BRIAN:..BIG CHANGES ARE LIKELY
ON THE WAY FOR MICHIGAN'S SEX
OFFENDER REGISTRY...
3
SUE:..A FEDERAL JUDGE IS
EXPECTED TO DECIDE ANY DAY NOW
IF - AND WHEN - THOUSANDS
SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM THE
REGISTRY OF SEX OFFENDERS..
3
BRIAN:..TARGET 8 INVESTIGATOR
SUSAN SAMPLES TALKED TO ONE
MAN WHOSE CONVICTION AS A
TEENAGER HAS FOLLOWED HIM FOR
DECADES - AND ACROSS
STATELINES.
3
SUSAN:..THERE ARE MORE THAN
FORTY-THOUSAND PEOPLE ON THE
STATE'S SEX REGISTRY -
MICHIGAN HAS THE FOURTH
LARGEST REGISTRY IN THE
NATION.. IT'S NOW BEEN FOUR
YEARS SINCE A FEDERAL JUDGE
RULED PARTS OF THE REGISTRY
LAW UNCONSTITUTIONAL.. AND 8
MONTHS SINCE A SECOND JUDGE
GAVE STATE LAWMAKERS NINETY
DAYS TO FIX IT...BUT TONIGHT -
STILL NO CHANGE.
3
THIS WAS RICK MCQUILLIN IN
2011 - WHEN TARGET 8 FIRST
TALKED TO HIM ABOUT A DECISION
HE MADE AS A TEENAGER THAT PUT
HIM ON THE SEX OFFENDER
REGISTRY FOR
LIFE. "I WAS 17 YEARS OLD.. NO
ONE EVER THINKS ABOUT THE
CONSEQUENCES OF THEIR ACTIONS
AT SEVENTEEN." MCQUILLIN WAS
17 - BUT THE GIRL HE HAD SEX
WITH WAS 15 - AND MONTHS AFTER
THEIR ONE-AFTERNOON STAND AT
HER HOME NEAR ROCKFORD.. HER
PARENTS FOUND OUT SHE WAS
PREGNANT..MCQUILLIN SAID THE
CHILD DIDN'T TURN OUT TO BE
HIS... BUT HE ENDED UP
PLEADING GUILTY- THE 15 YEAR
OLD GIRL WAS TOO YOUNG TO
LEGALLY CONSENT..
3
"I DIDN'T KNOW THE LAWS. I
DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT
IT.. THAT INTERVIEW WAS 8
YEARS AGO..THIS.. IS RICK
MCQUILLIN
TODAY.. "HERE IT IS ALMOST TWO
DECADES LATER... STILL
PLUGGING AWAY.. " TARGET 8
FOUND HIM LIVING IN OHIO NOW -
BUT HIS ONE SEX CONVICTION -
HE HAS NOT RE-OFFENDED -
FOLLOWED HIM ACROSS THE
STATELINE.. WHERE HE'S LISTED
ON OHIO'S REGISTRY AS A SEXUAL
PREDATOR..
3
"ARE YOU A PREDATOR? NO. I GO
TO WORK, I COME HOME. I GO TO
WORK, I COME HOME. "HE FEELS
FORTUNATE TO HAVE WORK.... THE
REGISTRY HAS MADE FINDING IT
TOUGH... "IT SUCKS.."
3
"FOLLOWS ME EVERYWHERE I GO..
EVERY TIME I MOVE TO A
DIFFERENT TOWN GOTTA
REGISTER... EVERY TIME I MOVE
TO A DIFFERENT HOUSE GOTTA
REGISTER THAT...
" "WE HAVE OVER 40,000 ON THE
REGISTRY. WE ADD FIVE PEOPLE A
DAY." MIRIAM AUKERMAN - AN
ATTORNEY WITH THE ACLU - SAYS
THERE'S NO WAY TO KNOW HOW
MANY RICK MCQUILLIN ROMEO-
JULIET CASES ARE STILL ON THE
REGISTRY...BUT WHAT SHE SAYS
RESEARCH HAS MADE CLEAR -
PEOPLE WITH SEX CONVICTIONS
ARE NOT MORE LIKELY TO
RE-OFFEND .. AND - EVEN IF
THEY WERE - REGISTRIES MAKE
THE POSSIBILITY OF A REPEAT
OFFENSE áMOREá LIKELY - NOT
LESS..
3
"IF WE DON'T WANT THAT PERSON
TO RE-OFFEND, WE CAN'T
SABOTAGE EVERYTHING THAT WOULD
MAKE THAT PERSON SUCCESSFUL.
WE CAN'T STIGMATIZE THAT
PERSON, TAKE AWAY THEIR
CHANCES FOR HOUSING,
EMPLOYMENT AND FAMILY
RELATIONSHIPS.." AUKERMAN
ARGUED BEFORE A FEDERAL COURT
JUDGE THIS WEEK - ASKING HIM
TO FORCE STATE LAWMAKERS TO
FIX THE PARTS OF THE REGISTRY
COURTS HAVE ALREADY DEEMED
UNCONSTITUTIONAL..A JUDGE
RULED PREVIOUSLY THE SCHOOL
ZONE EXCLUSION TOO VAGUE -
OFFENDERS CAN'T BE WITHIN
1,000 FEET - BUT THE LAW DOES
NOT MAKE IT CLEAR HOW TO
MEASURE THAT DISTANCE. ALSO
RULED UNCONSTITUTIONAL - THE
TIER SYSTEM LEGISLATORS PASSED
IN 2011 - WHICH RETROACTIVELY
EXTENDED SOME OFFENDERS' TIME
ON THE REGISTRY TO LIFE.THAT'S
WHAT HAPPENED TO RICK
MCQUILLIN... HE WAS SUPPOSED
TO BE OFF THE REGISTRY AT
43... BUT NOW - HE'S ON FOR
LIFE.HIS BIGGEST REGRET - THE
REGISTRY'S IMPACT ON HIS
RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS TWO SONS
FROM PRIOR RELATIONSHIPS - THE
REGISTRY KEPT HIM FROM THEIR
SCHOOL ACTIVITIES - AND HE
HASN'T SEEN THEM FOR
YEARS. "I THINK ABOUT MY SONS
EVERY DAY.. AND IT HURTS
EVERYDAY.."
3
SUSAN:..NEITHER THE MICHIGAN
STATE POLICE NOR THE ATTORNEY
GENERAL'S OFFICE WOULD COMMENT
FOR THIS STORY. THE ACLU
THINKS LAWMAKERS HAVE NOT
RE-WRITTEN THE LAW BECAUSE
IT'S TOO POLITICALLY
SENSITIVE... THE FEDERAL JUDGE
COULD DECIDE TO MAKE PARTS OF
THE REGISTRY UNENFORCEABLE -
REMOVING THOUSANDS FROM IT -
UNLESS LAWMKAERS FIX IT.I'M
TARGET 8 INVESTIGATOR SUSAN
SAMPLES.