You are here

NARSOL’S NC affiliate brings lawsuit against Cherokee Co.

By Hayley Fowler . . . A group of registered sex offenders in Western North Carolina say the sheriff forced them to check in with local law enforcement or face arrest on Halloween night in 2019.

Now they’re suing.

At least 11 men and the nonprofit group North Carolinians for Rational Sex Offender Laws accused Cherokee County and Sheriff Derrick Palmer of violating their constitutional rights in a lawsuit moved to federal court Wednesday. The case was originally filed in state court in early October but defense attorneys opted to change venues, citing issues related to federal case law.

“My clients allege that the sheriff exceeded his authority and violated their constitutional rights and North Carolina law when he used the threat of incarceration to force 78 people to go to the National Guard armoury, after business hours, and without appropriate reasonable suspicion,” Jeff Dobson of Dobson Law Firm PLLC, who is representing the offenders, told McClatchy News in a statement.

“Whether this case is heard in state or federal court, we believe justice is blind and will be rendered appropriately,” he added.

Defense attorneys and a representative for Cherokee County and the sheriff’s office did not immediately respond to McClatchy News’ request for comment Thursday.

The lawsuit seeks $5 million in damages and a jury trial, according to court filings.

According to the website of the North Carolinians for Rational Sex Offender Laws, the group was created in 2016 as an affiliate of a national chapter and advocates for “legal reforms that will protect and restore (sex offenders’) fundamental rights to life and liberty.”

Read the remainder of the piece here at the Charlotte Observer.

Help us reach more people by Sharing or Liking this post.
EMAIL
Facebook
fb-share-icon
Twitter
Follow Me
Tweet
PINTEREST
Pin Share
LINKEDIN
Share
YOUTUBE
RSS

Avatar

Viewing 4 reply threads
  • Author
    Posts
    • November 13, 2020 at 1:24 pm #77992 Reply
      Avatar
      A Mistake They Made

      Sue them until they are on their knees, and then sue them some more its the only way they will get the message.

      • November 24, 2020 at 6:07 pm #78350 Reply
        Avatar
        WC_TN

        Amen! Bleed these vultures dry. Only when they totally exsanguinate financially through all main arteries will they begin to see the folly of their ways. Once you get them, don’t ever let up on them for a second. Make it cost them at every turn until they cry “Uncle!”. and then still keep going.

    • November 13, 2020 at 3:59 pm #77994 Reply
      Avatar
      Tim

      I lived in NC for about 2 weeks… I registered and then I tried to get my son into High School. I went to the school and they let him in. I then went to the sheriff’s office to register with them and said I had a son and told them I got him into school. The guy almost arrested me on the spot. My “crime” wasn’t against a minor and I told him that. His reply? “Welcome to the Bible Belt! You have 2 options. Go to jail or leave the state and never come back.” Well I immediately quit the recently acquired job and told the school, via phone, that I was leaving. That was 5 years ago and now I am forced to live with my parents in NV. My mother talked to the guy and he told her that it doesn’t matter because NC has a blanket law and this clown of a cop put me on the SVP(Sexually Violent Predator) list in his S-hole state. I don’t live there and will never step foot in that state again. I say SUE the BEJESUS out of them and then, like the previous post said, sue them again. The blanket policies of the SOR is garbage. Sorry to ramble, but I know about this state and it’s attitudes towards SO’s. They basically think we are the scum of the earth and don’t deserve a 2nd chance, no matter what the “Crime” was. Good for these people to sue and to bring to light this bogus assumption that SO’s are out on Halloween to rape and pillage their own neighborhoods. We need representation more and more. Our numbers will exceed 1 million soon. And it’s not the same people… Keep up the good fight!

      • November 19, 2020 at 8:07 am #78095 Reply
        Avatar
        Maestro

        Tim,

        When he said “Welcome to the Bible Belt”, you should have said: “So where’s your wonderful redemption and forgiveness in Jesus?”

        Seriously, I am not concerned with people who have tried to come at me in the past on this site for expressing my disdain for religious fanatics because if YOU and people you know aren’t “that kind” of Christian, then you don’t need to get offended. When anyone, especially law enforcement, bring up any mention of their bible and their Jesus, it’s not a bad thing to throw it right back in their faces by asking where their forgiveness is. I guarantee it would have left him speechless for a few seconds.

    • November 15, 2020 at 9:59 am #78006 Reply
      Avatar
      Mike

      Hi, thats one thing wrong with our justice system. Here’s a story from the Washington Post: Circuit Judge Kevin Souza sentenced the 41-year-old on Tuesday in the fourth-degree sexual assault case, and granted him a deferral of a no-contest plea. If Aoki complies with the terms of the deferral, the conviction will be wiped off his record and he will stay off the sex offender registry.

      • November 24, 2020 at 6:07 pm #78351 Reply
        Avatar
        WC_TN

        When someone gets treated with leniency, we don’t need to get mad and demand that the person should have been body slammed like everyone else. We should be demanding that others who commit similar offenses be treated just as leniently without regard to their financial, social, familial, or political connections.

    • November 15, 2020 at 4:01 pm #78010 Reply
      Avatar
      Lovecraft

      So glad damages are being sought, as they most certainly should. If they wont listen to reason, I bet they start listening when they begin losing money. A+, this definately put a smile on my face.

    • November 24, 2020 at 6:07 pm #78352 Reply
      Avatar
      WC_TN

      Many of the 11 named plaintiffs in the lawsuit have been charged with taking indecent liberties with a minor, according to the N.C. Sex Offender registry. Other charges include felonious restraint against a minor, sexual arousal with a child, sexual battery and lewd acts with a child.
      The media can’t help but put this in there to vilify NCRSOL and the people bringing action against the county. The media wholly supports and promotes this kind of harassment.

  • Author
    Posts
Viewing 4 reply threads
Reply To: NARSOL’S NC affiliate brings lawsuit against Cherokee Co.
We welcome a lively discussion with all view points provided that they stay on topic - keeping in mind...

  • *You must be 18 or older to comment.
  • *You must check the "I am not a robot" box and follow the recaptcha instructions.
  • *Your submission must be approved by a NARSOL moderator.
  • *Moderating decisions may be subjective.
  • *Comments arguing about political or religious preferences will be deleted.
  • *Excessively long replies will be rejected, without explanation.
  • *Be polite and courteous. This is a public forum.
  • *Do not post in ALL CAPS.
  • *Stay on topic.
  • *Do not post contact information for yourself or another person.
  • *Please enter a name that does not contain links to other websites.

  • *DO NOT POST LINKS TO OTHER WEBSITES
Your information:





<a href="" title="" rel="" target=""> <blockquote cite=""> <code> <pre class=""> <em> <strong> <del datetime="" cite=""> <ins datetime="" cite=""> <ul> <ol start=""> <li> <img src="" border="" alt="" height="" width="">