Always behind Closed Doors: Heastie and Flanagan Decline to Speak up on Child Sex Abuse

New York Daily News
May 12, 2016

http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/behind-closed-doors-albany-won-speak-sex-abuse-article-1.2633854

Carl Heastie: Awaiting guidance (MIKE GROLL/AP)

Leaders of a secret society rather than an open Legislature, New York’s Democratic Assembly speaker and Republican Senate majority leader on Wednesday refused interviews about extension or elimination of the statute of limitations for child sex abuse.

A press aide for Carl Heastie said the speaker would discuss the topic only after his Democratic conference reached a position behind closed doors. A flack for John Flanagan said the majority leader was just too busy.

Their evasions were perfectly consistent with the Legislature’s practice of resolving controversial issues without public hearings or the input of independent experts even as connected lobbyists have the run of the place.

The Daily News has called for statute of limitation reforms that would open courthouse doors that have been closed to victims and prosecutors. That said, lengthening a statute of limitations raises sensitive due process concerns. After too many years, for example, defendants can lose the ability to defend themselves.

Our hope was to explore fundamentals with Heastie and Flanagan, and with Gov. Cuomo.

John Flanagan: Too busy (MIKE GROLL/AP)

Questions would have included: Can the courts fairly handle allegations that are 30 and 40 years old? Would opening the courts to people with claims from long ago provoke a rush of gold-digging for which there could be no defense? Why does the Penal Law eliminate the statute for all sex crimes against children under 13 — except for manual molestation?

A spokesperson for Cuomo said the governor was wrestling with those matters and more while seeking reform that would benefit victims.

This is how legislation lives or dies in Albany — and it stinks.