NEWS
Lawmaker Explores Eliminating Bail for Sex Offenders
Chris Woodard
POSTED: Thursday, November 19, 2009 --- 8:10 p.m.
An accused sexual predator awaiting jail time walks out of the court room free on bail and moves to Madison.
Then he disappears and tonight one local lawmaker is pushing to make sure it never happens again.
When accused sexual predator Daniel Acker appeared in Milwaukee County Court earlier this year many thought the ordeal was over.
The former West Allis swim coach was charged with befriending and sexually assaulting teenage boys but he wouldn't be behind bars for long.
Acker pleaded no contest to the charges, came up with 100-thousand dollars bail and walked free while awaiting his sentencing.
State Representative Brett Davis says, "If they're convicted of this crime and such a heinous crime I really believe they should go right to jail."
Davis is a Republican representative from Oregon and the father of three. He wants to eliminate bail as an option for certain convicted child sex offenders like Acker.
He says, "We don't want to subject our children to this."
Davis couldn't believe it when reports surfaced that Acker missed a meeting with a probation agent because he was allegedly on a trip to Disney World.
Acker now lists a house in Madison as his home according to on line court records, but when investigators looked they couldn't find him there or anywhere else.
Davis says, "Everyone is due their right to trial but after they've been convicted they should be going right to jail. They shouldn't have the opportunity to go to Florida to lay on a beach for 6 days."
Earlier this week Acker was back in Milwaukee for a bail hearing.
According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel bail was raised to 120-thousand dollars because Acker didn't give authorities timely notice he moved to Madison.
Acker is now behind bars and he denies going to Disney World.
Davis says it doesn't matter, "I don't think it's unreasonable to send these people right to jail."
Davis hopes to introduce some form of a bill early next year and says he'll push for a public hearing on the idea.
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