A Harsh Lesson in Forgetfulness: No Bond for Late Registration.
A story out of Marion County this week serves as a sobering reminder of how unforgiving Florida’s registration laws can be. According to news reports, a man voluntarily walked into the sheriff’s office ten days late to perform his re-registration. He reportedly told deputies that he simply forgot May was his month to check in. Rather than being commended for doing the right thing, he was arrested on the spot, booked into jail, and is now being held without bond.
This individual didn’t commit a new crime. He didn’t abscond, fail to appear for years, or attempt to hide. He made a human error — forgetting a date on the calendar — and now faces severe legal consequences; a new felony charge and additional incarceration. The incident is a powerful example of how easily one slip can spiral into a major legal and personal setback under Florida’s rigid registry system.
It’s also a reminder of the importance of vigilance. Even those who have been fully compliant for years can fall victim to the complexities of Florida’s ever-changing reporting requirements. FAC strongly encourages everyone who must register to take advantage of our FREE Registration Reminder Service, designed to help prevent exactly this kind of situation. To learn more or sign up, visit floridaactioncommittee.org/reminder.
Sometimes, it’s not bad intentions—but simple forgetfulness—that leads to the harshest consequences.
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Each year when I get my “HUGE” wall calendar, I fill in lots of things in pen like birthdays and other things. Having said that, the four times a year’s/ month’s I register, I not only write a HUGE reminder to register, I write it with a giant red sharpie so I can almost trip over it.
But, a few times a year I forget if I HAVE registered and almost have a heart attack and go into my locked filing cabinet and pull out my last registration papers to make sure. I have yet to forget but I have nightmares and bad dreams just about that subject that keeps me up at nights sometimes. Isn’t that pathetic? Not me being pathetic, it is pathetic we have to live in that fear that we will lose our only chance of freedom because of forgetting that one detail of our lives.
If you do not pay your property tax on time, they do not arrest you, they just add on a financial penalty. I wouldn’t mind paying a penalty fee for registering late and would even add funds to the sheriff’s budget. But of course, if you continually go late, then that’s on you.
The system has it that way just so we can get back into the system, which is what they want, all registrants to mess up and possibly even go to jail.
Shame we have to live in a protective bubble metaphorically.
Similar thing happened to my a couple years back. My step Dad got a new tag for his car and didn’t realize he had to tell me so I could update it with the cop shop. When the deputy came to my house for a “compliance” check, she noticed the tag was wrong, so I immediately went to the sheriff’s office when she left to update it. Lo and behold, a couple weeks later I had a warrant. Fortunately my brother was able to loan me the money and got an attorney. Ultimately it was resolved with a time served.
I had the same thing happen to me but because of medical reasons. I missed a monthly check in because I have high blood sugar levels, stage 3 kidney disease, which cause sometimes dehydration. Combined I get confused, I forget things. I missed a month due to this and went back the next month to register. Was arrested told I had a warrant fir failure to register the month before. Ended up with a public defender. Sent him over 200 pages of my VA medical records, days I was hospitalized, effects of what this does to my brain when both occur. They threated you with more prison time so that you take a deal instead of prison. They offered time served plus court costs. I took the deal and now have another felony charge on my record. Maybe I got lucky but with a PD not wanting to go to trial with over 200 pages of evidence? We need public defenders that look past the SEX OFFENDER Title and do their jobs. We did out time both in prison and on strict probation. Leave us the f alone if we are a certain tier of offender. I’ve been out since 2012 and have committed no further sex crimes. I even afraid to talk to women because I’m afraid they’ll look me up call the police and make up something to send me back.
I avoid women altogether; God forbid they have a minor child. They will put you on blast on social media for clout and invent some false allegation with no recourse. Being on the registry means anyone you don’t know is a potential trip back to prison.
@RET Sgt
I once got accused of something by someone who did not want me living on “Their street”. The lady (If you can all her a lady) accused me of something. I requested a polygraph with law enforcement. I went in of my own willingness to get this resolved.
