***MULTIMEDIA PACKAGE*** Lampitt, DeAngelo Commentary on Bill Allowing Towns to Create Pedophile Free Zones

***MULTIMEDIA PACKAGE***

LAMPITT/DeANGELO COMMENTARY ON BILL ALLOWING TOWNS TO CREATE PEDOPHILE FREE ZONES

Measure Would Fill Legal Void Left by State Supreme Court Ruling

(TRENTON) - Assembly members Pamela R. Lampitt and Wayne P. DeAngelo today issued a multimedia package on their legislation to allow municipalities to create "pedophile free zones" - areas near schools, child-care centers and playgrounds where known sex-offenders would be prohibited from living.

The measure (A-641) would provide uniform standards for the creation of local ordinances that would prohibit a Megan's Law registrant over age 21 from making their home within 500 feet of schools, child-care centers or playgrounds.  The sponsors said the legislation responds to a recent state Supreme Court ruling that invalidated 118 local ordinances that created such zones, citing "a need for statewide uniformity."

The multimedia package consists of a video press release on the legislation, audio of same and a transcript of statements from the sponsors.

The video can be accessed directly via our Web site - www.assemblydems.com - or by clicking here.

The audio file is available upon request.

A transcript of sponsor statements is appended below:

Assemblyman Peter J. Barnes III (D-Middlesex), Assembly Judiciary Committee Vice Chairman:

"Chairman Greenstein is not able to make it with us today, her father died over the weekend.  And it's particularly upsetting to her - I just spoke with her about 10 minutes ago - because a lot of these bills, they're very important to her and she's been fighting to move them out of committee and get them passed for quite some time, and Linda wanted me say that if she were here today, she would speak very very forcefully and, I know eloquently, on those bills, as well as the others that are on the agenda today."

Assemblywoman Pamela R. Lampitt (D-Camden):

"What it, in a sense, will do is restrict sex offenders from living within 500 feet of an elementary school, a playground, a child care center.  That's in a sense what it will do."

Assemblyman Wayne P. DeAngelo (D-Mercer):

"Well, we believe this will fix the problem that the Supreme Court had with the independent, individual municipalities, with their pedophile free zones.  Having a standardized language going legislatively throughout the State of New Jersey will give these towns the opportunity to protect our children."

Lampitt:

"Really, this bill focuses on the more heinous sort of sex offenders - the tier twos and tier threes - and really trying to restrict exactly where they can live."

DeAngelo:

"We feel that there will be areas where the pedophiles can live.  People will know where they live.  This will help give parents the assurance that living near their schools, playgrounds, places where children congregate, that they'll be safe."

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