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Dear Members and Advocates,

There are weeks when you just have to wonder whether the people running the registry understand how their own actions help make our case for us.

Within a couple of weeks after being named as a defendant, Flagler County conducted what it called a “first of its kind” enforcement operation targeting people on the registry. Coincidence? We aren’t going to tell you what to think. But we will tell you that their own local news, FlaglerLive, noticed the timing, too. In an article headlined “On Heels of Lawsuit Challenging Registrations, Flagler Sheriff Arrests 40 Sex Offenders In Compliance Sweep,” FlaglerLive specifically connected the operation to FAC’s lawsuit and observed that the timing “may not have been as coincidental as it seems.”

It seems that after being sued, Flagler County reviewed its entire population of registrants – 139 people – and arrested 40 of them (representing approximately 30% of the entire registered population in the county). The Sheriff’s Office announced 168 felony registration violation charges. This wasn’t an operation that uncovered people committing new sex crimes. According to the reporting, none of those arrested was accused of committing a new sex offense. The arrests were about alleged failures to comply with the extraordinarily complicated registration requirements – things like failing to report an internet identifier or update vehicle information.

And then came the press conference. Sheriff Rick Staly appeared with members of his department, representatives from FDLE, and Assistant State Attorney Melissa Clark. And, graciously making the trip from Tallahassee, FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass (the main Defendant in the lawsuit) showed up in his cowboy hat. Commissioner Glass was asked about FAC’s lawsuit. His response was that he could not comment on ongoing litigation. Fair enough. But perhaps the operation and Commissioner Glass’ presence at the press conference itself was a form of commentary. Sending a message to the registrant community that if we’re going to sue them, this is what they have the power to do to us. Message received… and shared with our lawyers.

And then, at the end of the press conference, Sheriff Staly delivered what may be one of the most useful statements in this case. His final message to registrants; “move out of Flagler County. I don’t care where you go.” (fast forward to 43 minutes into the press conference). His message to people on the registry in Flagler County was, in substance, to leave Flagler County. That’s quite a message from a public official to a class of people who have supposedly completed their sentences and are supposedly being subjected to a mere “civil” regulatory scheme. Thank you, Sheriff. Seriously. That statement may be one of the best exhibits we could ask for.

There were some other “curious” developments last week. FAC was invited to appear as a guest on NPR’s Friday Roundup program. We were scheduled to discuss our lawsuit and what it means – not just for people on the registry, but for constitutional rights and the limits of government power. A couple of days before the program, we were told that we had been bumped. That’s television and radio. Things change. Stories develop. We understand that. Still, we were curious, so we tuned in to see who took our slot and were surprised (ok, totally not surprised) to learn that the replacement guest was Lauren Book. We had a similar experience with another South Florida publication. An eager journalist scheduled an interview with FAC last week. On the day of the interview, however, the journalist got “sick” and the interview was canceled. We haven’t heard back. We hope they’re feeling better.

We won’t speculate about why these programming decisions were made. We weren’t in the room, and we may never know what happened behind the scenes. But it does remind us that there’s a very powerful opposition pushing their own self-serving narrative surrounding sex-offender laws in Florida, and they will use their wealth and power to try to silence our voice in the conversation. Of course, none of this changes what we are doing. FAC’s federal lawsuit is moving forward. We did not file this case because we expected government officials to applaud us. We filed it because constitutional rights are not supposed to depend upon whether the government likes the people exercising them. And that is ultimately what this fight is about.

The good news is that the efforts to obstruct and silence our voices in the media won’t work in the courtroom. And the events in Flagler County may have been intended to demonstrate the County’s everlasting and unyielding power over us, but instead, it demonstrated exactly why the registry needs to be challenged.

Stay strong and let’s keep fighting,

The Florida Action Committee

PLEASE CONSIDER MAKING A DONATION TO THIS LAWSUIT. YOU CAN DONATE BY CLICKING HERE AND SCROLLING DOWN TO ‘GENERAL LEGAL FUND’. 100% OF DONATIONS TO THIS FUND WILL BE APPLIED TO THIS LAWSUIT.

FOR A TAX-DEDUCTIBLE DONATION, EMAIL MEMBERSHIP@FLORIDAACTIONCOMMITTEE.ORG OR LEAVE A MESSAGE 833-273-7325 OPTION 1 AND A REPRESENATIVE WILL CONTACT YOU REGARDING FINANCIAL DONATIONS OR LEGACY GIFTS.

