No voting for registrants in Florida – Governor denies all pending clemency applications.
We are beginning to be notified by members who had pending applications for civil rights restoration that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has summarily DENIED all pending applications for restoration of voting rights for anyone with a murder or sex offense.
This is HORRIBLE!
The letters say:
Dear Mr XXXXXXX,
On March 10, 2021, the Governor exercised his clemency powers to deny the pending clemency applications of all murderers and felony sex offenders. Accordingly, the Governor has denied your request for clemency and your application has been closed.
Under the current Rules of Executive Clemency, you will be eligible to reapply for clemency on March 10, 2023, two years from the date of the denial.
There is no appeal process for the denial of a clemency request.
Sincerely,
XXXX
XXXX
Coordinator, Office of Executive Clemency
The denial of restoration of civil rights not only prevents impacted people from voting, but it also precludes them from obtaining certain professional licenses.
We need to fight this!!!
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“WE NEED TO FIGHT THIS.. CLOSE MOUTH DO NOT GET FED!!”
When this round of ‘Media Blitz’ mailings are complete it might be a good idea to start with educating religious leaders. The very place…church…where all should be welcome to pursue their salvation and forgiveness is sometime the most hypocritical in their responses to registered citizens. Once again, just like our politicians, they want to ‘protect’ their ‘customers’.
Great point regards the hypocrisy given that for most, their religion teaches treat others as you would have them treat you.
I wonder if there are any statistics that show they are more open to forgiving a “sin” as long as repent than the general population. Thus more open than the general population to give Registered citizens a second opportunity. I would have to think so given it is part of what they preach.
Sometimes what they preach is not what they practice. Let’s face it, some churches are a business and the leadership is making very respectable salaries. They want to protect these salaries even if it requires crossing the line into hypocrisy. The Bible tells us we will know them by their fruits. Some churches are adamant in fulfilling God’s call to serve while other churches are overcome with rotten ‘fruit’. Those churches need an education that goes beyond the Bible.
agreed. Hope we can align with those churches that preach love, understanding and redemption. I am sure there are religious persons that feel they way. Some we may have to educate so they can discard the misguided fears and stereotypes. Others get it already. I know a pastor that ministers and feeds the homeless registrants in Miami. I admire his adherence to the true teachings of his religion.
Capt
Preachers, pastors and other clergy are still human and no better than anyone else. Having said that, God holds them to a higher standard. If they lead the sheep (God’s people) astray, mislead them, cheat them or otherwise mistep, it leads people to distrust churches.
I have seen at least 50 churches in Central Florida close down or change hands over the past 3 years.
I have become to hate the state of Florida, it’s a terrible place to live. I hope Desantis, (the Trump mini-me) will suffer for his cruel decisions, Karma’s a bitch…
You think the democrats are any better? This is politics. They’re not gonna lose a bunch of voters to give rights back to a few. Imagine the headlines from LIBERAL MEDIA saying that he allows sex offenders to vote. Just imagine. And lay off Trump. That man stays in your brain rent free.
Stays in the brain like terminal brain cancer.
I have stopped thinking about our issue as Democrats versus Republicans versus independents I do not feel this is about one “team” being better than the other. I feel this is about what candidate (whether DEM, REP, Independent, or one that advocates for making pizza the official US snack) is campaigning on criminal justice reform and not on “law and order” (which typically means get tough on crime).
Not saying it is guaranteed they will vote our way just because they are championing criminal justice reform. They are still susceptible to catering to their constituency base in order to get reelected, but that base better gets that the system needs fixing, and so more open to hearing about what fixes are needed as regards our cause.
And so I will play the odds and vote for candidates that campaign on reform any time, over voting for my “team” thinking that once in office I can convince them to start championing reform.
And on a personal note, I do not care if they are Black, brown, yellow, straight, gay, transgender or Martians. If they have my back, I have theirs. Just as we are complain about how we are stereotyped, I fear too many of us do the same. ,
Agreed. We do not endorse one party over another. We endorse policy. In the instant case, this individual governor, no matter who his affiliation, race, gender or orientation, kicked our population so hard in the face it’s head-spinning. People who have been waiting in the application queue for years, in one fail swoop, got summarily denied irrespective of what efforts they have made to earn their restoration. That is not a subjective observation. That’s fact. This governor has been a disaster for our cause.
Is there any legal action (law suit) you can bring against the governor/state over this?
I’m just saying that a democrat governor wouldn’t have favored those on the registry in a state that has Lauren and Ron Book as well as the entire country of brainwashed citizens who think every sex offense is the same as what they see on scripted TV shows like “Law & Order SVU”.
No way of knowing what a criminal justice reform minded Governor, whether Dem, Rep or Independent can get accomplished. I feel we should stop picking “teams” and unilaterally critiquing or assuming the position if the other “team” and focus on getting eleted those candidates that champion criminal justice reform. I feel doomsaying is counterproductive. Let’s get elected those who we feel are.most aligned and then fight like hell to get them to move our way once they have the office.
Florida is overwhelmingly Republican and politically conservative. Until that climate swings more towards center or we can convince some folks with significant statewide political impact that “we” don’t present any significant danger and are potentially a valuable voting block we don’t stand a chance. DeSantis, and a large majority of the Florida House, will pander to whomever can give him the most political benefit.
Before some people hammer me on the Republican – Conservative comment I AM NOT making that a criticism. It’s simply a common observation. Their goals and opinions are not wrong, some in this group actually support us, they’re simply different from many that support us registered folks.
