FAC Weekly Update 2026-08-25-The Wheels of Litigation are Turning
Weekly update for August 25, 2026. This is recording number 388.
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
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What about those that went to Florida on business in 2017, from NYS, registered and left within a week?
Am off NYS Registry since 2024. Florida still shows like Im still on NYS Registry. Never went back to Florida or plan too.
Told I have to wait 25 years before I can ask to be removed. Lost a lot of good opportunities for housing and employment here in NYS just cause Im on Florida Registry. Criminal history in NYS has been sealed for “Clean Slate Act”. But National Registry shows im on Florida database.
Is this also going to come up in the Federal lawsuit? People that are off the Registry in other states, never had a residence, or Criminal conviction in Florida, but they keep them on their Registry for what reason, no one knows?
Willie my friend,
Sad to say, the reason Florida keeps out of staters on the registry comes down to money. They get funding for everyone that is on the registry. Not fair but that is Florida’s stance. There are ways to be removed but most of them involve a lawyer and it is not cheap. Sorry this has happened to you.
Seems if you have left Florida, there should be some way to get taken off from Florida’s registry.
We don’t know that Florida is awarded additional Federal funding for listing out-of-state residents. All we know is that Florida has cited the total number of registrants in its Federal grant application.
Why there needs to be a GAO audit and than maybe that would trigger a more local agency audit.
Here is a FUN fact that isn’t fun. I just looked at my log journal and tomorrows registration will be my 30th time registering since the registry started in 1997. An Anniversary that is not something to celebrate.
If you think that is a lot, I have to register 4 times a year since the registry started. Four appointments a year that are not necessary in my opinion, but again we do not choose to register, we are forced to. I was in my twenties when arrested and now in my sixties.
Do you feel free. Or perpetual punishment
Ryan
I think you know the answer to that. Until any of us get removed from the registration, will be prisoners in our own homes. Not being able to go on vacation spots with our families, not being able to take a walk with your grandkids in a park and a long list of “What ifs” to struggle with.
When someone can be arrested for a paperwork violation, the World is a messed-up planet. (Or at least the U.S is, as we created the registries)
Sorry I made a huge math mistake 116 times registering, my math was way off. 1997 to 2026 x 4 is 116 times registering. Guess I need to go back to school.
FAC maybe you could just edit the number 116?
Not as far as advanced as you. 41 times for me, no wait 42. Offense day predates the registry
Tearful
How many times do you register a year? I am on the 4 times a year plan. Funny though, I register 4 times a year but only get a home check from law enforcement once a year, they are polite and make it quick and just remind me to register. Believe me, every year I get a new calendar I write down those four months that I have to register and high lite them on my calendar in yellow marker.
I won’t admit this, but one year I got no home check at all, I wasn’t mad at all other than waiting around wondering when they would come by and never did. I live in a county with a large population of registered persons, so they are making some changes as there are so many to register, they have cut back on some home checks other than those who are non-compliant.
Morning’ CJ – I go twice a year, and it is still nerve wracking every time I go been doing this since 2006. I get two home visits a twice a year usually the first week of the 3rd month after I register. Comes early in the morning. Calls beforehand, waves good morning, I usually start the conversation. How are you? Thanks for swinging by thank you for calling first. And that is it IDK maybe 3 minutes. I do not get home visits about Halloween. (Also, my county does not have municodes) I used to but ever since I gently reminded the officer that I am pre-1997 and not under that restriction I have not had one since almost 5 years now.
Every interaction in office or home has been fine. You know they are just doing a job, and I think they know who we are and I think the longer we do this the more there is a built-in respect both ways. To be honest I think most of them look at us Old heads and Say, “Why are they on the registry still” IDK
But I am tired Jack, you know If only I had known I would have appealed my bench trial and never took a plea. Back then the guidelines were the guidelines and not really any public outcry so going to trial and not taking a plea didnt hurt you.
Tearful
A scary thing happens where I have registered for at least 22 years (After moving to my current county). I have to register every 90 day and in those 22 years, I have never, ever seen the same person register me. There seems to be a huge turnover of people doing the registration and I am thinking that they were getting a job at the sheriff’s, which they did, but not want they wanted but everyone has to “start at one” (That is a song by the way LOL)
So either they all quit or they got a better position. At one point they were so understaffed that for the first time ever, actual deputies were doing the registration, but they were also very polite and professional.
On the flip side, the county I was living when I got out of prison, the deputies who did the registrations there interrogated us for hours at each appointment. You did not get to see another registrant as they took one person at a time and brought you into a room with law enforcement and it felt like being arrested again all over, accept when we were done we got to leave. The first time I registered there I went outside the building and vomited. Once off probation I moved faster than superman to another county, which I have lived in now for 22 years.
Thank you to all those with FAC and beyond for all the hard work done and yet to do!
I will be continuing to give regularly, and as much as I can scrape up, to this cause.
Please, everyone, do the same. This is the fight of our lives. We must fund it!!
GIVE GIVE GIVE!!!!
FAC Veterans Group
Thursday, August 27, 8:00–9:30 p.m. ET
A reminder to all retired and former military veterans: our Veterans Group meets this Thursday. We have important updates to share and several ways you can help.
Veterans, family members, and supporters are welcome. Please join us we hope to see you there!
Thank you
Thank you FAC for fighting the fight.