Florida can keep ‘sexual predator’ marking on driver’s licenses, appeals court rules
The case arose after a sexual predator was sent back to prison after his probation officer found a smiley-face sticker covering the label on his license.
Florida can continue branding convicted sexual predators on their driver’s licenses.
In a divided ruling, the 5th District Court of Appeal has upheld the constitutionality of requiring state-issued driver’s licenses and ID cards to have “SEXUAL PREDATOR” stamped on them if the holder has been convicted of such a crime.
The ruling reverses an earlier panel’s action striking down the law as unconstitutional compelled speech.
In a 31-page opinion issued Friday, Judge Jordan Pratt wrote that the designation represents the state’s message, not the individual’s, and does not force offenders to “publicly display or disseminate the message” beyond ordinary license checks .“Any reasonable observer will understand that it’s the State’s message that Crist is a sexual predator, just as it’s the State’s message that he is licensed to drive in Florida and has a certain ‘date of birth, height, weight, or eye color,’” Pratt wrote.“And by marking Crist’s license … rather than his front yard, office entrance, business advertisements, personal vehicle, or custom website, the State has not compelled Crist to publicly display or disseminate its message.”
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I believe that many businesses and institutions now have self scanning license readers. This should help avoid embarrassment to some degree.
So that’s it? This is not going to get persued even though other States deemed it compelled speech? This can’t go to the Supreme Court?
Of course it can.
You still have to give it to the clerk who looks at it while putting it in the reader. Or they make a copy of is so then anyone else who has reason or access to your file can see it
Many medical and other offices now have self scanners and no receptionist . This is the future , no human contact.
Where I go, there is no one to hand your license to. You put it in the scanner yourself. No human contact. The way things are going all licenses will show everything about everyone but this way I would rather have a machine know my history than a human.
Where else did history record the state labeling groups/individuals. Oh that’s right: Natzi Germany.