www.nypost.com/postopinion/editorial/61382.htm

January 11, 2006 --  It took two murdered cops and intense pressure (most notably from these pages) to convince Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver last month to sign off on new laws cracking down on illegal gun-trafficking. What will it take for him to agree to tough new steps against sex predators?

Another serial child molester on the loose?

The Pataki administration underscored that question yesterday by announcing plans for a new upstate facility to house violent sex offenders after they finish their prison terms.

Sex offenders, frankly, are a different breed of criminal — mostly serial recidivists, who should be kept separate from the larger community for the rest of their lives. Some 16 states now permit civil confinement of sex fiends, a practice that's been explicitly OK'd by the U.S. Supreme Court

Pataki wants unambiguous authority to mandate civil confinement when appropriate, and he's putting the speaker on the hot seat to get it.

Silver, you see, in thrall to a handful of Assembly Democrats, has long opposed the idea of keeping predators off the streets if they've already done time.

Even if they're thought to be a significant risk to public safety.

True, when Pataki first began detaining violent pervs who were about to be set free last fall, Silver praised the move. But no doubt he was merely trying to suggest that a new law wasn't needed. Yet everyone knew Pataki's action, which relied on civil-confinement laws meant for the mentally ill, might be blocked in court.

And guess what? Quick as you can yell "Help, police!" state Supreme Court Justice Jacqueline Silbermann ruled against Pataki, saying the law doesn't allow preventive detention of sexual predators.

Pataki appealed, and yesterday the Appellate Division heard arguments in the case. But if Silver would just stop blocking legislation that gives the state explicit authority to confine dangerous sex offenders pre-emptively, the case would be moot.

And the public could rest easy.

Actually, there's some hope Silver ultimately will relent: Last month, while taking heat for stonewalling on illegal-gun bills, Silver announced that he would finally let Assembly members vote on a civil-confinement bill this year.

And on Monday, the Assembly outlined its plan. It's promising, but it remains to be seen whether Silver will insist on poison pills, loopholes or assorted "conditions" (like linkage to other bills) meant to sabotage the whole endeavor.

Meanwhile, Pataki and the state Senate are pushing other reforms to protect New Yorkers from sex predators. One of the most pressing is a new law to keep released offenders on a registry so residents can know just exactly who their neighbors are.

Current law, passed in '96, requires offenders (those who commit rape, sexual assault and/or child molestation) to register, indicating their addresses, for only 10 years once let out of jail.

And in just 10 days, the first of the registered predators will begin to drop off the rolls . . . and disappear.

Absent any action, more than 3,500 will vanish by year's end.

Thus, on Monday, the Senate passed a bill to require immediate, permanent lifetime registration of all convicted sex offenders.

Other proposals call for longer sentences for sexually violent predators, DNA collection from anyone who commits a crime and scrapping the statute of limitations for rape and sexual-assault cases (which often can be proven with DNA samples that don't become faulty with time).

These — like Pataki's plan for a new facility for civilly confined predators — are all worthy ideas that can help make New York safer from these animals.

Let's hope that it doesn't take another preventable tragedy to get Silver to act.

I hope Shelly Silver strokes out and rots as a vegetable for 20 years before wasting away in eternal damnation.

It's really hard to believe that this Silver guy refuses to crack down and support harsh sentencing guidelines for violent sex offenders, child molestors, rapists, etc. (read violent convicted FELONS) but makes gun control on LAW ABIDING CITIZENS his top priority. It has to make you wonder what the overall liberal agenda is.  It makes me sick.

You ever think he is afraid he might be in one of those places the rest of his life.

I think Sheldon Silver was "touched" as a kid, that is why he is so fucked up now.

Douche bag.

Quoted: I think Sheldon Silver was "touched" as a kid, that is why he is so fucked up now. Douche bag.

 

You may have something there!  You know he was the last kid picked for dogball for sure.

Quoted: Quoted: I think Sheldon Silver was "touched" as a kid, that is why he is so fucked up now. Douche bag.   You may have something there!  You know he was the last kid picked for dogball for sure.

Last to be picked and first to get hit in the nuts (If he has nuts?)