Has a US MARSHAL shown up on a compliance check?
We’ve gotten reports from individuals that US Marshals (not just local police, but a federal law enforcement officer) has come by people’s homes to perform the address verification.
The latest report has come to us from Brevard County. Have any of you experienced this? Other than verifying your identity, what else have they done or asked?
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Derek:
You are an honorary floridian. I’m sure the homeless registrants appreciated your Christmas visit. The Books have made your honorary status official.
It would have been nice if the rally in Tally had become an annual event. Perhaps, registrants in Florida should hold a rally in Tally each year.
@ Detroit:. I am with ACSOL in California. We go to our state’s capitol, Sacramento, each year (COVID allowing) to lobby our representatives, oppose or support legislation, etc. It makes a big difference when it’s real people I’m their offices, not just letters and phone calls. (But, please don’t get me wrong, letters and phone calls are also great – especially when lawmakers are overwhelmed by the volume of messages they receive.)
Derek posted a survey on compliance checks on his website. Anyone interested should go to oncefallen.com and read his survey.
NEVER OPEN THE DOOR FOR ANY OF THESE CLOWNS!!!
NEVER SIGN ANYTHING!!!
RECORD ALL LE VISITS TO YOUR HOME!!!
I’m not a Floridian but I had my fairly well noted visit by the USMS back in 2013. The young Marshal looked fresh out of the academy and pounded on my door like he was searching for bin Laden. He was armed and dressed like it too, in full goon squad hear, only missing a riot shield. Beside him was a Sheriff’s deputy who looked reluctant to be here. Either that or he was the convincing Jeff in the ol’ Mutt and Jeff routine.
The USMS was acting like a jerk so I treated him accordingly. He tried telling me he needed to see my bedroom to confirm I lived there. Not being “on paper”, I asked him for a warrant, and since he had no warrant, he was denied entry. I also had no problem letting him know he was “number 1” in sign language, if you catch my drift. I only signed a paper from the Sheriff’s office that I read first. Marshal threatened to come back next week, and I replied, “You can come back every day of the week for all I care but the only thing you’ll see without a warrant is this middle finger and this door slamming.”
After they left, I decided to go for a walk, took me a few minutes. They were still outseide so I grabbed my camera and the Marshal ran out of his car and tried preventing me from taking a pic. In was on the phone with a fellow activist, who recorded the conversation.
I tried fighting this in federal court but they said I upheld my rights by denying entry so they failed to hear my argument the very act of compliance checks constitutes a search and thus a warrant should be necessary.
Anyways, in 2017, different USMS/ sheriff’s deputy combo stopped by and knew better than to mess with me. I still gave them a lecture that compliance checks are harassment and they should take care of the real drug problem in the neighborhood.
If you’re not on probation/ parole, you shouldn’t cooperate with these compliance checks aside from signing anything you’ve read along with some representation/ witnesses if you have it. Record it if possible. Maybesomeone here at FAC can advise you on what you can and can’t do during these harassment operations because I don’t want you to get in trouble on my account. But, it was satisfying making these LEOs squirm.
Derek,
Read the SCOTUS case of Florida v. Jardines (https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/569/1/) for a good explanation why LE can approach one’s door. Yes, their presence is a 4th Amdt. “event” (for lack of a better term) but it’s considered reasonable….initially. The moment 1) they realize nobody is answering the door or 2) you tell them to leave, they must leave–promptly and directly. If they delay, they are almost assuredly conducting a warrantless search.
The difference between Jardines and compliance checks is that Jardines was directly targeted for investigation as a suspect for drugs, so a drug sniffing dog was brought for the purpose of detecting those drugs. They are searching for an item, not a person. By contrast, compliance checks are blanket searches of all registrants in an area with no targeted suspicion brought on by any purpose other than a status-based one.
I am not obligated to answer a knock or doorbell, and I don’t unless I recognize who it is through my peephole. Even then, if I’m not sure, I ask who they are, who sent them, and what do they want.
From my understanding, US Marshals should not be at your door unless they intend to arrest you as non-compliant.
https://www.usmarshals.gov/duties/factsheets/sex_offender_ops.pdf
As for local offices, Floriduh is divided into three districts:
https://www.usmarshals.gov/district/navigation/fl.htm
Here are the phone numbers:
https://www.usmarshals.gov/contacts/districts.html
Those districts are broken down into divisions. Generally, the Marshals are located in major cities where there is a federal courthouse:
https://www.usmarshals.gov/district/fl-n/locations/index.html
https://www.usmarshals.gov/district/fl-m/locations/index.html
https://www.usmarshals.gov/district/fl-s/locations/
Well…the US Marshal overseas all sex offender units. In some counties, Brevard being one, they allow street deputies to perform check-ins– vs your assigned detective. Sometimes those are not being done or not being done “correctly” for obvious reasons. The USM “has to” come in and get it cleaned up. I spoke to my detective about them making visits and he explained how they are actually over all state and local registrants– as is FDLE –just within the state of Florida obviously. Don’t get me wrong, I would have mad questions and some definite fear if someone from the US Marshal office showed up at my doorstep. Just out of the unknown even… I’m glad I saw this post and was able to ask my Detective in case something like this does happen, I can hopefully understand.
“I spoke to my detective about them making visits and he explained how they are actually over all state and local registrants–”
Can you please provide a US Marshals website link to verify this statement?
Everything I found on their website states they only investigate non-compliant SOs and SPs.
Never in Union County. But to my knowledge they don’t do any type of verifications, address or otherwise.
I got more cameras and microphone at my house than the pentagon. Everything said from start to finish will be recorded. I don’t play with these guys. But if I feel any nonsense at hand. I got Ron K’s number on speed dial. I won’t say anything I domt have to.