Jury gives death sentence to Donald Smith
Unintended Consequences for Florida Sexual Offenders
Let’s set aside personal beliefs about the death penalty for any crime and focus solely on the conviction and punishment of Donald Smith.
I am so pleased that Donald Smith is being punished for the horrible, sick things he did to Cherish Perrywinkle! I’m also so happy that he’s being punished for the horrible things he’s done to me!
It’s because of Donald Smith that my family members’ cars are on the registry. It’s because of Donald Smith that I have to make two extra trips to the Sheriff whenever the dealership gives me a loaner. It’s because of Donald Smith that I get anxious whenever my wife carpools.
You see, in 2014, the year after Donald Smith murdered Cherish, a wave of new sex offender laws were passed that Donald Smith will never be subjected to, but that I (and my family) will be.
In 2014, in addition to the change in definition of “vehicles owned” (to include not only registrant’s cars but anyone who lives with them, anyone who visits them for 5 days, or any cars rented), we got “Internet Identifier” requirements and enhanced notification of travel, registration of passport information and professional licenses, increased frequency of reporting for transients, and a whole laundry list of other sanctions that made Florida “scorched earth” for me, but not for Donald Smith, because long after he’s dead, people who have been living model lives for decades will continue to be punished for his crime.
One man’s actions affect hundreds of registrants
My heart goes out to the family of Cherish Perrywinkle, My heart also goes out to my fellow FAC members. He has caused us all to suffer and whether it was life in prison for him or the death sentence, no punishment will be adequate to bring back what he has taken from us.
Very well
Said thank you for sharing
I still can’t get my head around the FACT that retroactive (ex post facto) STATE laws are unconstitutional according to clause 1 of Article I, Section 10 of the US constitution, because they impose punishments! Yet, challenges to this fall on deaf ears when applied to sex offenders.
Every time, in Floriduh, a person who was not on the registry commits a heinous sexual offense, 70,000 others and hundreds of thousands of their families/supporters are punished for it, and the perpetrator is unaffected since they are either given life in prison or put to death (after 15 years in prison). Floriduh violates its own ban on ex post facto laws (Article 1 [DECLARATION OF RIGHTS] Section 10 [Prohibited laws], every time a new wave of Books’ laws are passed.
How do retroactive laws, that heap punishments onto registered citizens, deter anyone from committing a sex offense? There is no logic here. It’s all hate directed at a minority of the population deemed by the media and mob rule to be sub-human.
PS: Free speech is not unlimited. Mary Devoy calling me a reoffender is not free speech but slander, since I have not been accused or convicted of a sex offense since my conviction. She should choose her words far more carefully in the future.
Gee. Doesn’t falsely accusing someone of criminal behavior normally constitute libel per se? Good for the goose…….. 😉
I remember the exact moment I was when this happened. I immediatley, wrote the license plate down and went looking for this little girl and a monster of a human being.
Since this happened so close to my residence, I know the area better than most. More importantly, I knew the tendacies of registered citizens. I knew them because I had to sit with them for psychosexual- counseling/ behavior classes. Every week they would share: Victims, what they did, Sexual Energy, etc. How they combated it if they errored. Most would all get great remorse and go to church immediatley after. Also, I should mention that most registered citizens who I met were not stranger danger. They abused family members or friends etc or looked at innaproproate images. A few would come in and out for statutory. All of those things are serious but not stranger danger.
Dangerous people usually remained in prison do to extreme seriousness of their crimes. How was this man an RSO and not a predator? This is a case of the the Judge should of done more and Florida implementing and following the law of a tiered system would of most likely spared anyone from being Donald Smiths next victim.
I searched the neighborhoods in North Shore first , scouring every driveway and church parking lot. Desperately searching for his van or license plate. I then moved to Highlands as it was close to the walmart on lem turner and off the beaten path. I soon saw the police and yellow tape. I then heard the breaking news on the radio. I knew the shit storm of laws that would soon avalanche my way. I knew the consequences of these new laws would affect my family as well. Ironically, since most sex offenders crimes are with family. The laws usually end up hurting the victims again and again.
Myself and friends mourned for her and her family. I saw adult men cry. A nation still mourns for her and ger family.