The post FAC Weekly Update 2026-09-02-The Word of the Week is “Retaliation” appeared first on Florida Action Committee (FAC).

Dear Members and Advocates,

There’s nothing quite like being involved in significant litigation. It’s exciting, gratifying, and to be honest – more than a little stressful.

So, here’s where things stand: The wheels of litigation are turning. So far, 10 defendants have been formally served, 7 have agreed to waive service, and the remaining defendants are in the process of being served. The balance of the defendants should be formally served this week.

Once service is complete, we expect the first round of responses – either answers or motions to dismiss – to begin arriving during the first week of October. That will be when things really start to get interesting again.

So far, the response to our lawsuit has been very encouraging. Our Media Committee has been receiving a significant (and, frankly, surprisingly welcoming) number of invitations to discuss the lawsuit. We’ve had a couple more press mentions and we’ve been invited to speak on NPR later this week. The press coverage we’ve received (so far – don’t want to speak too soon) has also been remarkably fair. Perhaps some of the comments to the news stories are of the “woodchipper” genre, but the stories themselves are factual and unbiased, which is all we can ask for.

The coverage has also been tremendously helpful in driving new visitors to our website. On Saturday, we hit a new record of 8,327 visitors. And the percentage of first-time visitors has gone up 258.2% compared to the prior 30 day period. While it may only represent a small percentage of our overall traffic, we’re seeing visitors come in from overseas as well. All this tells us that we’re no longer only “speaking to the choir”, but we’re reaching an audience that was likely totally unaware of what was going on here in Florida or at FAC.

The response from the legal community has been similarly encouraging. We have been and will continue to be speaking with several organizations over the next couple of weeks about ways they may be able to support our challenge. Underlying these discussions is the reminder that this fight is not just about Florida, and it is not just about the sex offender registry. It is about constitutional rights. We understand that not everyone is comfortable with or sympathetic toward the population FAC represents. But constitutional rights are not reserved for people we like, people we agree with, or people we approve of. What happens to one group’s constitutional rights today can become the precedent used against another group tomorrow. This is bigger than just Florida and bigger than just the registry. It is about the principle that the Constitution protects everyone in this country.

And perhaps the most important and encouraging response we’ve received to date is the response from you – our members and advocates. There’s no better way to describe it than heartwarming. We know this lawsuit is a huge deal for you, and we don’t take that responsibility lightly. For many of us, whether registrants or loved ones, this case can be life changing. Which is why we’ll keep updating you in our weeklies, adding new information to our website, and disseminating updates to our County Coordinators so they can keep anyone without internet access in the loop.

Last week we added a donation thermometer to the homepage of the FAC website so you can monitor our fundraising progress. Our finance committee will do its best to update the amount weekly. We will also continue to update the informational page dedicated to the lawsuit, whenever material documents are filed. We won’t bother you with the minutiae of every affidavit of service or routine procedural filing. But when something important happens – such as a scheduling order being entered or a defendant filing an answer or motion to dismiss – you’ll be able to find it on that page.

We are still very early in what we expect to be a long and consequential legal battle. There will undoubtedly be victories, setbacks, surprises, and a ton of legal paperwork along the way. But for now, things are moving exactly as they should.

In the meantime, there are a few things you can be doing to help the cause. If you’ve not joined FAC, please visit our website, https://floridaactioncommittee.org and click join. There is no cost to become a member, and our entire membership is the plaintiff in this lawsuit. If you’re listening to this weekly update on the recording because you don’t have internet access, you can call 833-273-7325, leave a message for Membership, and we’ll make sure to get you what you need to join. If you go to treatment group, feel free to share that toll-free number with others.  The other thing you can do (and unfortunately, we need to keep asking) is make a donation to our General Legal Fund, of which 100% will go directly towards this lawsuit. You can find the donation link here: https://floridaactioncommittee.org/donations/.

We will continue to keep you posted and future weekly updates will get back to including the multiple other projects we are constantly working on. Thank you for standing with us, supporting this effort, and believing that change is possible.

Sincerely,

The Florida Action Committee

The post FAC Weekly Update 2026-08-25-The Wheels of Litigation are Turning appeared first on Florida Action Committee (FAC).

