Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Haidl Wants to Avoid Registering as Sex Offender, Case to Supreme Court

latimes.com: Greg Haidl wants to avoid registering as sex offender, takes case to Supreme Court.

Greg Haidl, the son of a former assistant Orange County sheriff who was convicted of sexually assaulting a teenage girl at a Newport Beach home, wants the California Supreme Court to take up his appeal.Haidl’s attorney, Dennis Fischer, petitioned the court last week to hear arguments on why his client should have his conviction overturned and not have to register as a sex offender for life.

Fischer told the Daily Pilot that the chances of the Supreme Court agreeing to hear the petition are “next to none.” Haidl’s convicted accomplices, Kyle Nachreiner, 25, and Keith Spann, 25, filed petitions with the court too, Fischer said.

All three men were convicted in 2005 of sexually assaulting a teenage girl in the basement of the house belonging to Haidl’s father. Haidl, 24, is the son of former Orange County Assistant Sheriff Don Haidl. While the girl apparently was passed out drunk, the men made a videotape of penetrating her vagina with several objects including a pool cue, Snapple bottle and a lighted cigarette.

For the Supreme Court, Fischer will narrow the arguments he presented to the Court of Appeal. He argued that the judge did not give his client a fair trial in electing to withhold evidence that the victim in the case had participated in similar sexual activity not long before the assault. The woman’s sexual history was protected under California’s Rape Shield law.

He also argues that Haidl should not have to register as a sex offender. The men were juveniles during the crime but were tried as adults. Read the full story here.

Only when more relatives of prominent state and federal officials get caught in this net will the courts and laws change. To those judges and elected officials who created these sex offender laws: one day you may wake up to find someone you love is now a registered sex offender!