supreme courtPOSEXUAL PREDATORS.docx
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supreme courtPOSEXUAL PREDATORS.docx
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supremecourtPOSEXUALPREDATORS
170of185DOCUMENTS
Copyright(c)1998SouthernCaliforniaInterdisciplinaryLawJournal
SouthernCaliforniaInterdisciplinaryLawJournal
Winter,1998
8S.Cal.Interdis.L.J.39
LENGTH:
25147words
ARTICLE:
THESUPREMECOURT,PUBLICOPINION,ANDTHESENTENCINGOFSEXUALPREDATORS
NAME:
MichelleJohnson*
BIO:
*AssistantProfessor,WestfieldStateCollege.B.A.,IndianaUniversity;M.A.,StanfordUniversity;Ph.D.,UniversityofWashington.
SUMMARY:
...SomescholarssuggesttheSupremeCourtreliesheavilyonpublicopiniontoenforceitsdecisions....Inaddition,mostpeopleremainrelativelyunawareofthecontentoftheCourt'sdecisions;eveninlandmarkcases,onlyabouttwo-thirdsofthepopulationcandescribetheCourt'srulings....PublicopinionandrelativelyheavypresscoveragesupportingthecivilcommitmentofrepeatsexoffendersmayhavepromptedtheJusticestoupholdastatelawthatviolatesatleastsomeindividuals'FifthAmendmentrights....TheU.S.SupremeCourtiscommonlyseenasbeingmoreinsulatedfrompublicopinionthantheotherbranchesofgovernment....YetempiricalresearchshowsCourtmembersareprobablynotentirelyunawareoforunaffectedbypublicopinion....First,theCourtisinfluencedindirectlybypublicopinionduringJustices'appointments....ButpublicopinioncontinuestoplayaroleinshapingCourtdecisionsafterJustices'appointments....Atfirst,LinkseemstocontradictFlemmingandWood,whofoundpublicopinionwasnotparticularlyinfluentialincriminalcases....Hespecificallydidnotexaminetheeffectofpublicopinionondueprocesscasesinvolvingprisoners....
TEXT:
[*39]
UnlikethePresidency,whichdirectsfederallawenforcementagenciesandarmedservices,andCongress,whichcontrolstheallocationoffederalfunds,theU.S.SupremeCourthasnorealmeansofenforcingitsdecisions.n1Itcannotforcecompliancebypoliceactionorcoerceacceptancebywithholdingmoneyandotherformsofgovernmentaid.SomescholarssuggesttheSupremeCourtreliesheavilyonpublicopiniontoenforceitsdecisions.n2ThepublicandothergovernmentalbodiesperceivetheCourtasalegitimateauthoritywhosedecisionsshouldbefollowed;peopleadjusttheirbehaviortoconformtotheCourt'spoliciesandexpectotherstodosoaswell.n3Forexample,thesescholarssay,aftertheSupremeCourtdecisioninRoev.Wade,moreAmericansprobablysaidtheybelieveabortionshouldbelegalthansaidsopriortotheCourt'sdecision.n4
PoliticalscientistThomasMarshall,however,disputeswhethertheCourtactuallyhasthelegitimacyscholarshaveclaimed.Forthe[*40]Courttohavethekindoflegitimacyscholarsdescribe,Marshallsays,theCourtmustbefavorablyperceived,peoplemustbeawareoftheCourt'sdecisions,andpeoplemustadjusttheirattitudestoconformtotheCourt'spositions.n5TheseconditionscurrentlydonotexistintheUnitedStates.Pollsshowthatatanygivenpointintime,lessthanhalfoftheAmericanpopulationviewstheCourtfavorably.n6Inaddition,mostpeopleremainrelativelyunawareofthecontentoftheCourt'sdecisions;eveninlandmarkcases,onlyabouttwo-thirdsofthepopulationcandescribetheCourt'srulings.n7Finally,mostAmericansarenotlikelytochangetheiropinionsorbehaviortoconformtorulingstheydislike.n8Inonestudy,onlyone-thirdofthepeoplewhodisagreedwiththeSupremeCourt'sdecisioninaschool-prayercaseagreedthattheyhadadutytoacceptthatdecision.n9Fromhisresearch,MarshallconcludedthemodernSupremeCourt'ssuccessininstitutingitspoliciescouldnotbewhollyexplainedbyitspowertoharnesspublicopinion.n10
IftheU.S.SupremeCourtdoesnothaveakindofinnatelegitimacythatcreatesacceptanceofitsdecisionsandfostersregardforitasaninstitution,howdoesitmaintainitsprestigeandgarnersupportforitsdecisions?
MarshallandotherscholarssuggesttheCourtissuccessfulasapolicy-makerinpartbecauseittendstofollowpublicopinion,moreoftenthannotissuingdecisionsthepublicwillbeinclinedtosupport.n11TheCourtisessentiallyamajoritarianinstitution;morethansixtypercentofitsdecisionsagreewithcontemporarypopular[*41]opinion.n12Byrulingwiththepublicmoreoftenthannot,theSupremeCourtmaybeabletomaintainanecessarylevelofpopularsupportandcreateanimageoflegitimacy.