Dear Members and Advocates,

So, how was your week? Anything exciting happen?

Well, we filed a historic lawsuit challenging Florida’s sex offender registry, and that’s just the beginning! This past week has been one of the most significant weeks in the history of the Florida Action Committee. After years of research, advocacy, data collection, legislative work and preparation, FAC has taken our fight to a new level. If you haven’t already read the complaint, stop reading this update and do so now: https://floridaactioncommittee.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/FAC-v-Glass-ET-AL.pdf

Now that you’ve read it, you can see that this isn’t simply another case challenging one provision of Florida law. It is a comprehensive, top-down constitutional challenge to an entire system that has imposed decades of restrictions and collateral consequences on tens of thousands of people in Florida.

And the response has been remarkable. The lawsuit has generated significant media attention, bringing FAC’s arguments and the real-world consequences of Florida’s registry system to an audience far beyond our membership. We were featured in several print news publications and even a couple of broadcasts. For an issue that is so often discussed in sound bites and political slogans, this is an important opportunity to put the facts, the evidence and the constitutional issues front and center.

We’ve also received an incredible amount of supportive contact from members of the legal community. Attorneys and others who understand constitutional law, civil rights and registry litigation have reached out to express their support and, in some cases, explore ways they can contribute. That response has been both encouraging and validating.

And then came another milestone: we served our first defendants. Copies of the complaint, exhibit and summonses were emailed out to all defendants giving them an opportunity to waive service. A few did (Jacksonville/Duval, Hendry and Broward Counties), a few told us essentially to kick rocks, they weren’t waiving and they were sent out for formal service. And some have already been formally served by a process server. FDLE has already been served and in the coming weeks we will have all remaining county and city defendants served.

There is something very different about moving from planning and preparing a lawsuit to actually filing and serving the governmental entities who must now answer it. The case is no longer something we’re planning. It is underway and things are very active. It almost overshadowed another important victory in the Florida Supreme Court, where the Court rejected the FDLE’s attempt to vacate a registry removal. That was another huge thing that happened this week!

We’re also excited to announce that FAC has brought on a new Chair of our Media Committee. The timing couldn’t be better. As this litigation moves forward, communicating what is happening – and, perhaps more importantly, explaining why it matters and seeking support – is going to be critical. We have a tremendous story to tell, and we intend to tell it accurately, aggressively and effectively.

And the numbers are reflecting the increased attention. FAC’s website experienced record-high traffic this week. Where we used to receive 400-500 visitors on a good day, yesterday, August 17^th, analytics reported 5,846 visitors, with the overwhelming majority being new users! People are looking for information. They are reading the lawsuit. They are sharing our material. They are paying attention. And they are learning about FAC and our mission.

Filing the lawsuit was not the finish line. It was the starting line. There will be motions. There will be arguments. There will be discovery. There will be opposition. There will undoubtedly be setbacks along the way. But most of all there will be opportunities to fundamentally change the way Florida treats people on the registry.

That is why FAC needs its members now more than ever. If you’re not a member, now is the time to join. Stay informed. Share our posts. Talk about the lawsuit with anyone who will listen. Tell people why it matters. Support our legal challenge if you are able. Join our Media Committee (we need people who have access to social media and can engage with other commenters) And, most importantly, stay engaged. For years, our members have asked for this challenge and last week that day arrived.

The lawsuit is filed. The defendants are being served. The media is watching. The legal community is paying attention. And we are just getting started. Thank you for being a part of FAC!

Sincerely,

The Florida Action Committee

The post FAC Weekly Update 2026-08-18-FAC Lawsuit is Gaining Traction appeared first on Florida Action Committee (FAC).

Dear Members and Advocates,

WE DID IT!!!

Yesterday, August 11, 2026, the Florida Action Committee filed the most significant legal challenge to Florida’s sex offender registry ever undertaken, and potentially one of the most consequential registry challenges ever filed in the United States.

The case, Florida Action Committee v. Mark Glass, et al., was filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida. The case number is 4:26-cv-00388 and it was assigned to Judge Mark Walker.

This is the moment we have been working toward for months… Years, actually.

