On Wednesday, I filed legislation to require that criminals accused of sex offenses involving a child be subject to a dangerousness hearing before being released on bail.
I’d like to update you on the efforts to advance this legislation, and let you know more about what you can do to help if you support this idea.
But first, I think it’s worth noting that there’s a follow-up story in the Boston Herald today about John H. Gardner, the alleged child rapist from Kingston whose cases prompted me to file this bill. It now appears that Gardner was set free on $10,000 cash bail even though he had a had a two-page record dating back to 2000 (when he was only 17 years old) at the time of his arraignment. The record allegedly included nine cases, with three defaults for failure to appear in court.
This information makes it even more disturbing that Gardner was released on bail without consideration of his dangerousness, and it shows why passing the bill I filed is even more important.
Since I submitted the bill to the House Clerk, I’ve been working hard to spread the word and to encourage people to support it. So far, nine of my House and Senate colleagues have signed on to cosponsor the bill and others have expressed interest. I’ve also received many messages of support from everyday citizens who are alarmed by the case in Kingston and who join me in wanting to see our laws strengthened to deal with sex offenders.
Before the bill can be voted on by the House and Senate, the Rules Committee needs to refer it to another legislative committee for a public hearing and report. The more support the bill receives, the greater the chances are that it will advance through the process.
If you support the bill, I encourage you to call House Speaker Robert DeLeo’s office and ask that the bill be referred to a committee for a hearing. His number is (617) 722-2500.
I’d also like to hear from you if you support this bill. Please post a comment below and let me know what you think.
