Reforming Florida’s Sex Offender Registry Laws
Imagine running a race, crossing the finish line at the 20-mile marker, and then being told that while you were running, someone moved the finish line to 25 miles. That is exactly what this case is about. Florida law (Section 943.0435(11) Fla. Stat.) allows some registrants to petition a court to be removed from the registry after a set number
Read moreTwo weeks ago, some registrants had reason for cautious optimism about the Second Amendment. Three days later, a federal appeals court in another part of the country showed how fragile that optimism is. On October 13, 2026, the full Third Circuit, sitting en banc, decided Williams v. Attorney General. As we reported in When Exposure Meets the Right to Self-Defense:
Read moreJustice Neil Gorsuch once called the federal Controlled Substance Analogue Act a “curious animal,” and Congress may finally be listening. A new bill from Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., would reform the law, which bans selling substances that are “substantially similar” to ones that have already been deemed illegal. Congress passed it in 1986 to combat “designer drugs” (synthetic drugs). The
Read moreOn October 26, 2026, the Supreme Court of Maryland decided Hammond v. State (No. 5, Sept. Term 2026), its first ruling on whether forgetting a registration date can be a defense to “knowingly” failing to register under Maryland’s registry law (CP § 11-721(a)). Hammond, a Tier I registrant in Charles County, registered in February 2023 and signed a form setting
Read moreWhile we’re all focused on FAC v. Keefe, we can’t forget that there are a few other legal challenges taking place simultaneously. Two registrants filed a verified complaint on August 18, 2026 challenging Union County Ordinance 2025-04, which the County Commission passed unanimously on September 15, 2025. The ordinance goes beyond the residency restrictions common in Florida counties. It bars
Read moreWeekly update for October 27, 2026. This is recording number 401. Dear Members and Advocates, It’s that time of year again! Decorations are up in the neighborhood, candy is all over store shelves, and the annual Halloween hysteria surrounding people on the registry is in full swing. For registered citizens, this means heightened scrutiny, police compliance checks, and headlines designed
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