New Jersey Kicks Sex Offenders Off the Bus
New Jersey Senate lawmakers have sided with local municipalities in defining just how far sex offenders will be allowed to reside from school bus stops.
June 16, 2011
New Jersey Kicks Sex Offenders Off the BusNew Jersey Senate lawmakers have sided with local municipalities in defining just how far sex offenders will be allowed to reside from school bus stops. Ordinances enacted by at least 100 municipalities prohibited sex offenders from living near schools. The Supreme Court overturned these ordinances two years ago, but the New Jersey Senate took steps to make those ordinances legal.
In April, Senate lawmakers voted in favor of allowing towns to create much stricter laws regarding how close sex offenders can live to school bus stops. The bill proposes towns can pass laws restricting a sex offender's registered address from being within 250 feet of a recognized school bus stop.
The legislation was sponsored by state Sen. Fred Madden as a response to the Supreme Court action that struck down all local ordinances pertaining to where sex offenders are allowed to live. But, Madden noted, the bill goes beyond what local ordinances enacted, placing the onus upon the town to move the bus stop as opposed to the sex offender moving. Madden believes the bill is now written to withstand any constitutional challenge.
Madden said the reason the Supreme Court turned over the local ordinances from about 100 New Jersey towns was because these were designed, primarily, as a tool keeping sex offenders from living in many different areas of a community. Due to the state Supreme Court Decision in 2009, communities such as Millville, Sea Isle City, Wildwood, Wildwood Crest, Egg Harbor City and Margate were forced to repeal their locally enacted ordinances.
Legislation proposed by Madden will restrict offenders from living within 500 feet from where children are typically found -- schools, child care centers, playgrounds -- in addition to making sure there is no school bus stop situated within 250 feet from where presently registered sex offenders live.
Article provided by The Law Office of Edward P. Busichio
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