As we have explained over the past several weeks, this is not another lawsuit challenging one particular registry law, one particular local ordinance, or one particular defendant. The complaint asks the Court to look at the registry as it exists today, after nearly three decades of legislative expansion and the proliferation of local restrictions. What began as a system of public notification has evolved into something vastly different: lifetime registration, residency restrictions, presence restrictions, reporting requirements, travel restrictions, speech restrictions and criminal penalties for minor technical violations of often vague rules – all imposed on people who, in many cases, completed their criminal sentences decades ago.

The question at the heart of this case is a simple one: At what point does a supposedly “civil regulatory system” become unconstitutional punishment?

The complaint presents six separate constitutional claims. It argues that the cumulative registry scheme violates: (1) The Eighth Amendment prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment; (2) The Ex Post Facto Clause, when restrictions enacted after an individual’s offense are applied retroactively; (3) The constitutional right to interstate travel; (4) The constitutional right to remain in public places for innocent purposes; (5) The Due Process Clause’s prohibition against vague criminal laws; and (6) The First Amendment right to free speech.

The lawsuit also challenges numerous county and municipal ordinances that impose additional restrictions on registrants. And that is important. Florida’s registry isn’t just one law. It is a complicated web of state statutes, county ordinances and municipal restrictions. The complaint recognizes that challenging only one piece of that system could leave the rest of the machinery intact.

The complaint documents the real-world consequences of that system, including housing instability, homelessness, barriers to employment, interference with family life and restrictions on movement, employment and travel. The Constitution does not disappear simply because someone has a criminal record and public safety and constitutional rights are not mutually exclusive.

FAC is not asking the Court to excuse criminal conduct. We are asking whether the government can continue imposing punishment indefinitely after a person has completed the sentence imposed by a judge, and whether it can continue adding new restrictions decades later.

Yesterday was the beginning of what will be a huge battle. There will be motions, responses, hearings and, almost certainly, appeals. There are 51 defendants (the State – via FDLE, and 50 municipalities) who will fight this case tooth and nail and we expect them to. That is why we retained a firm and assembled a legal team capable of taking this case as far as necessary – even to the Supreme Court.

The complaint itself is 61 pages and addresses the history, structure and practical consequences of Florida’s registry before presenting the constitutional claims. The exhibits and expert declarations are more than 100 pages more. This is THE lawsuit!

This case belongs to all of us. If you are on the registry or have a loved one who is, this is your case. For more than 15 years of our existence, FAC members have told us about being unable to find housing, being separated from family, losing jobs, being unable to travel, being afraid of accidentally violating an obscure requirement and feeling as though a sentence that ended years ago never actually ended.

For more than 15 years we have collected your stories. We have documented the consequences. We have researched the laws. We have compiled the research. And now, we have packaged it all neatly in a lawsuit and put the entire system before a federal court.

This lawsuit was made possible by FAC members, donors, volunteers, advocates and everyone who refused to accept that the status quo must continue forever. FAC has spent a very long time preparing for this moment. Now we need to be prepared for everything that comes next. With 51 defendants, there will be a lot! What we need more than anything at this point is contributions to sustain the fight. Many of you have pitched in and we appreciate it greatly. Our hope (and faith in our membership) is that now that the lawsuit has been filed and now that you can read it and understand the magnitude, you’ll see what we (all of us, including yourselves) have accomplished by working together. You can make a contribution to our General Legal Fund by clicking here. 100% of your donation goes directly to your lawsuit.

It’s going to be a whirlwind, so lets go!!!

United we stand,

The Florida Action Committee

You can read the complaint here: https://floridaactioncommittee.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/FAC-v-Glass-ET-AL.pdf

You can follow the case here: https://floridaactioncommittee.org/teams/legal-committee/fac-v-glass-et-al/ (a link will remain on our website under ‘Committees’ ‘Legal’

The post FAC Weekly Update 2026-08-12-Monumental Lawsuit Filed by FAC appeared first on Florida Action Committee (FAC).

Dear Members and Advocates,

For years, we’ve said that meaningful change would not come from simply complaining about a broken system. It would need to come from building the right case, assembling the right team, and being prepared to see it through to the very end.

Today, we are approximately one week away from filing what we believe will be the most significant legal challenge ever brought against Florida’s registry laws. This case is unlike any challenge that has come before it, not only in Florida, but anywhere in the country.

