Measures target repeat sex offenders

BOISE – Three bills to crack down on sex offenders were introduced in a Senate committee on Monday, the first of many expected this legislative session.

Backed by Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden, the bills include mandatory minimum sentences of 15 years for already-registered sex offenders who re-offend, and a mandatory minimum sentence of life behind bars for repeat offenses by those classified as violent sexual predators.

Sen. Gerry Sweet, R-Meridian, asked if there was more the Legislature could do.

“My understanding is that there’s no such thing as rehabilitation,” Sweet said about sex offenders classified as violent sexual predators. “Personally, I don’t want them ever back on the streets.”

Idaho Deputy Attorney General William von Tagen said the proposed legislation was as extensive as the state thought was necessary.

“It is hard to get more serious or go further than a life sentence,” von Tagen said. “If we thought that there was something else that could be done in this situation, we would have built it into the legislation.”

Sen. Mel Richardson, R-Idaho Falls, asked von Tagen to define a life sentence, citing concerns that life sentences can result in the convict serving only a few years.

“I just kind of want to know, what is the meaning of life?” Richardson said.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Denton Darrington, R-Declo, said a mandatory minimum means there is no review by a parole board.

Sen. Hal Bunderson, R-Meridian, said some are concerned that mandatory minimum sentences circumvent judges’ discretion, but von Tagen said the legislation was not drafted with the thought that judges are too lenient. Rather it was meant to make a statement that punishment for sex offenses must consider the history of the criminal rather than only the single incident.

The other two bills introduced Monday tighten rules for registered sex offenders, including making it more difficult for offenders to be removed from the registry.

The Legislature will address numerous other bills concerning sex offenders during this session, including at least two from Rep. Jim Clark, R-Hayden Lake.

Clark is sponsoring a bill that increases the frequency of mandatory check-ins for registered sex offenders from 90 days to 30 days and calls for electronic monitoring. The second bill adds sex abuse linked to murder to the list of 10 crimes that qualify a person for the death penalty. The bills should be introduced the first week of February, Clark said.

Also, Gov. Dirk Kempthorne’s office will be introducing more anti-sex offender bills “relatively soon,” spokesman Mike Journee said.