LA: SO Drivers License Bill Fails!
From a member in Louisiana:
I am a registered citizen in Louisiana. In October of 2019, a district court in Louisiana ruled that the words “Sex Offender” on RSO’s drivers licenses was unconstitutional.
As predicted, that ruling was appealed to the Louisiana Supreme court and the lower court’s ruling was upheld in October of 2020.
Then, the Louisiana AoG filed an emergency stay with the SCOTUS regarding that ruling.
SCOTUS refused the stay.
A few months ago a bill was introduced into the Louisiana legislature attempting to put each SO’s tier level on their license (House Bill 56). Basically, they were attempting to jump through a loophole in the court rulings.
Today, that bill was presented to committee where it was discussed for over 2 hours. When voted on, the bill failed to get out of the committee hearing by a vote of 7 to 6! The bill is now dead!
I am so happy that I can get a normal driver’s license now!
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One word comes to mind: STIGMA
Stigma definition is : A mark of disgrace associated with a particular circumstance, quality, or person.
This can be compared to the story of the Scarlet letter. However, unlike our circumstances, it is NOT a story by author Nathaniel Hawthorne. Ours is an everyday blight on our lives in the form of the registry, marks on our ID’s and more.
Congrats to them for their win. Like FAC says on occasion, we will take a win, no matter how small or what district its in.
Maybe there’s some hope for us here in Florida as well.
Florida has been in the abnormal mode for so long that I now wonder what is normal for Florida when things are normal.
In Tennessee… they get around this labeling by putting a number in the “conditions” box… supposedly, only law enforcement would know this number… however… it would only be a matter of TIME before everyone would know it…
For the person who pays $50.oo in yearly registry fees…
Tennessee is $150.oo,
Office fee: $12.50 monthly,
Ankle monitor: $50.oo monthly…
$900.oo yearly out of a disabled Veteran’s pocket…
God bless yall…
..
So when can we get normal license?
In my opinion it is high time to fund and then launch this legal challenge in Florida.
This is low hanging fruit that would go a long way towards asserting the privacy rights of citizens forced to register.
The issue is not so clear for the statute printed on the license. For the ones who have “Sexual Predator” it might be.
I have the Sexual Predator designation on my license. It’s very degrading to have to show my license to someone wondering what they will say or think. When it was the statute no one even noticed. I have to pick up FedEx packages pretty often and one of the requirements is to show your license. I’ve to the same store 100 times and I’m sure they have noticed it but credit to them they are very professional.
Having the designation on my license really makes me think about what I want to do or where I want to go based on if I have to show my ID. For example a couple years ago a friend of mine who doesn’t know about my past and I went to a bar arcade(Pac man, Galaga, retro games) and upon arriving we had to show ID to prove we were over 21 even though I’m in my 40’s. Back then I had just the statute on there and didn’t think anything about it. After more people are vaccinated I really want to go back there but I’m very nervous about showing my ID. I feel like they could deny me entry even though everyone there has to be over 21. Thoughts flash threw my mind like how to explain to my friend why they denied me. Then in turn explaining how my crime was from 1998 and I haven’t gotten in trouble since. How I’m still being punished to this day.
This was even a problem when I went to get the covid vaccine. In order to prove your a Florida resident you have to show your ID. I know they wouldn’t have turned me away but I kept on thinking with all the police there supervising it that somehow I would be flagged and harassed for the designation on my ID. I know it’s a stretch but every time I even think I have to show my ID I have this horrible anxiety that something will go wrong.
My son is going through the same thing. When he calls about jobs they talk real nice on the phone .Then when he goes to talk to them in person they look at his license that’s the stopping point.I think the way they do the registry stinks. I pray that soon they will understand that they do their time now let them be free and live a there life.
Finding a job is one of the most difficult things to do. I worked at a Graphics place (screen printing, signs, etc) and fortunately in general I was accepted. I worked there for 7 years and then had to quit to be a stay at home parent. That was 7 years ago. I now just continue working from home making signs, decals, shirts, etc. If you’re son can’t find a job maybe he needs to learn a trade. He can become his own boss and make his own hours. I bought a vinyl cutter and some starter vinyl for around 350 or so. That one vinyl cutter alone has made me well over 20,000 alone in the past 4 years I’ve had it. A roll of 2 foot wide 10 yard long vinyl cost about 35 dollars and if sold correctly can make you around 400 to 500 easy. Finding customers can be a challenge at times but if you can find a good salesperson or a graphic designer that is freelance than you can have a pretty steady flow of business. Every time I walk into a store I’m always trying to sell something to them like new store hours for their front window or a banner to hang outside. If you have any other questions please feel free to ask. If your son knows anybody that needs something made I would be happy to pay him a commission for bringing it to me.
Regarding “I think the way they do the registry stinks”, there’s no way to do the registry to make it not stink.
JD
I am so sorry you are going through that. If that is not punishment, then I do not know what is. Being shamed for damn sure punishment. In fact, some countries USE public shaming as part of their punishment.
So here is the breakdown. In Some countries shaming is punishment but in others (USA) it is a small gift to the public from the government? Love how they dance around semantics how they see fit to work in their favor.
How many stories have we seen where the registry caused a person to be killed just for being on it? Yet, it is not punishment? What greater punishment is there but death?
I have sexual predator on my dl. I also have a court order against public and community notification, which this violates. However, as other have said, try getting a job to earn enough to pay a lawyer to fight it. The designation stops you from getting gainful employment. I thought this has been addressed by the federal court in this district (Alabama? ) and found to be a first amendment violation (forced speech). I’ve been waiting for that ruling to come down to the states level.
I’ve also been frustrated with this time barred crap. The state places a limit on the time you have to address a wrong but that wrong is EXACTLY why you are financially unable to fight it. There should be an exception when the wrong is the reason you can’t fight it. This is why the ex post facto 2 case had to be refiled. Those people were unable to fight until the FAC stepped in and now it’s too late for them and we have to find another victim? Could it have been argued that they should’ve been allowed to proceed since it was the entity being sued that prevented the suit from being timely?