Disney World Vacation Leads to Fight Over Florida Sex Offender Law (An Out of State challenge)
A Pennsylvania man has filed a challenge to a Florida law that has kept him on a sexual-offender registry after a 10-day family vacation to Disney World in 2015.
The man, identified in court documents as John Doe, reported to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office when he came to Florida because he was on a Pennsylvania registry at the time as a result of a child-pornography conviction in 2002. Doe was removed from the Pennsylvania registry in 2016 but has remained registered as a sex offender in Florida, according to a lawsuit filed last week in Leon County circuit court.
The lawsuit, which names Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Rick Swearingen as a defendant, contends that the Florida law violates his constitutional privacy and due-process rights. In part, he pointed to information that FDLE posts online about registered sex offenders.
[FAC NOTE: Val Jonas represents the Plaintiff]
READ THE COMPLAINT: Out of State – Doe v Swearingen – Complaint
Discover more from Florida Action Committee
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Hello are registered sex offenders banned from going to Disney . Can someone please tell me there experience and what we should expect if we plan a vacation there .
The cases I’ve read about were annual passholders, but there’s no guarantee that this doesn’t apply to other guests.
If a background check is performed and match is found, the person is trespassed FOR LIFE from Walt Disney World.
Usually when someone’s trespassed from WDW, it doesn’t apply to other Disney properties such as Disneyland – but if you’re trespassed, be sure to carefully read the piece of paper to make sure you understand its scope, as violating the trespass may lead to arrest without further warning. There’s no guarantee that other Disney properties won’t run their own background checks, which could result in being trespassed from those properties.
Interestingly enough, over at Tokyo Disney Resort, they have a policy that yakuza members won’t be admitted – I’d assume that it’s enforced in a similar manner and the person gets trespassed from there.
I plan a to Florida. My conviction was set aside/vacated after a post convention hearing. My sex offender registration requirement ended. Would I have to register if i stay for 7-10 days?
Sorry I meant a trip to Florida
If your conviction was set aside (you were exonerated), you may not. If your case was dismissed and the charges against you set aside, you technically don’t have a conviction. You should consult with an actual attorney, but if the charges were vacated I don’t see how you have an obligation to register.
Even if your conviction was set aside I still would advise not to travel to Florida. Your freedom is at stake and if you want to play with wolves that’s on you; however don’t ask for sympathy if some bizarre reason you are required to register in Florida down the road. Stay out of the state.
Brandon
I second the motion. So the motion to not visit Florida until major changes are made carries in the majority. All that agree say Aye!
Why state court and not Federal? Precedent rulings, e.g. 10th CCoA in Denver? Just curious about the strategy using a state court.
10th Circuit has not binding precedent here. We are in the 11th Circuit.