Florida Action Committee sues Seminole County, Florida
By Florida Action Committee….
It’s Official! The Florida Action Committee has filed suit against Seminole County, challenging their proximity ordinance! A second county is about to get sued over their proximity ordinance as well, and we will announce that one after it is filed.
The ordinance prevents registrants from being present or traveling through an “exclusion zone,” making it practically (if not literally) impossible to make it from one end of the county to the other or perform routine tasks–such as banking, visiting family and friends, grocery shopping, or the countless other perfectly lawful activities citizens do in their daily lives–without violating the ordinance. Similar ordinances have been struck down elsewhere, and we are hopeful for a similar result here.
We are incredibly grateful to the members who have stepped up to help us get this lawsuit going and who have made contributions to our legal fund, enabling us to take on our next challenge. We are more than incredibly grateful to the Florida Institutional Legal Services Project for taking on the proximity ordinances. It takes the help and contribution of all of us to make these accomplishments happen, and it’s certainly exciting to watch us move forward.
With the added workload, we are actively seeking additional volunteers to help us accomplish more goals. If you have a few hours a week to dedicate to the fight, are able to use the Internet and communicate freely, and have a strong desire to help effect change, please contact anita@floridaactioncommittee.org and find out how you can help.
Any ordinance or regulatory measure thats restricts free movement on communal lands whether local are federal is a torrid travesty against justice. I recall during my arraignment and post conviction phase that even then when i resided on federal land , that I could not be restricted of movement regardless of probation or nature of offense and any such attempt could amount to illegal detention and unlawful detaining. Southern states seem to have the propensity to impose ill concieved methods to erode the rights of registrants. The mentality in this region is a tolerated evil.
Florida is the worst state for constitutional and human rights violations – not only in RSO laws but many others! Absolute KUDOS all around to FAC for standing up and saying “No more!”
As a member of the FAC, I was thrilled that we finally were able to raise the money to begin to take action against what are surely the most punitive restrictions in the nation regarding the Registry! We also, in a sense have received the “green light” from California, who also had extremely restrictive rules regarding it’s own registry, yet, has begun to strike them down in their Courts. With the money and case law in our arsenal, we can hopefully begin to roll back what are surely some of the most heinous policies, particularly in Miami Beach, where residency restrictions and lifetime Registry remain in play and for-profit civil commitment by GEO is also levied against the registrant, who has already paid his or her debt to society. This is surely one of the most corrupt and ignorant states in the Union and it is high time educated and compassionate people stepped up and took the fight to the lawmakers’ doorstep and challenged them on this. When good men and women do nothing, evil is allowed to foment. Why must we always have a pariah in this society? I guess Serial Killers were so last century. The truth of the matter is 97% of the people on this so-called Registry don’t belong there and they are unable to contribute their efforts and talents to our society. Let’s end this cruel and unusual form of punishment as soon as possible!
Its time good over ride evil fla is full of devils in high places. Im also a sexoffender and lm living by these laws and its tearing me down .fac all day god bless
This is great because now the romeo and Juliet law doesn’t do enough. I cannot believe that other crimes does reach the national news like this crime. I am really shocked that the police in Georgia have violated the law after a judge removed me from the registry in 2012. But the harrasment is all because I have to register in Florida. If I come back to Florida now that is the only it I remember I was black balled in court because I was pro se in alachua county and the judge asserted that he would remove in court he did not deny my statement then I get in the mail all these case laws for why he denied me because in court the da was a poor job defending the state that is why I believe that what you are doing is life changing will benefit good ppl that made a mistake years ago but one day you will help these to be removed I pray I am in that number.
Alachua county is a dangerous place!! Rabid law enforcement and prosecutors there. Good luck and thank you FAC
I wish you all the best! We won’t win this because “it’s so unfair” and “the law is on our side” although of course that is all true. We will win because it is the right thing to do for everyone: sex offenders, victims, children, families, communities, etc. We all have this in common: the right to live a happy, healthy life in a safe community. On that ground we will gain much. May we learn from the success stories which have already been seen in places like Ohio and California. And may we learn from their mistakes. Good luck!
Which state is a least restrictive as a sex offender on probation? A Lee county (FL)ordinance prohibits a rso from going to the beach, library (at any time), a public pool, and many other places. And a rso cannot have a passport. Maybe West VA is much more reasonable.
I am an rso resident in Cape Coral. I have a passport and the Lee Sheriff has my passport number. There more restrictions, of course, for offenders who are still under supervision–probation/parole. I do have school and daycare (probably other areas) that I am restricted from, but have not been told I couldn’t use the library or the beach.
When I was on supervision (until 2010) I found that my P.O. made up his own rules and ordinates, mostly to let the probationer know that they have full and unbridled control. But sadly, most of the P.O. don’t know the sex offender laws.
Who said an rso can’t have a passport..
I had just finished my federal supervision after serving 54 months in prison and was given the forms needed to apply
Registrants can apply for and receive passports. Whether registrants will be accepted into the country of their destination is a different issue.
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I thank God for your organization. My husband is a sex offender by way of the computer. Just recently the Court gave him early release probation. He had already served house arrest and 7years of his sentence. His health is poor and he needs an operation but he will NOT be allowed in a rehab facility. So he suffers every single day with severe pain. I pray your organization can change the public mindset so that people like him can live as human beings again. Thank you
I’m a registered sex offender in hillsborough county. My charge was for being 21 with a 16 year old girlfriend. I severed 4 yrs and 6 more between house arrest and probation. I plea out from 11 charges and a possible. Year term to 4 charges total all because the public defender said i would lose and serve the maximum time. I know I had to register but did not think it would ruin my life. I have not been in trouble with the law for 15 years and yet get harassed by cops and dectivties all the time. Most recently 2 yrs ago a hillsbough detective stalked me to build a case of failure to register because i worked 2 jobs and sometimes stay overnight at a friend or family members house. The detective arrested me at my job and said that I failed to register at all address that I stayed at. Again Im not on probation and have not been for 7 years. The detective lied and my attorney proved it. The detective went so far as to tell the hoa I live in and the hoa served me with an eviction. Again my attorney fought this and I won. However the battle is everyday. I have been unemployed for a year due to being deemed a sex offender. I work a part time job which they do not require a background. I recently was hired for a job after I disclosed to all the parties involved I was a sex offender and 2 days later fired with them seeing my background and lying saying I did not disclose it. I don’t understand how Im spouse to move on and better myself when Im penalized everyday for being on a registry. All again for dating a 16. I have tried to fund attorneys to fight to get me off the registry but the cost is huge and I can’t afford it. Im hoping there is someone or something that can be done with sex offender laws.
Please note my girlfriend typed this and is using her email. I do not have an email. If I did it would have to be on file with registry office. Such a joke.
What kind of lawyer would you need to take you off a rest list