MarshallhasshownthattheCourtseemsparticularlylikelytoissueamajoritariandecisionduring"crisistimes"-timeswhenpublicattentionisfocusedcloselyonanissue.n13Thismaybeduetothefactthatcrisis-timedecisionsarerelativelyunstable;theytendtobeoverturnedbylegislativeaction,publicnoncompliance,orsubsequentCourtdecisionsmoreoftenthandecisionsmadeduringcalmperiods.n14Byissuingapopularopinionduringthesetimes,theCourtcouldhopetoincreaseitssuccessasapolicy-makerandhaveitsdecisionstand.n15
ThisArticlearguesthattherecentU.S.SupremeCourtdecisioninKansasv.Hendricksn16exemplifiesmajoritariandecisionmakingonthepartoftheJustices.PublicopinionandrelativelyheavypresscoveragesupportingthecivilcommitmentofrepeatsexoffendersmayhavepromptedtheJusticestoupholdastatelawthatviolatesatleastsomeindividuals'FifthAmendmentrights.ThisArticlewillreviewtheSupremeCourt'sdecisioninKansasv.HendricksinlightofMarshall'sargumentthatpublicopinion,asexpressedinpolls,mediacoverage,andfederalaction,influencesCourtdecisions.Thefirstsectionprovidesbackgroundtothecase,explainingwhystatessuchasKansasenactedcivilcommitmentstatutestargetedatsexoffenders.ThesecondsectiondescribesthecaseaspresentedtotheCourt,outliningthepointsmadeinbriefsandoralargument.ThesectionalsobrieflyreviewspriorSupremeCourtdecisionsinthisareatogiveasenseofthelawasitstoodatthetimetheCourtdecidedKansasv.Hendricks.ThethirdsectionoutlinestheCourt'sdecisionandclaimsthemajoritydecisionislogicallyflawed.ThedissentwrittenbyJusticeStevenBreyerprovidesamoresoundinterpretationoftheprotectionaffordedbytheFifthAmendment.ThefourthandfinalsectionreexaminestheCourt'sdecisioninlightofcontemporarypublicopinionandmediacoverage,arguingthattheCourthadlittlechoicebutto[*42]curtailsexoffenders'rightsifitwantedtoissueadecisiontheAmericanpublicwouldaccept.
I.BACKGROUND
A.SexualPredatorLaws
Washingtonwasthefirststatetopassamodernsexuallyviolentpredatorlaw.n17Itdidsoinresponsetopublicoutrageovercrimescommittedbyconvictedsexcriminalswhohadbeenreleasedfromprison.n18OnSaturday,May20,1989,aconvictedsexoffendersexuallyassaulted,stabbed,strangled,andmutilateda10-year-oldTacomaboywhohadbeenridinghisbicycletoafriend'shouse.n19ByMonday,policehadarrestedandchargedEarlShrinerwithattemptedmurder,rape,andassault-allinthefirstdegree.n20Inspiteofthecriminaljusticesystem'sswiftresponsetotheassault,Washingtonresidentssawthecrimeasasystemfailure.n21StatenewspapersdetailedthenumerouspreviouscriminalchargesfiledagainstShrinerandexplainedhowhehadmanagedtoeludeprosecutioninnearlyallofthecases.n22Thestate'sleadingnewspapersinSeattle,Tacoma,Spokane,andOlympiaeditorializedontheneedforchangesinWashingtonlawtokeeppeoplesuchasShrineroffthestreet.n23
Publicresponsetothenewsreportscameswiftly.OnTuesday,morethan300peopleattendedapublicforumonchildsexualassaultinTacoma.n24Withinaweek,morethan1,000peoplehadcalledorwrittentothegovernoraboutthepublicsafetyissue,andtwostate[*43]senatorshadcalledforapublichearing.n25Withintwoweeks,citizenshadraised$335,000fortheboy'smedicalcareandwerestilldemandingthestategovernmenttakeaction.n26Theboy'smother,HelenHarlow,joinedIdaBallasiotes,whosedaughterhadbeenmurderedbyasexoffenderwhilehewasparticipatinginawork-releaseprogram,
tofoundtheTennisShoeBrigade,anorganizationthatsoonexpandedstatewide.Theyaskedcitizenstosendonechild'stennisshoewithanotetotheGovernorrequestinghimto"pleaseprotectus,haveaspecialsession."Theshoesweretosymbolizethefeetofthoseentitledtowalkwithoutfear.n27
OnJune15,Washington'sGovernorBoothGardnerappointedaTaskForceonCommunityProtectiontoexaminethecriminaljusticesystemandrecommendwaysfordealingwithsexuallyviolentcriminals.n28HeappointedHarlow,Ballasiotes,andassaultvictimTrishTobistothetaskforcetoensurevictims'viewswererepresented.n29TaskforcememberDavidBoerner,whodraftedWashington'ssexualpredatorlaw,saysthecommitteeeventuallydecidedthecriminaljusticesystemhadfunctionedproperlybutfailedbecauseitwasnotdesignedtodealwithpeoplelikeShriner.n30
Thecoreofthisproblemwasnottheexerciseofgovernmentalpowerbuttheabsenceofthatpower.Theboy'sstorywasdifferentnotonlybecauseofthehorrificviolencethatwasinflicted,butalsobecausesomanygovernmentofficialsknewsomuchaboutEarlShriner,hadpredictedthathewoulddowhathedid,hadsoughttousethelegalsystemtopreventhimfromdoingwhathedid,andhadfailed.Apparently,thelawwaspowerlesstoprotect.n31
Afterdeterminingtherewasaloopholeinstatelawregardingsexoffenders,thetaskforcesearchedforwaystofillthegap.Itconsideredtheeffectofalteringthecriminalsentencingsystem,butalthoughthegroupeventuallyrecommendedincreasingsentencesforsexcrimes,itdecidedchanging
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