I truly believe, I would of located them before if I was not on probation. Registered Citizens have a curfew to abide too while on probation. I could not help until the next morning.
We have a broken system. Donald Smith should have never been out of jail. The laws passed in reaction will never stop something like this from happening again if the State doesnt start focusing on individuals instead of grouping together people as a whole. However, they do affect children that are Innocent bystanders that are related to sex offenders. These laws put a target on them and easy marks for harrassment and bullying.
I wish I could of stopped this or helped. I tried my best.
Your comments concerning group therapy should be private unless interviewed by law enforcement. You have no right to point out sexual tendency of others whilst in therapy yourself. Therapeutic measures must remain private. Your comments raise questions to any and all motivation after the crime was committed.
Im not in therapy and I am sure that most would agree that forced Therapy for RSOS is a joke. Nothing more than a revenue scam.
I am free to chat about my experience with anyone I choose. The more people are educated about what really goes on, I think will only help.
I successfully ended probation early more than 15yrs ago. I had therapists and POs go to court for me. I am sure that a lot has changed for anyone on community control. I have no doubt that many of the same men and woman are still there parroting what they said 17 yrs ago. Maybe, you are one of them Jev, and if so I am sorry. Best of luck to you.
Educate those who do not know the truth from the fiction. The article published by Salon is a great starting point.
Personal opinion? I think life is a far greater punishment than death. But that’s neither here nor there. What is important is knowing that fear and anger, among other things, is what drives legislation to create yet more laws that punish the masses as opposed to the one.
I believe change, a rational change is possible for us in Florida. It won’t be easy and that is why it is important that we use our skills and our voices to assist in this change.
I am done being punished for another’s actions and I’ve chosen to do something about it.
Now if only FAC condemned other RSO’s who reoffend with such vigor.
Where was your outrage when former-advocate Galen Baughman was caught in 2016 communicating with juveniles which was a violation of his Probation?
No new laws might have been passed that affect you all in FL because of Galen’s inability to control himself but you previously held him up as an advocate and then went silent when he was rearrested.
Cherry-picking your condemnation and vengeance towards RSO’s who reoffend whether it’s how severely they reoffend, where they reoffended, when they reoffend or if their re-offense has directly affected you or your loved one, is truly unacceptable.
But ya’ll support Derek Logue’s vile use of the “C” word towards females he dislikes if you dislike them too, so not being consistent in your condemnation of RSO’s who reoffend is no surprise.
For the record, Mary, we condemn all forms of sexual abuse at the hands of anyone, including our own member’s.
We are all against sexual offending. We are also against laws that are not based in empirical evidence and that provide no public safety benefit, only punitive effect.
We don’t support anyone’s use of the “C” word and we have a Member Code of Conduct that prohibits it.
Respectfully, you are wrong about what we stand for.
Take your pompous, self serving attitude elsewhere, Mary Devoy. You are a cancer to our cause. You don’t speak for anyone, and it is no surprise why you have no support.
And we also support the First Amendment!
Freedom of speech exists. You do not have to like others choice of words but in the end its their choice to use them. I personally don’t agree with Derek’s word-smithing. I do not necessarily disagree with the definition of the word as applied to Ms. Book.
Everyone has skeletons in the closet Mary. Some people skeletons are easier to see.
Well said. I’m another Mary by the way. Not the one above. But agreed with what you just said.
Mary,Mary,Mary my child you have missed the whole point of what this is about.If one child writes a bad word on the chalk board or does something to harm someone do you punish the whole class. Even the innocent not just for a day or week but for the rest of there lives. Even the guilty. Is it just to punish them for the rest of their lives. Or would it be better to correct their bad behavior and give them an opportunity to show they can improve. The SOR does not do that when your on a permanent registry there is NO incentive to do better or change. So what is it’s purpose. Nothing but vengeance.If you think our society should be controlled by vengeance then you must side with the mass shooters for that is there philosophy.
There she goes lumping us all together again a typical tactic used by those who don’t want to accept the truth. Which is Data doesn’t support your position it’s inhumane and unconstitutional period. It negatively affects those trying to reintegrate into society and does nothing for public safety The policies in place could actually make things worse for society as a whole.
A probation violation is not an offense. Many probation conditions are silly. In this particular case, no one was harmed. Apples and oranges.