Reforming Florida’s Sex Offender Registry Laws
Who said the registry is an effective law enforcement tool? How about when the police themselves mistake the identities of people on the registry? In a stirring endorsement of law enforcement efficiency and a perfect illustration of how the registry can lead to tragic mistakes, the City of Syracuse has agreed to pay $130,000 to a man who was wrongly
Read moreOral argument in Bruce Henry v. Sheriff of Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, et al. will take place today, Tuesday, February 10, 2026 commencing at 9:00 a.m. This is the case where a man is challenging the State of Alabama’s law that prevents him from living WITH HIS OWN SON because of an offense in his past! You can listen to the
Read moreSenate Bill 212 is on the Judiciary Committee agenda to be heard Tomorrow, February 10, 2026. This is a horrible bill that would not only add “public swimming pools” and “public bathing areas” to the 1000 foot residency restrictions, but would add a 200 foot proximity ban (retroactively), meaning you cannot go anywhere within 200 feet of a school, park,
Read moreAn appeals court out of Maryland reminds us that forgetting does not excuse failure to register. The recently decided case of Hammond v. State, No. 0615, Sept. Term, 2024 (Md. App. Jan. 30, 2026) should serve as a cautious warning that registration obligations override anything else that might be going on in your life. In Hammond, the Maryland Court of
Read moreIf Arizona HB 2870 feels familiar, that’s because it is (think Putnam County, Florida’s recent ban on registrants living within 500 feet of one another). Lawmakers are once again reacting to a problem they created themselves and pretending it popped up out of nowhere. The proposal moving forward in Arizona — which would restrict registered individuals from living together —
Read moreDEAR ABBY: I recently became aware that someone I know through various community groups is married to a man who is on the local sex offender list (involving a child under 13). This information was confirmed by another community group member as we needed to see how it would affect his volunteer status and our location near a school. I
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