8 hit with registration violations in Polk County.
A headline in Today’s, Daily Ridge reads, “8 Polk County sexual predators and offenders arrested for failure to comply with Florida law”. We had to read the story to check out what horrible new sex crimes these guys were committing and, as expected, these were not new sex offenses, but technical registration violations.
Worst, of the eight arrests, five (yes, 5 of the 8) were individuals who lived at the same address who were all charged with failing to report a vehicle.
So five people, all living at the same address, all getting charged with failing to register a vehicle… We had to look into it.
With 5 registrants all living at the same address (and it not being a high-rise condominium), it was unlikely that they purchased a fleet of vehicles and collectively decided to evade registration. It sure smelled like someone new moved in who had a vehicle and they all got popped for failing to register a new guy’s car.
According to this press release from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, one of the guys only moved there last week!
We always wanted to challenge the “vehicles owned” change to the registration requirement. Not only for situations where roommates change vehicles beyond the control of the registrant (yet triggering a registrant’s registration requirement), but also because individuals whose cars don’t belong to a sex offender should not have their cars on the sex offender registry.
This mass arrest provides an opportunity to bring this challenge in the context of a criminal charge (where the accused have the right to be appointed an attorney).
If anyone knows or has access to these individuals, please invite them to contact us.
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Grady Judd the sheriff is a sex offender hound
He seems to have a personal vendetta
The State of Alaska, like many other states, enacted its own SORA in 1994 pursuant to the Wetterling Act
The Alaska SORA required the sex offender to provide information about vehicles to which he had access,
to.
Alaska SORA came out in 1994.I wonder how many other sates enacted laws concerning information about vehicles to which we have access,
Like I stated earlier, these laws would have came out eventually anyway. It just took the monster in your state extra time to think of something, anything extra to look tough on crime, get more votes, ,more money and the monster is not done yet, it will come up with even more laws and more restrictions and it will not let up until the Supreme court rules in our favor. But do not be surprised if and when the Supreme court sits on this subject again and votes as the same. The monster is so big now and has a whole world backing it, how could they possibly favor the sex offender the whole world would lash out on them and they know it.
Does anyone know how many states have enacted this law?Is the Alaska law still in effect?If so it has withstood 24 years of legal challenges and still running strong.
I meant to say their license has to say Apt 1, 2, etc on it to be exempt from that law.
For purposes of constructive possession a locked door on a bedroom is enough to exempt cohabitant roommates from each other’s belongings and establish a separate domicile for each roommate. I don’t see how someone else’s locked car in a shared driveway could be construed as being “mine”. I’ll be interested to see if the prosecutor kicks the case or not. A primary element to conviction is establishing INTENT to break a law, but that seems to all go out the window when prosecuting registry violations.
Registration violations are strict liability – intent or knowledge of the rule is not a defense.
And we’re talking about Puke County here, with Sharif Gravy Jug. If these guys are to stand a chance, it will have to be with an outside attorney. All of Puke County is as corrupt as their Sharif. The locals are all drinking from the Jug, otherwise they wouldn’t keep re-electing it.
Does a new boat have to be reported in person?? Not a live aboard boat.. justa. Fishing boat??
Yes
There’s a nice little way to get out of that stupid law. Each of those guys should’ve listed their address along with Apt 1 ,apt 2, etc… Next to it. Technically, I’m sure each of those guys has their own room with a locked door. So basically each person lives in their own “apt.” That’s what the detective here in duval told us to do. Then again, they’re not as silly up here like Polk Co. Is
Grady Judd has a hardon for RC’s. I wonder what skeletons are lurking in his closet.
One of Shady Grady’s skeletons is that he married his wife when she was underage
Maybe we should find away to investigate all the people in office for skeletons
I am sure when they were growing up in high school that they partied drank alcohol had sex with classmates
They lived I a time where sex was not so shameful
That would never happen. Could you imagine? If the very same people that were enacting these registration laws we’re to have to take lie detector tests as to whether they have ever committed a sex offense? There would be mayhem.
Not good enough in Polk County. If the address of the person(s) is the same as registered in the Post Office and not actually an apartment, each person has to register all vehicles of persons who live at that address.
There is a nice owner who owns several properties in Lakeland who rents exclusively to SO/SP. There are up to 6 persons in each 3/4 bedroom unit and every time some one moves in or out, all renters must go to the Sheriffs office in Bartow and register/re-register the vehicle changes as well as who shares the home . Also, if one of the residents gets a different vehicle, again a trip to re-register. The time to register is usually 2-5 hours each time.
I speak from experience with my husband. There were 9 different trips to register/re-register at the Sheriff in Bartow for him and for the other 4 or 5 renters within 11 months. This was in addition to the semi-annual required registration for my husband.
