Marion County arresting registrants who didn’t report during Covid pandemic
Reading this article made my blood boil! Counties which were being “flexible” about IN PERSON registration during Covid-19 shut downs are arresting people who failed to register.
On March 30th, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office Sexual Predator Unit (SOPU) posted a sign outside their door telling registrants to wait in line a safe distance from one another, and when it was his or her turn to register, to approach the door and call the phone number on the sign. Registration would then be conducted through the door.
A registrant reported on both April 1st and April 2nd (his re-registration month was April), called the number, nobody answered so he left messages. Nobody called him back and he otherwise was quarantined at home.
When he showed up on May 19th to update his vehicle registration, he was arrested for failing to register!
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You think there is not a camera at that door and near the phone? But who will look at it? Would prove he was there
As former Law enforcement, I can tell you, Evidence can suddenly and mysteriously disappear at will.
Maybe this is a stretch but, do you think that the cop who just killed the black man with his knee on his neck would have told the truth if NO cameras were filming the incident? I am in no way anti police but I saw my share of cops lying to cover their ass and it made me sick.
What makes you think they are going to tell the truth to stick up for a pathetic sex offender? (Assuming some think of us that way).
AND no probation officer, correction officer or police officer is going to admit they made a mistake and lose their job or be suspended over telling the truth. I saw this crap every day in the department and sent me home with nightmares of the abuse of authority going on still today.
Back around 2001, I was on probation and was at Disney with a friend. My probation officer called my cell phone and asked where I was since she was at my house. I said I was with a friend at Disney. (This friend had no idea I was convicted of a sex offense and didn’t matter).
Well my probation officer went off on a rant stating that SEX OFFENDERS CANNOT attend theme parks. I said I do not want to piss you off but there is NOTHING in my paperwork stating that and was never told that by you.
After she calmed down, she said the next day I needed to see her in her office. She also made me hand the phone to my friend who she swiftly advised I was a sex offender on probation. The rest of that day was awkward and never heard from him again.
So the next day I go into probation and got a lashing saying she could arrest me right then and there. That was one of TWO incidents I could have been arrested and sent back to prison for some silly thing I had really no control over.
The point? The point is SHE COULD have arrest me twice during my probation but never did. AND, come to find out, she never ever documented the two incidents and when I went to court to get off probation, when the judge asked about my time on probation , she NEVER brought up either incident.
She didn’t just see me as a terrible person but as a human being. Yes I got scolded like a whipped dog but hey, I will take that anytime over a violation.
And yet, here I sit being afraid because I did not let the sheriffs know that on Tuesday my neighbor 5 houses down got a new car and I didn’t register it because MAYBE I might borrow it some day?
Maybe this doesn’t all make sense but I sit here reading about someone who made every attempt to register in a time of crisis and one hand either doesn’t know what the other did or doesn’t care or both. BUT this is someone’s life they are messing with. tearing families apart but they turn around and say ” You should of thought of that before letting your urges get the best of you in the first place and you wouldn’t be in the situation”.
How many people need to be violated for BS petty crap before enough is enough? How much money will this person have to spend to fight the charges and to have their photo once again blasted in the media to again bring shame on themselves and their families? Disgusting.
Odd about making you hand the phone over: dont think thats something they can do
A probation officer seems to have broad powers that are beyond what even God Himself has. ( SARCASM ) Probation officer does NOT need a warrant to search your home, whereas police do.
My choice was comply or get violated. It all worked out. It should have been none of my probation officers business where I was as l was not on house arrest but what can you do? I complied and it worked out in the end but yeah, could have gone really wrong.
Florida has very broad public records laws. So if there was any camera used by the sheriffs office that shows this man trying to register, then he or anyone else can use public records laws to obtain the video records. The same goes for any calls to dispatch, which are recorded.
Bob
Do you not know how easy it is to either erase a video or make it just disappear. I see court cases all the time where evidence just goes missing. Sometimes this actually is a good thing for a bad guy and sometimes it is something that could be the only thing that saved your skin.
