Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick in September fired Sandra Edwards, the chair of the state Sex Offender Registry Board. Or maybe she resigned. Depends on who you ask.
Edwards has filed a lawsuit saying the governor was retaliating against her because she insisted that Patrick’s brother-in-law, a sexual offender, should register just like any other sexual offender. For some reason, the brother-in-law doesn’t have to register. You decide for yourself whether it’s because he’s Patrick’s brother-in-law.
That’s the thing about registries: They’re sold to voters as public-safety tools, even though the evidence shows they make communities more dangerous. And in some places, even if you’re really dangerous, you might not show up on the registry if you’re related to the governor.
You can read all about the Massachusetts situation here.