Member Submission: Jacksonville’s “Compliance Check” and What Registrants Need to Know

The below was submitted by our Duval County Coordinators. We felt it was important to share it with our broader membership.

Recently the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office publicized arrests from a compliance check on registrants. Compliance checks are getting a lot of publicity from FAC and your Duval coordinators want to let you know more detail about Duval County.

Unlike St Johns County, Jacksonville did not make special visits to targeted registrants looking for violations. Jacksonville has almost 3,000 registrants and arrests are being made all the time. Jacksonville took about 2 months worth of arrests and called them a compliance check for the publicity. They did not make a special effort to find internet identifier problems or car registration slip-ups.

Of the 59 arrests, 10 were career offenders. These were men who now must register like we have been registering. We will share some information about the 49 arrests of those who are obligated to register because of a prior sex offense conviction or adjudication.

One problem group of registrants was identified because they moved to a new address. They reported the address. That is good. They failed to change their driver license address or ID. That is bad. When an address change is reported to JREC, it gets assigned for a follow-up visit by the detective. From the arrest reports it seems that about one week after the move is reported, they check the driver license database. If the address has not been changed, they seem to wait another week to check. After two no changes, an arrest is made. If you do not have proper documentation for your driver license at the new address, registrants are reminded to get a letter from that office saying that you came by. It will give you instructions on future deadlines.

A second group of registrants was arrested because they missed the registration month. That is a guaranteed way to end up on the problem list.

The manner in which registrants are charged for failing to proper register does indicate whether the detective is showing some leniency towards that particular arrestee. The registration statute has a felony charge for not registering correctly or lying. Jacksonville detectives sometimes also add a misdemeanor charge of resisting arrest when a person does not show up on time or doesn’t report correctly. Whether you have the felony charge, or the misdemeanor charge is important for sentencing. A felony conviction requires a minimum of 6 months community control which will include a GPS monitor. A misdemeanor conviction requires no community control or GPS monitor.

For example, one arrestee came a couple days after his missed month to register explaining that his mother had died the previous month. He was arrested. He was charged with felony failure to register and the misdemeanor resisting arrest. He could not bond out. At his arraignment hearing 20 days later he was givien time served and released based upon the misdemeanor charge while the felony failure to register was dismissed. If a registrant has had problems before with registration, they usually receive the felony charge. A private attorney representing one person negotiated that charge down to misdemeanor resisting. So, there is a strategy to get the misdemeanor charge.

So remember, when you move, report to JREC and the license agency. And do remember your registration months. FAC has a registration reminder system that can send you text messages if you sign up.

One final reminder. A search warrant is required to search your phone if you are not on probation. You can politely decline.

Duval Coordinators