First, we have taken a top-down approach to litigation. We recognize that whichever side loses in the trial court will almost certainly appeal. Rather than waiting until later to assemble an appellate team, FAC retained one from the very beginning. We are represented by the law firm of Winston Taylor (formerly Winston & Strawn LLP) a 1,400+ attorney international firm, and our lead counsel is attorney Michael Kimberly, one of the nation’s premier appellate advocates. Michael has argued before the United States Supreme Court ten times and has won in more than two-thirds of the 50+ appeals he has argued. From day one, we’ve built this case with the expectation that it will ultimately be decided at the highest levels of our judicial system.

Second, we are not limiting this lawsuit to suing the State of Florida. While the State’s laws are extraordinarily burdensome, anyone who lives here knows that it is often the maze of county and city ordinances that makes life virtually impossible. A victory against the State alone would still leave countless local restrictions intact. That’s why this lawsuit will challenge not only the State, but dozens of counties and municipalities whose ordinances have created an impossible patchwork of restrictions across Florida. We are taking on the entire system – not just one piece of it.

Third, while we cannot reveal the specific legal claims until the complaint is officially filed, we can tell you this: we’re going all in! It is, in many respects, the culmination of everything we’ve been working toward. The legal theories, the evidence, and the strategy have all been carefully crafted with one objective: to bring meaningful and lasting change.

You may remember that on January 8, 2026, during our first Member Call of the year, we laid out our goals for 2026. The Legal Committee announced plans to bring two municipal challenges—one of which has already been filed, with the second to be filed this month. We also said that if HB 45/SB 212 became law, it would be the straw that broke the camel’s back, and FAC would respond with a comprehensive legal challenge. That promise to you is about to become reality. Next week, you’ll see that FAC has done exactly what we said we would do.

This lawsuit would not be possible without you. Every membership, every volunteer hour, every email sent to legislators, every public records request, every committee meeting, every donation, and every word of encouragement has helped bring us to this moment. This is your lawsuit as much as it is ours. While we are proud of what we’ve accomplished, one area where we still need your help is fundraising. Litigation of this magnitude requires substantial resources, and our General Legal Fund remains critically important. If you are able, please make a contribution to our General Legal Fund to help us carry this fight through.

Finally, don’t forget to join us for our Monthly Member Call this Thursday evening. We’ll provide a legal update, hear from our Legislative Committee as we prepare for the upcoming election season, and from some of our other leaders to discuss opportunities to advance our mission in the months ahead.

The road ahead won’t be easy. But for the first time in a long time, we are not simply reacting to bad laws – we are challenging them with a strategy equal to the task. Thank you for believing in this organization, for standing with one another, and for refusing to give up hope. Together, we’re proving that determined people, working together over time, really can change the course of history.

The next chapter in FAC’s history begins next week.

Sincerely,

The Florida Action Committee

*** Please do not forget to make a donation to the General Legal Fund ***

The post FAC Weekly Update 2026-08-04- One Week Away!!! appeared first on Florida Action Committee (FAC).

Dear Members and Advocates,

On July 27, 2006, President George W. Bush signed the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act into law. Named after a six-year-old Florida boy, whose abduction and murder shocked the nation, the Act promised to protect children from people convicted of sex offenses. Few pieces of legislation have enjoyed such broad bipartisan support or generated such high public expectations.

Twenty years later, it is time to ask the question few lawmakers have been willing to ask: Has the Adam Walsh Act accomplished what it promised? The answer, based on two decades of experience and a growing body of scientific research, is NO!

No one questions the tragedy. Adam’s murder was horrific, and every parent shares John and Revé Walsh’s desire to spare another family from such unimaginable pain. But honoring Adam’s memory does not require defending a law that does more harm than good. There are better ways to remember Adam.

The Adam Walsh Act created the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), establishing federal standards for state registries and pressuring states to expand registration requirements through the threat of losing federal funding. The Act shifted the nation’s focus away from individualized assessments and toward offense-based classifications. Rather than asking whether a particular person presented a risk to the community, the law increasingly assumed that everyone convicted of certain offenses should be treated the same. Over the next twenty years, many states – especially Florida – went even further. Registration periods became longer. Public notification expanded. Residency restrictions multiplied. Presence restrictions followed. Reporting requirements became more burdensome. Reporting times shortened. Entire families became collateral damage.

Today, nearly a million Americans appear on sex offender registries. The majority have remained offense-free for decades, yet continue to report to law enforcement, disclose personal information, and live under restrictions that often bear little relationship to their actual risk.  At Florida Action Committee, we don’t need to imagine the consequences of these policies. We hear them every day.

