A former Seminole County Assistant State Attorney will avoid prison for having sex with a 17-year-old girl. Additionally, he will NOT have to register as a sex offender, and his only punishment will be serving two years on community control and eight on probation.
How many people on the highly punitive registry in Florida for life, who had consensual sex with a 17-year-old, would trade more time in prison just to have their name removed from the registry? And that was for consensual sex. This victim claimed rape.
There are registrants who cannot find a decent-paying job, who cannot live in their family home, who have to hand a branded driver’s license over for others to see, whose online reputation has been destroyed, who cannot attend their grandchild’s school graduation, and who quite possibly will be banished for life by society unless laws are made based on research findings, while an assistant state attorney receives basically a slap on the hand.
This is a result of living in Florida; in New York state, the age of consent is 17.
I guess my previous comment was too blunt for FAC to publish it here. Well, maybe just editing it a bit would have sufficed since I made some very good points in it.
In August 1997 (thank God before October 1, 1997 as I may have some future hope if our ex post facto case ever wins), I had a very brief consensual relationship with a 17-year old when I was 25 years old. His mother pressured the Broward County State Attorney’s Office to prosecute and after six months of constant hounding, they relented.
I was adjudicated guilty of F.S. 794.05(1) (Unlawful Sexual Activity with a Minor 16-17 y/o), not some other non-sex offense, and received almost the same sentence as this prosecutor: 2 years of community control + 10 years of sex offender probation. Of course, I had to complete sex offender probation, not regular probation and I have no guarantee of ever being relieved of having to register as a sex offender in Florida, although in 9 more years I can petition to be removed. My offense was not aggravated in any way. I was a 25 year-old college student, not a 43 year-old prosecutor. I had never been arrested for anything before, and have not been since.
Where was my cushy plea deal? I was given no deal by the state at all. I pled guilty and was at the mercy of the court.
People should protest in front of his house until he gets sick of it and has to move. The level of corruption and hypocrisy knows no end in FL.
Apparently, he is on Community Control and has Special Conditions…we do not know what the Special Conditions are?!? DID HE GET THE ‘666’ Ankle Bracelet….I do not think so…..We do not know….since he left Court ASAP, I do not think the ‘666’ was put on him!
SO he gets 2 Years Community Control and 8 years probation….Is the Entire 10 years with ‘SPECIAL CONDITIONS’?!?!?
HYPOCRISY NEVER EVER ENDS!
It just goes to show you, that a lot of times the so-called judges of the law hold the average citizen to a higher standard than those who are supposed to uphold the law, when it should be the other way around. This isn’t just an outrage, it’s a kick in the face of justice!!
Just for context, they gave me prison time and 15 years S.O. probation for the same charge.
I wish nothing but the worst for this hypocrite scumbag.
Karma is a bitch buddy!
There was a story on Facebook’s news section under “Law and Crime” about a sheriff who sexually assaulted two young girls in his police vehicle. I saw it earlier this morning but now can’t find it. That sheriff didn’t get the slap on the wrist this ADA got. The former sheriff is looking at LIFE in prison. He apparently digitally assaulted the girls and then requested them to send him nude pic via Snapchat. And for that, he’s looking at life. This District Attorney actually committed sexual intercourse (rape?) and gets a slap on the wrist. Wow! Must be who you know, I guess.
I can’t find that story but here’s another one off FB News section;
https://nypost.com/2021/10/12/senior-us-marshals-accused-of-having-sex-at-virginia-headquarters-documents/
Seems law enforcement is in heat lately, eh?
If only I could have seen into the future and know that the registry would exist. Then maby I could have asked to be left off it. That would have been a life changing for me. Not only did It not exist. But I was 17 when my charges occurred.
So I was a 17 years old charged with similar charges and placed on the registry from day one. This guy sleeps with a 17 year old and gets to avoid prison and the registry? I guess it’s easier to avoid something you know actually exists. And if it’s not punitive. Why bargin to stay off it? We all know what happened here. It’s who you know and what you can afford that really matters.
The Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board has something to say about this:
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/opinion/editorials/os-op-sex-with-minor-judge-candidate-joel-greenberg-20210616-sl2y6elqbrbwlanoeafw6zjpza-story.html
Also check out the Sentinel’s more in-depth reporting on this case.
‘The key point: A child abuse conviction keeps Jones off Florida’s sex offender registry, where his mug shot and address would be kept for the world to see. Had Jones been convicted of unlawful sex with a minor, he would have landed on the registry, as have plenty of others who were found guilty of that charge.
‘What a sweet deal for Jones, a well-connected attorney. What we’re curious to know is whether the same deal would have been available to a poorly connected, 40-year-old man facing a mountain of evidence proving he had sex with a 17-year-old kid.’
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board
Of course he won’t serve time in prison or have to register. Prosecutors, cops, judges, and politicians always get special treatment because they’re better than the average citizen. Didn’t you know that?
Dear Disgusted, what you wrote about LE and judges and politicians is patently FALSE. In truth, there are a few former LEO’S in this group who were sent to prison and are on the registry.
Judge Mark Ciavarella got 28 years. Officer Justin Volpe got 30.
But please, tell us more about the “special treatment they always get.”
wow, i didnt think the Judge had the discrepancy to make that call, I thought FL law stated he must be on registry ?
FL law doesn’t require registration for the charges he pled to.
This is outrageous!!! I got busted for CP on a shared computer at a home I rented to someone. Because a jury found me guilty instead of my tenant, I have to be on the registry for LIFE. Just goes to show there are two systems of justice…one for the politically connected or wealthy and one for the rest of us.
Hey Bob, the same thing happened to me. Did they investigate that – nope.
A good lawyer could have worked with that unfortunately I had a bad lawyer who has seen been disbarred by the state of Florida.