Roberts to urge support for the measure. “The Jessica’s Law initiative is a wake up call to State legislators who’ve failed to act to protect our kids,” Jacob said.

“The County has relentlessly called on the State to toughen sex offender laws to no avail,” said Supervisor Roberts. “This initiative will implement many of the exact changes that the County has been pushing for years including strengthening the Sexually Violent Predator program,” Roberts said.

Some of the key provisions of the Jessica’s Law initiative include:

  • Electronic monitoring of sex offenders for life using GPS tracking
  • Predator-free zones near schools and parks
  • Expansion of the Sexually Violent Predator (SVP) Program to allow for the designation of
    predators as “sexually violent” after one offense, instead of waiting for second offense
  • Eliminates use of “good time” credits for reduced prison terms by sex offenders
  • Allows possession of child porn to be prosecuted as a felony
  • Imposes additional prison time for rapists, others who drug their victims
  • Increases sentences and fines across the board

To view the language of the initiative in its entirety, visit www.jessicaslaw2006.com.
The initiative is sponsored by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and is endorsed by the California District Attorneys Association and the California State Sheriffs Association.