A group of “sexually violent predators” wants to get out of lockup — and also collect some taxpayers’ money.
Twenty prisoners with that classification filed suit against the state yesterday, charging they’ve been illegally kept behind bars for years.
The suit, which seeks class-action status on behalf of all 127 sexually violent predators, says they were illegally detained beginning in 2005, and also demands money for each of the cons. No specific dollar figure is mentioned.
Their lawyer, Reza Rezvani, said “the main concern” is that more than 40 sex offenders who are still being confined “get out.”
The Attorney General’s Office had no immediate comment on the suit, but officials have said that those still locked up are a danger to either themselves or others.
The 127 were due to be sprung in 2005 and 2006.
Nearly two-thirds of them had victimized people under the age of 17.
Then-Gov. George Pataki ordered his administration to “push the envelope” by using existing laws to make sure that those due to be freed but deemed still dangerous stayed behind bars.
After protracted legal challenges, 78 were freed. The rest are still confined.