We hear from fathers prevented from attending their children’s school functions, unable to live with their family because a nearby park makes the residence off-limits, individuals sleeping under bridges or in parking lots because residency restrictions leave them nowhere else to go, parents forced to choose between complying with the law and remaining part of their children’s lives, people denied jobs despite decades of lawful living, people afraid to travel because every jurisdiction has different rules, families living in constant fear that an unintentional mistake could result in another felony, and the unintentional mistakes or arbitrary law enforcement actions that led to those additional felonies.

These stories are not isolated, and we question whether they are actually unintended consequences. They are the predictable result of policies that have expanded year after year without regard for whether they actually improve public safety.

Florida’s own Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA) report documenting that homelessness among registrants has reached staggering levels in South Florida. In Miami-Dade County, approximately 31 percent of registrants were reported homeless. In Broward County, that number exceeded one-third of the registered population. No serious public safety expert would argue that homelessness makes communities safer. Yet many laws enacted in the wake of the Adam Walsh Act undermine every one of those protective factors and twenty years of research shows that.

Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of the Adam Walsh Act’s twentieth anniversary is that we no longer need to speculate about its effectiveness. The research has been conducted. Again. And again. And again. FAC has spent years sharing studies from respected researchers across the country. While individual studies differ in methodology, one conclusion appears repeatedly: Broad public registries and blanket restrictions have shown little evidence of reducing sexual reoffending. Residency restrictions do not prevent sexual abuse because children are overwhelmingly victimized by someone they know. Not by strangers living nearby. We have shared research showing that risk varies tremendously among individuals and declines over time (even for the most high-risk offenders), making lifetime restrictions inconsistent with modern risk science.

On the flip side, we have highlighted studies showing that stable housing, employment, treatment, and community support are among the strongest predictors of successful reintegration. We have shared research documenting the extremely low recidivism rates among many categories of registrants, while laws continue to impose identical restrictions regardless of demonstrated risk. And we have not only shared this research with you, we’ve shared it with nearly every lawmaker, from the federal level, to the state, to the county, all the way down to each municipality. We have met with lawmakers, we have testified before committee meetings, we have even spoken before the United Nations. In some cases we’ve chipped away at horrible bills or were successful in preventing their passage – which is still a huge accomplishment – but to date we’ve not been successful in getting lawmakers to roll back ineffective laws, absent bringing a lawsuit. Unfortunately, that’s what it takes – unfortunately that’s where we’re heading again.

Sexual abuse is a serious problem, and FAC’s mission should never be confused with condoning or excusing it. By pointing out that the Adam Walsh Act is a miserably failed policy is in no way seeking to disparage his legacy or mitigate the tragedy. To the contrary, Adam’s legacy should be honored with strategies that reduce harm. If twenty years of studies consistently questioned the effectiveness of any policy, lawmakers would question it. But because this Act is tied to the Walsh name and a horrific event, registry laws have largely become politically untouchable. That does not make them effective in protecting children – it just makes them immune from scrutiny.

Years ago, FAC has taken the position that the Adam Walsh Act needs to be repealed. Nothing about that position is intended to diminish Adam’s memory. If anything, we are demanding that we honor it more thoughtfully. Imagine if the billions spent maintaining and enforcing ever-expanding useless registries had instead been invested in preventing child sexual abuse before it occurred. Imagine universal prevention education. Greater access to mental health services. Improved victim support. Evidence-based treatment programs. Resources for families in crisis. Investigators focused on active threats (not technical violations). Validated risk assessment tools directing attention toward those who genuinely pose the greatest danger while allowing low risk individuals to further reduce their risk by re-integrating successfully. Those approaches may not generate political headlines. But they save children.

Twenty years is enough time to evaluate any public policy honestly. The Adam Walsh Act has produced one of the largest systems of perpetual punishment in American history and has expanded government surveillance over hundreds of thousands of people long after they completed their criminal sentences. It has destabilized families. Created homelessness. Destroyed any opportunity to support oneself and one’s family. Subjected innocent spouses and children to stigma. And it consumed enormous public resources and exposes governments to repeated lawsuits without ever delivering the public safety benefits that were promised.

We can honor Adam Walsh without clinging to policies that have failed to protect children as promised. The greatest tribute we can pay to Adam is not to preserve a failed system because it bears his name. It is to build one that actually protects children. Twenty years later, America owes Adam – and every child – nothing less.

