NEW YORK
New York Daily News
KENNETH LOVETT
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Saturday, June 4, 2016
ALBANY — Making the fight for justice for child sex abuse victims even murkier, a Staten Island lawmaker wants to make it easier to bring criminal cases against predators — even though he admits his idea is likely unconstitutional.
Sen. Andrew Lanza (R-Staten Island), who has carried an alternate version of the Child Victims Act supported by the Church but opposed by advocates, said he would support a provision that would create a time frame for prosecutors to charge predators criminally even though the statute of limitations has run out on their cases.
“The criminal standard is beyond a reasonable doubt, which would afford defendants the strongest due process rights in the world,” Lanza said.
But he admits it’s legally dicey.
“It would need to be challenged in court in order for it to be struck down,” he said. “I’m not sure there isn’t some wiggle room there.”
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