I have a group of approximately 20 friends, men and women and their respective spouses, that have known me for 20+ years, some for 35+. The entire group are all Republicans and range from just right of center to very conservative right. We get together 1-2 times a month just to drink coffee and gab. Early last summer about 12 of us were sitting outside of a coffee shop and my status, probation rules, and associated stuff came up. One friend actually brought up the voting issue. About 2/3 of them said that because they knew me that they thought that the Amendment 4 restrictions were wrong. The other 1/3 were supportive of the restrictions but at the same time conflicted, again, because they knew me. This group said that they would probably support voting restoration if there was a screening/evaluation process.
Since almost all of us are retired or still working engineers many of the group decided to “gather some data“. They went back to their church and social groups and brought up the subject of sex offenders and sex offenses and the restoration of rights, particularly voting rights.
When we met a couple months later they all said that about 90% of the responses they got were all very negative. The responses ranged from that we should never ever have any type of rights restored all the way to that every single sex offender should be in lifetime civil commitment or have a lifetime prison sentence. That sex offenders no matter what the crime should never walk the streets free again. About 1/2 of the group worked asking about supporting political candidates into their discussions. They talked about whether or not these people would support any political candidate that proposed any type of positive legislation concerning sex offenders. They said that almost 100% of the folks that they talked to said that not only would they not support a candidate like this but they would actively work to defeat a candidate like this. Almost amusingly some of them worked into the conversation the same questions about convicted murderers. Many of the responses they got said that only the most evil murderers should receive the same treatment. Many of those people saw convicted murderers as having made a mistake and being redeemable. Many made comments about sex offenders that we are “permanently broken“ and beyond redemption.
Now this has 0% connection to any type of scientific research or opinion polls but it is very telling about the things that we face trying to make any headway for ourselves.
Roger, while disappointed that the majority of persons you polled that did not know you responded negatively, it does not surprise me. There is a lot of of fear and misconception about registered citizens. When most think about a registered citizen they envision a serial rapist-murderer or the creepy guy offering candy to children in the playground, or the guy in a trench coat exposing himself. All scary images. All stereotypes. Not who the overwhelming majority of persons on the registry are. That is the disconnect and our biggest challenge.
I was heartened to hear that persons who knew you thought different.
And I feel that is our biggest solution. The more others get to know who a registered citizen is, the less stereotype, the less fear. That leads to a better opportunity for a different perception, more space to see us as humans, more space for the understanding that a person can make a mistake, and more space to allow for that person to pick themselves up and become a better person. I commend you for taking the bold step of speaking to others about your past mistake. We as registered citizens need to do this. Living in caves and hiding from the world is both mental health damaging, and does nothing in changing perceptions.
BTW – Have you seen the documentary “Untouchable”?
I am fortunate to have Roger and his wife as friends and I am joyed to see that he has decided to step up and speak out for registered citizens. He is very talented in his writing and a welcome member of FAC. I am with the FAC Media Committee and our effort is to educate those who fear registered citizens because they have believed the lies. When I started writing for the ‘media blitz’, organized by our dedicated member Sarah, I was assigned 17 media persons to communicate with. I have since added two more based on the New York Post article outlined in the FAC weekly online post. But seeing the need for farther education of civic leaders I have added the 5 Brevard County commissioners and the Brevard sheriff. Then the FAC online post recently pointed out Governor DeSantis’ decision to withhold voting rights of registered citizens. While I believe he is a leader who wants to do right…as his stand against the ‘swamp’ indicates…he is also a leader in need of an education on registered citizens. So I have now added him to my mailing list. I now send out the media letters…modified as appropriate…to 26 different recipients. We already have one county commissioner on the side of registered citizens. Demeaning letters to media persons or politicians will not get us anywhere as their defenses will just get stronger. Education of the public is what is needed. In the future I plan to add some church leadership to my mailings as some of the ‘bastions’ of love and forgiveness seem to have fallen for Satan’s ploy of not wanting to offend even if it is God’s Word that is doing the offending. Sometimes the truth hurts.
Fully agree!!! Thanks for stepping up! I send Sarah post I feel maybe FAC wants to respond to and i myself email journalists. Taking action is what will make the difference.
In my opinion, the basis for changing many of these types of laws and/or actions is based on the US Constitution. The Thirteenth Amendment is normally remembered as abolishing slavery. What most people don’t realize is the second part of that Amendment. It says that slavery shall be abolished “except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted…”.
I am not an attorney, nor do I have any formal legal training. However, again, in my humble opinion much of the injustice done against us (and many others) is loosely based upon this little known phrase.
Beyond that, why do we have a governor who goes against the wishes of a MAJORITY of the voters in the state of Florida.
Mark but remember the registry was presented to and passed the Supreme Court because it’s not punishment although that’s exactly what it is
Thank you Iservedmytym. You took the words out of my mouth.
Get everyone that can vote to elect Nikki Reid governor. I know I will! Question is, can we sue? I’ll help fund it!!
Yes we can sue..that’s one right they can’t deny us! In cases like this.. a class action lawsuit is the way to go .The more people involved, the stronger it would be!! The only problem maybe financing it!
yes – the problem is financing it.
Speaking of funding, the Ex Post Facto fund has changed from 86% funded to 0%, can you advise if we are moving forward on this issue ?
Yes – this is our 2021 round. Now we have 2 challenges under this same heading, an appeal in the 11th Cir and a new case in the Northern District.