Reforming Florida’s Sex Offender Registry Laws
Florida Representative Rachel Plakon of Seminole County, just handed our state another example of policy making that looks tough but does nothing to keep kids safe. Rep. Plakon was the sponsor of House Bill 45 that expanded residency restrictions to include public swimming pools for people on the sex offender registry and restricting their school access. She sponsored the bill
Read moreThe recent PolitiFact piece examining whether U.S. Senate candidate Michael Whatley (NC) appointed a registered sex offender to a party role is being framed as a political controversy. But it points to something much deeper and far more troubling: the quiet, near-total exclusion of people on the registry from any meaningful participation in civic life, no matter how much time
Read morelorida is overhauling how it handles sex offenders and pretrial detention following the signing of two major pieces of legislation by Governor Ron DeSantis on Tuesday. House Bill 445, officially titled “Missy’s Law,” and House Bill 1159. Under the new rules, anyone found guilty of or entering a plea for a “dangerous crime” must be immediately remanded into custody and
Read morea little-known unit inside a nondescript government building in Fairfax, Virginia, is running a quieter mission with a singular focus: keeping convicted child sex offenders away from foreign victims before they ever arrive in America. Congress formalized the program in 2016 in International Megan’s Law, giving the center statutory authority, a dedicated facility in Fairfax, Virginia, and a ribbon-cutting ceremony
Read moreWe just received the upsetting news that the “Ex Post Facto I” case was dismissed AGAIN! This case was originated in 2018, dismissed, appealed to the 11th Circuit, remanded back to the district court (the same court that originally dismissed it), and was set for trial in a few months. The district court has once again dismissed the case. The
Read moreMaking it impossible for people to find a place to live after serving their sentences is harsh and counterproductive to preventing further crimes. Florida lawmakers are preparing to add new restrictions on where certain registered sex offenders are allowed to live, blocking them from housing near public pools, which include splash pads and a variety of water recreation attractions. While
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