Sincerely,

The Florida Action Committee.

We are weeks away from filing our historic legal challenge to the Florida registry. Please donate to our General Legal Fund to help support this lawsuit.

The post FAC Weekly Update 2026-07-28-Twenty Years Later: The Adam Walsh Act’s Legacy appeared first on Florida Action Committee (FAC).

Dear Members and Advocates,

Imagine waking up one morning to find law enforcement outside your home. Neighbors are watching. Your family is confused. You are placed in handcuffs and taken away for a crime you did not commit.

That is exactly what happened to Robert, a Florida man who spent decades working as a commercial crabber near Fort Myers. He had never even been to Jacksonville Beach, hundreds of miles away from his home. Yet, in 2024, a surveillance image, facial recognition technology, and a supposed 93% confidence score led police to arrest him for a crime in Jacksonville he had nothing to do with. Investigators had evidence that his truck had never left his home area. The technology was wrong. The arrest was wrong. The charges were eventually dropped. But the damage was already done. Robert had to borrow money and put up his truck title to make bond. His mugshot entered public databases. His reputation was damaged. The system that was supposed to protect innocent people instead placed the burden on him to prove he was not the person the machine claimed he was.

This is the problem with a justice system that increasingly treats registry lists, database matches, and assumptions as shortcuts around actual investigation. And for those required to register on a sex offender registry, the risks are even greater. Registrants are already in the system. Your photograph, identifying information, and history already exist in government databases accessible to law enforcement. You are considered a suspect before any crime is even committed, so when something happens, you become the primary suspect. As more agencies use online stings, facial recognition, license plate readers, artificial intelligence, and interconnected databases, registrants are uniquely vulnerable.

In another Florida case, an innocent person’s photos were taken from social media and used by another individual to create a false online identity. That false identity became involved in an undercover sex sting investigation. Investigators followed the digital trail to the person whose photos had been stolen rather than the person who was actually responsible. The innocent person was arrested, forced to post bond, hired an attorney, and spent months trying to prove he was not the person behind the account. This should concern everyone, not just people on the registry. Every person has photographs online. Every person can become the subject of a database error, mistaken identity, or faulty assumption. Artificial Intelligence, license plate readers and facial recognition technology are powerful tools, but they can’t be a substitute for actual police investigation. Otherwise, more ordinary people will become victims of a system that moves faster than the facts.

So what needs to change? First, law enforcement agencies need to be accountable for mistakes made when they rely on AI tools. They can’t just throw up their hands and say “oops, I guess the computer got it wrong”. If they are held financially responsible for the harms caused by a false arrest, they will verify. This is especially important now that private citizens are conducting online sex offender stings. Also, technology should assist investigations, not replace them. It’s what the principle of “presumed innocent” is all about. If someone comes up on a registry, facial recognition software or a license plate is incorrectly scanned someplace, consider it a tip, not a conclusion. Get copies of the digital records, do some independent research, assume it could be a mistake and put the burden of proof on the technology before disrupting a person’s life.

With the recent amendment to the Florida “loitering” statute and recent efforts across the state to catch and lock up as many people on the registry as possible, we should all be very concerned. Cameras are all over the place. License plate readers are everywhere. Police are relying on this imperfect technology rampantly. You don’t even have to leave your house anymore to have your face allegedly recognized or your license plate allegedly read inside an exclusion zone. Then it’ll be up to you to prove it was a mistake, months can pass, thousands wasted on attorneys fees, and your life in turmoil.

It’s one of the reasons why FAC constantly reminds our members that technology can be used for our protection as well as for government surveillance of us. We highly recommend vehicle dash cams, doorbell cameras, and security cameras throughout your homes. You should turn on location history features on personal devices such as your phone. Make cloud backups of important information. Keep copies of important text messages, emails, online communications and certainly every piece of registration paperwork and screenshots of everything submitted to the FDLE cyber communications portal. If you punch a clock for work, keep records of your work logs or timesheets. If you go someplace out of the ordinary, keep receipts and transaction records. This may seem paranoid and a bit much, but read this post and you’ll understand why you need to be proactive. With one in 5 people on the registry arrested last month in Osceola, we all need to be paranoid!

