irishoaks's Blog

I found this from the Boston paper:

 

 

Jessica’s Law dad blasts Mass. rep By Dave Wedge
Tuesday, June 24, 2008 - Updated 1d 20h ago
+ Recent Articles + Email + Bio Boston Herald Chief Enterprise Reporter
Wedge is the Herald's Chief Enterprise Reporter and writes Sunday's "Pols & Politics" column. He also covers music for "The Edge" entertainment section. E-mail  Printable  (144) Comments   Text size  Share (3) Rate

The father of a slain Florida girl pushing for mandatory prison time for child rapists in the Bay State is blasting a Taunton lawmaker who said he’d torment young victims on the witness stand to defend his perv clients.

“Why doesn’t he figure out a way to defend that child and put these kind of people away instead of trying to figure ways for defense attorneys to get around Jessica’s Law?” Mark Lunsford fumed, slamming recent remarks by Rep. James Fagan. “These are very serious crimes that nobody wants to take serious. What about the rights of these children?”

Lunsford, whose daughter Jessica was raped and murdered in Florida by a repeat sex offender, will be in Massachusetts tomorrow to push lawmakers to pass Jessica’s Law, which would require a 20-year sentence for rape of a child under 12. The House passed a watered-down version of the bill last week but Lunsford and other victims’ rights activists will be pushing the Senate to include mandatory prison time in the final law.

“If this bill is not going to put these people away, don’t disrespect me by putting my daughter’s name on it,” Lunsford told the Herald last night. “You have to put these guys in prison and admit these people are uncurable.”

Fagan, a defense attorney, infuriated victims’ rights advocates during a recent House debate when he said he would “rip apart” 6-year-old victims on the witness stand and “make sure the rest of their life is ruined.”

In a fiery soliloquy on the House floor, Fagan said he’d grill victims so that, “when they’re 8 years old they throw up; when they’re 12 years old, they won’t sleep; when they’re 19 years old, they’ll have nightmares and they’ll never have a relationship with anybody.”

Fagan did not return calls seeking comment.

Rep. Karyn Polito, a Republican from Shrewsbury who supports Jessica’s Law, said of Fagan’s comments: “The words speak for themselves. I think there’s a large part of the (House) membership that doesn’t agree with that.”

Fagan also called Jessica’s Law “knee-jerk” legislation and said “every time the Legislature has named a law after somebody, it has been a failure.”

That comment angered Ron Bersani, grandfather of Melanie Powell, whose death at the hands of a drunken driver inspired Melanie’s Law, which hiked OUI penalties.

“Absolutely ridiculous,” Bersani said. “I would beg to differ with Rep. Fagan.”

Bersani also took issue with Fagan’s characterization of such laws as “knee-jerk.”

“I find that description despicable,” Bersani said. “It’s a lot easier to call it knee-jerk when it’s not your daughter or granddaughter.”

dwedge@bostonherald.com Wouldn't you like to get a hold of that Fagan?  I know I would.  There is no good thing to say about a person who would desire to put a child through more trauma.  The man is evil.