Officers are not going to show up to a trial with evidence that shows the person was telling the truth. The defense attorney will have to petition to get it, IF they can get it before it goes missing. or they can just lie and say the cameras were not working.
Dear Cherokee Jack,
Take a deep breath and reread my post. All I said was the Florida has brand public records laws and that anyone can make a request for public records. I do not discount your experience with evidence being “lossed” or “tossed” in cases. We all know this happens. I simply made a suggestion so you have no need to attack me for it. We are supposed to be here to help each other, right?
Bob
Was not meaning to sound like I was attacking you, was just making a point that law enforcement covers their *ss with whatever ammo they need. I saw it first hand so many times it made me quit and give up on my dreams.
I am not some conspiracy theorist, but when you saw first hand, a major metro police department’s officers lying, losing evidence, beating people for sleeping on the street and more, I have to speak my peace.
Was not aimed at you, just wanted you to realize how much law enforcement hates us and the extent they will go to get what they want. When I was arrested I asked 3 times for a lawyer and the detective told me, “If you ask for a lawyer, I will go to the news and destroy you”. What happened to my rights?
And, and , and Even if charges are tossed, it may still count against them when and if they try to get off registry.
This is why NO MATTER what, you get proof. Film if you have too. When I read some places were not giving receipts, I knew it was a set up.
Of course they will count as the law says ARRESTED for ANY criminal offense not convicted. That means that you could be denied because you were arrested for a certain type of littering. I’m still wondering if ANYONE has ever been taken off the registry in Florida as we have only recently gotten to the point in time where someone might be eligible.
Re registry removal, I see this often on this forum— that an arrest for “any criminal offense not convicted” automatically makes someone ineligible for registry removal.
But that’s not what the statute says. It says an arrest for “any felony or misdemeanor.” If that arrest resulted in dismissal or acquittal, then it wasn’t for an ACTUAL felony or misdemeanor, was it?
Attorney Ron Kleiner seems to have handled more FL registry removals than most. In his conference call with us, I think he indicated that not all those who successfully petitioned out, had perfect histories.
There are other counties in Florida that have separate registrant units in which you pick up the phone and wait for the officer. My recommendation is to video record yourself on the pick up phone. If no answer state the date, time, the name of the sheriff dept. and unit, your reason for being there, that no one answered the phone and, if a recording comes on, leave a message. Do the same the next day.
I realize the registrant was quarantined and was not able to go back the following week. But for those that can, repeat the same. And if still no answer I would suggest going to the main sheriff department, speaking with an officer at the desk and informing them of the situation..I would record that as well.
We know law enforcement doesn’t care nor will they call you back.
Stay safe and be well.
I see Florida newspapers love to post anything with the “sex offender” label. Why is this even news? Just another opportunity to post someone’s picture and charge I guess.
This dispute could have been handled administratively, but since they went and arrested him, I hope his case (if his version of the details are correct) will find its way to a sympathetic judge that may dismantle some the lunacy in the legislative code going on down there.
I agree. There is nothing news worthy about this story, unless it helps to educate the public in some way about how absurd the registry and its laws are. This arrest is costing taxpayers money and is in no way making society safer.
I noticed there was not a comment section. Someone at the paper must know this is not news.
For the newspaper’s comment section for this article, scroll all the way down. And try not to spell out “sex” explicitly (the only reason in can think of why comments like mine were not published).
Correction: comment DID publish, it just took a few hours to appear.
Here is a man who has registered 10 times since he was sentenced 5 years ago. Has never missed a single time. They arrested him anyway. If there is a hell, there will be a special place in it for people like this.
Is there any law on the books (sunshine laws perhaps) in Florida that states messages left on government phones and answering machines have to be saved or documented. That would be useful to have.
The other is for him to submit a copy of his cell phone records showing the judge he indeed did call the number on the sign those two days and should show how long the connection lasted.
Maybe some of the arrestees will have a better defense in light of the revent precedent from the 2nd DCA of Florida holding that there is no registration violation when a defendant has not been fully release from the sanction of conviction that landed them on the registry.