This does not surprise us at all. The monthly check by the Polk County Sheriff at each of these homes is well known and the Sheriff counts ‘calendar’ days as they are open all day and night including holidays
We are thinking of collecting for a lawsuit that would challenge the IN PERSON registration requirement. I will announce it and see if there is interest.
TO FAC:
THAT is the SINGLE Most BRILLIANT Idea that I feel would have the overwhelmingly majority of winning. Give them the registry and take away the ridiculous time consumption that would allow for far too many technical defaults to the law. This would save time and money for all involved and make it so the law can actually be upheld. When this becomes available please provide an e-mail and I will e-mail directly as that is something I would be extremely interested in.
I would definitely be interested. I live in Orange Co, and along with other things we have to register in person, this is obtusive. We should be able to either call it in, or do it online.
OK – We will start fundraising for this challenge.
Count me in.
In Kansas they mail you a form every three months ,you check the box’s and sign and mail back. You have ten days to return the form.when I lived there I thought it worked well.
David M, Florida finds it difficult to intimidate through the mail. Besides, it helps to keep people off the welfare roles by hiring them as probation officers.
The difference is Kansas isn’t an ultra rich state anymore as it once was. So they have decided to use there money wisely. They realize the registry is absolutely useless anyway but they can do the minimum to comply with federal regulations take the federal money there giving away. Since they have such an over abundance. Pocket it and use it for something worth while. Bob Dole , and Kathleen Sebelius ,former state . There are a few people that have seen the importance of being smart with there assets. I feel sorry for Florida which has so much money to burn.
Florida has money to burn?! More appropriately money to waste.
Things may be changing for some in Ma.
State lawmakers want to include lower-level sex offenders in registry.
http://www.gloucestertimes.com/news/local_news/state-lawmakers-want-to-include-lower-level-sex-offenders-in/article_882c8621-7b38-5fe9-a70a-b33e043dfde5.html
I’m sorry, but it sounds like all the counties south of the Ocala area/Marion Co are just ridiculous when it comes to sex offender registration nonsense. If at all possible, I would just suggest moving more north. While Jacksonville/Duval Co is not perfect by any means, for the most part, I’ve been able to live my life with little interference. I haven’t had a detective come by my house in over a year now. The last time I went to register, it was in and out in 30 mins. We have to make an appt, so they’re obligated to see us quickly. And the last detective and I sat and talked for about 15 mins. He asked me about my situation, off the record he said, and basically encouraged me and not to get down about my life and situation. In short, he gave me a spiritual message which I know a govt employee is putting himself at risk for doing, but I didn’t mind it at all. Hell, it shocked me to be honest. So yeah, Duval Co, Clay Co, St Johns Co, all seem to have positive reports from people I know that live there. Just a thought for all you “Southerners” that are suffering down there. I know moving and relocating is hard to do, but if it gives you some relief, it wouldn’t hurt to look into it.
Sounds like some in law enforcement in Northern Florida are doing what they should be doing…helping law abiding ex-offenders get back into the mainstream of life. Unfortunately so many have a “Hitler” syndrome and would prefer to see RSO’s sporting a scarlet “S” and confined to a re-education center…complete with ‘ovens’. Based on the ‘thermodynamics effect’ I wonder how many of these staunch defenders of safety have something in their backgrounds to hide…by bashing those who have come out into the light and accounted/paid for their failures?
Wouldn’t it be comforting if such attention was paid to real criminals?
I was just talking with my significant other a few days ago about this. In what pee-brained mind are these politicians justifying putting a non-registered citizens vehicle on the registry is a BLATANT Constitutional violation. See excerpt below:
The Right of Privacy
The right of privacy is defined as an individual’s legal right, not explicitly provided in the United States Constitution, to be left alone and live life free from unwarranted publicity. It was important for the early settlers that their homes and persons be protected from unwarranted governmental intrusion (the basis of the Fourth Amendment), the right to be one’s own person (the basis of the First Amendment) and the right against self-incrimination (the Fifth Amendment.) All of these specifically mentioned rights have the undertone of a person’s right to privacy. Therefore, the Ninth Amendment and Fourteenth Amendment specifically note that rights not mentioned in the Constitution should not be taken to mean that the people don’t have them. And the courts have followed that logic.
Privacy rights are considered fundamental rights. Certain fundamental rights are protected under the Constitution. Therefore, if they are given to some people but not to others, then it’s a violation of the Constitution. When courts are looking to see if someone’s privacy rights were violated by the government, they look to see if the government’s action was necessary to protect a compelling interest.
So at what point does this backwards State realize that it is wrong???
It doesn’t matter if Florida comes to the realization that it is wrong; Florida doesn’t care.
If anything this should be a violation of the rights of the people who haven’t done anything wrong and have to have their information registered. I have two roommates that have cars registered who have never been arrested for anything really, and now when their plates get scanned by passing cops well….guess they’ll get harassed too??
It’s absurd. I can’t and don’t want to drive their vehicles, and one is a work van. What the hell.