I got a Sherrif’s office polygraph and aced it. They then had the FDLE to give me one, I smashed it to pieces. After a third one with an independent polygrapher, I had three wins in a row. The detective told me I was either the best liar on Earth, or I was telling the truth.
Afterwards, I asked if he would ask the liar ( I mean lady ) if she would come in and do a polygraph and he said I can ask if she would but could not make her. Guess what, she REFUSED lol
About 2 months later, the neighbor and her kid moved away. They were only renters anyway.
On a side note, people must be checking the registry before moving in because when I first moved here, there were at least 21 kids on my street. Now there is one and I get along with that family for the most part.
Btw this is the norm and the statues in florida now according to the DA in my case. I was held without bond until I saw the next time it was in session the bonds judge. Was told since everything is a felony that’s how they work it from the FDLE. My original offense they had a bond among upon arresting. I did think this was really very messed up. I spent 42 hours without my Perscribed medication even though I reported conditions. My meds have to he taken three times daily to work and some can cause mental issues, seizures, and heart issues. Took until I got out bonded and back home to get them as well
I feel sorry for this guy, BUT, he should have known when he needed to go check in. Florida has the most ridiculous requirements I have ever seen.
I moved to Florida nearly 20 years ago, checked in with the sheriffs office and every time I moved, I went in and let them know. About a year or so later, I got a knock at my door from a detective who arrested me because I didn’t update my drivers license with my updated address. I found out that the license bureau is really who controls the registration address info and NOT the local sheriffs office. The detective made it sound like they did this long investigation in my case. When I told him that I came into the sheriffs office and told them where I was moving to, I was never informed that I needed to update my license. The state where I came from prior to moving to Florida, doesn’t require you to update your license when you move. So I got arrested with a 4th degree felony of failure to register, locked up for a few days and then I hire an attorney. The attorney was able to get my charge dropped from a felony failure to register to a misdemeanor of resisting arrest. What the hell? All because I didn’t update my drivers license and went to the sheriffs office to tell them where I’m going.
The state of Florida is absolutely ridiculous when it comes to their ass backwards laws. I moved out of that state as soon as my probation was up. I served my remaining 4 years on the registration in the state I reside in now but still have to deal with the lifelong registry in Florida.
I get pulled over constantly because when a cop runs my plates, it says that I am an offender down there, but have my residency here. I’ve been arrested twice and spent thousands of dollars on attorney fees to get i out of the crap I’ve got to go through, over a thousand miles away from Florida, just because they feel like many of us are such a nuisance when we don’t even live there. I wonder how much money that state makes off of people who are still on the registry and no longer living there.
Every arrest (no matter how low-hanging fruit it might be) makes the FDLE performance look better. It’s good for budget increases. Every time you experience, read, or hear about the most bullsh*t arrest over clerical errors and other off-the-wall nonsense. Remember it’s not about safety; it’s just about money.
Ret sgt
And when law enforcement goes on the news and parades and bandstands about the sexual offender that was arrested, they do not mention the registered citizen just forgot to sign their signature on a piece of paper was the violation, versus caught raping a child and burying them alive.
As bad as when a registered person comes to visit Florida and their prize package is often a placement on the Florida registry.
Was there an arrest for not signing?
FAC
Sorry, I was generally giving an example. I do not know everyone’s arrests or mess ups except my own. But I have been on F.A.C for years now and I have heard lots of stories from people on here who have gotten an arrest for things no other human in the U.S would be arrested for unless they were on the registry.
For example, if you miss a dentist appointment, you apologize and re-schedule, but if you miss registration you are screwed. I have been on the registry in Florida since it started and I remember where my sheriff’s office used to make you make an appointment. Now it is first come first serve until the doors close at the end of the day, Monday through Friday with no weekend registrations allowed. When I used to work, I would have to take a day off just to register.
We have cellphones with calendar reminders. You can go into your calendar on your cellphone and set it up to remind you to registration. Also if you have a calendar in your personal room. Write the word registration on the month on top. This will help you to remember. Because life can get busy and we can forget.