Jessica's Law...

...a bad idea whose time has come. At least until it's declared unconstitutional. I have no problem with getting tough on child sex predators; in fact, as a father, I'm all for it. I was for civil commitment for offenders early on. This bill, however, won't help. Most child victims are victimized by relatives or other people they know. Family members will be much LESS likely to turn a relative in if they know he is going to get a minimum 25 year stretch, or the needle. And for the rarer stranger-abduction cases, this bill makes it more likely than the predators will kill their victims, rather than risk the death penalty. This bill is nothing but a campaign sound-bite for David Dewhurst when he runs for governor in 2010; just another example of politicians mucking with the law for their own self-aggrandizement, and making the most vulnerable among us less safe.