Knowing these crackdowns are taking place, there are other things you must keep in mind. If you are question by law enforcement (other than if you are on supervision and your PO is questioning you) you do not have to consent to a search of your home or property (including your cellphone). You do not have to answer questions without legal advice. You have the right to consult an attorney, and you have the right to remain silent until you do. And that’s something you should absolutely do! Even if you’re totally innocent, you should not assume that explaining everything immediately will resolve the situation. Statements made during stressful encounters can sometimes be misunderstood and by saying anything or voluntarily handing over your phone thinking you have nothing to hide, you are inviting law enforcement to “find something” during their fishing expedition.

We are not sharing these situations to create fear or to suggest that every registrant is at imminent risk of being falsely accused. The purpose is to encourage awareness and vigilance in an environment where technology, databases, and public information can be misused. A false accusation can happen to anyone, but registrants face additional challenges because assumptions already exist. By taking reasonable precautions and understanding your rights, you can better protect yourself. FAC is doing all we can from an advocacy and legal perspective to fight for your rights, but it’s up to you to know them. Be careful out there!

Sincerely,

The Florida Action Committee

The post FAC Weekly Update 2026-07-21-At Risk of Being Falsely Accused appeared first on Florida Action Committee (FAC).

Dear Members and Advocates,

We are now approximately one month away from filing what we believe will be a historic legal challenge to Florida’s sex offender registry laws. This lawsuit represents the most significant legal efforts ever undertaken by the Florida Action Committee (FAC) and has the potential to impact not only registrants in Florida, but registry laws and policies across the country.

This challenge was prompted by recent amendments to Florida’s residency restriction and proximity (loitering) laws (HB 45/SB 212), which dramatically expand the restrictions placed on registrants and create new barriers to housing, family relationships, employment, and everyday activities. These amendments raise serious constitutional concerns and threaten to impose restrictions that are not supported by evidence showing they improve public safety.

The FAC legal team has been working diligently behind the scenes. Attorney Michael Kimberly is actively completing the complaint, our experts have been retained, supporting data has been collected, and we are carefully building a case designed to put us in the strongest possible position to succeed. We are not simply filing a lawsuit – we are preparing for a fight that we believe can create meaningful and lasting change.

One of the most important ways you can support this effort is by sharing your personal experience. We are seeking individuals who are directly impacted by these new restrictions and who are willing to submit a declaration describing how the law affects their lives. A qualified declarant would be someone whose circumstances are impacted by the recent amendments. Some examples include: “I visit my elderly mother several times per year. Because I visit more than three days in a calendar year, I am required to register her address as a Temporary Residence. Because she lives in a community with a pool, I can no longer visit her.”, “The lease on my apartment expires this year and my family planned to move from a one-bedroom apartment to a two-bedroom apartment within the same community. Because the community has a pool, I can no longer relocate, even within the same community.”, “I work in a shopping mall and interact with dozens of people every day. I cannot always determine whether a customer is 17 or 19 years old, so I do not know whether I can legally communicate with them. I asked my supervising officer whether the mall is considered a ‘place where children congregate,’ and he did not know.” These are only examples from some of our members. The strongest declarations are those that explain your actual circumstances, how the new law affects you, and the uncertainty or hardship it creates.

If you would like to be a declarant, please contact our legal team at: legal@floridaactioncommittee.org and share your circumstances. Please do not describe your underlying case, since it’s not relevant to this lawsuit. Only describe how the current law, particularly the newly amended residency restriction and loitering statutes impact your life. We can assist you with formatting it into a formal declaration, but your story is your own and you could become an important part of this historic challenge.

Another area we still need help with is funding this case. Litigation of this magnitude requires significant resources. We have paid out our initial retainer, but there are experts and once litigation becomes active there will be additional costs associated. FAC must raise an additional funds to help fund this legal effort. You can make your donation to our General Legal Fund here: https://floridaactioncommittee.org/donations/. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who has already contributed. Every donation – large or small – has helped bring us to this point. Without the support of our members and supporters, this challenge would not be possible.

If you believe that these laws have gone too far, if you believe constitutional rights matter, and if you believe evidence-based public safety policies should guide our laws, now is the time to stand with FAC. Let’s make history together!

Sincerely,

The Florida Action Committee

The post FAC Weekly Update 2026-07-14- Preparing for a Historic Legal Challenge appeared first on Florida Action Committee (FAC).