To the Editor:
In response to the organization Protect's ridiculous claim ["Smoke and Mirrors," Connection, Oct. 27-Nov. 2, 2005] that Dave Albo, a former legal guardian for abused children, would ever propose a bill that lowers punishments on child molesters, let’s look at what the learned professionals say.
Here are the professionals who say the bill actually strengthened penalties on child molesters. James Fisher, a career prosecutor in the Commonwealth of Virginia wrote in last week’s paper ["Setting Record Straight," Connection, Oct. 20-26, 2005] stated that the bill actually strengthened penalties on child molesters. The attorneys for the Virginia State Crime Commission say that the bill strengthened penalties on child molesters. The attorneys at the Virginia Attorney General's Office said that the bill strengthened penalties on child molesters. The attorneys at the House of Delegates Legislative Services say that the bill strengthened penalties on child molesters. Seventeen attorney members of the House of Delegates Courts of Justice Committee who voted for the bill say it strengthened penalties on child molesters. The bill passed the House 97 to 1, so 97 members of the Virginia House of Delegates say it strengthened penalties on child molesters.
On the other hand, a man named Grier Weeks, who created and is paid by an organization called "Protect," who has never prosecuted one single case in his lifetime, says it lowers punishments. Who do you think is correct?
Del. David B. Albo
R-42