Latest Sacks/McCormick Column: "Texas bill to create domestic violence offender registry will harm innocent men"

From Glenn Sacks:

My new co-authored column, Texas bill to create domestic violence offender registry will harm innocent men (Austin American-Statesman, 4/11/07), criticizes a new, draconian Texas bill which will ensnare and punish many innocent men. The column also criticizes the way law enforcement and the judicial system handle domestic violence cases. Excerpt:

'House Bill 3958, sponsored by Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-San Antonio), will set up a domestic violence offender registry similar to the Texas Sex Offender Registry. Castro is correct to identify domestic violence as an important issue; however, there are serious problems with the way law enforcement and the judicial system handle domestic violence. These problems will cause many innocent men to be ensnared by this bill.

HB 3958 would set up a central database containing information on anyone who has been convicted or "received a grant of deferred adjudication" for a family violence offense on three occasions. The three conviction requirement is defensible, but the inclusion of deferred adjudications — which are analogous to plea bargains — is a major problem.'