In response to the death of 17-year-old Chelsea King, San Diego Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher vows to change California’s sex offender laws. His efforts are fully supported by principal members of King’s family. Specifically, sex offender’s records (including all field notes) are purged one year after year after probation is completed, which is the case with registered sex offender John Albert Gardner III, who plead not guilty in Chelsea King’s death last month. An outraged Assemblyman Fletcher has written to the Department of Corrections and to Inspector General Dave Shaw to determine why such policy is “in the best interests of public safety.” The corrections office maintains that certain information about a parolee is retained in a central file, but both Fletcher and Governor Schwarzenegger find this so called policy to be unacceptable! Fletcher insists that high risk, violent, sexual predators cannot be rehabilitated, so, at the very least, significant prison sentences should be given; and, lower-level offenders should be heavily scrutinized by law enforcement. Chelsea’s Law, when finally presented before legislature, likely involves a broad coalition of law enforcement and citizens. Stiff penalties would be enforced for the convicted. A first time offender would be given life in prison. If Read More …

Anna Nicole Smith . . . the opera? Britain’s Royal Opera House is planning to document the life of the tragic model turned actress in a production simply entitled Anna Nicole; it premieres at Covent Garden Feb. 17, 2011, with Dutch soprano Eva-Maria Westbroek in the lead role. Marc-Anthony Turnage will compose the music, and Richard Thomas will script the libretto. Thomas was responsible for bringing another media figure to the stage with Jerry Springer: The Opera. Lady Justice speculates Anna Nicole’s arc will unsurprisingly culminate, like most operas, with the diva perishing under tragic conditions.