On Heels of Lawsuit Challenging Registrations, Flagler Sheriff Arrests 40 Sex Offenders In Compliance Sweep
The only recognizable pattern in the Flagler County Sheriff’s jail bookings day after day for a year and a half has been the daily batch of redacted names reflecting the local agency’s detention, on behalf of federal immigration authorities, of migrants who may be deported.
Three days ago, another pattern emerged: arrest after arrest of sex offenders charged with failing to comply with any of a series of registration requirements, whether it’s their car, new email addresses, phone numbers, physical addresses or any of the numerous other possessions, physical or virtual, that require regular recording with authorities.
Flagler County is among the counties named in a federal lawsuit filed on Aug. 11 by Florida Action Committee, a nonprofit advocating for evidence-based criminal justice policies, challenging Florida’s registration requirements. “The complaint argues that Florida’s registry has evolved far beyond its original purpose as a public notification system and now functions as a system of perpetual punishment that violates multiple provisions of the United States Constitution,” the committee wrote in a release the day the lawsuit was filed.
Glass, the FDLE commissioner, is the first named defendant in the lawsuit. A reporter asked him about the suit today. Glass demurred. “I cannot comment on ongoing litigation,” he said. “But maybe we can come back later at a different time once that litigation goes through.”
The timing of the sweep, however, may not have been as coincidental as it seems, and could well have been Glass’s answer, as brash as his hat, to the lawsuit.
[NOTE: The 40 individuals represent about 30 percent of the registrants in the county.]
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Not asking FAC to answer this, but it would not surprise me if some of the PFRs who filed declarations for the lawsuit were specifically targeted by FDLE/Sheriff Staley.
You would be wrong
I warned everyone in a couple previous posts that the wolves would come out after the lawsuit. My best advice to everyone is to cross your T’s and dot your I’s right now. If you make any changes on the website portal, SCREENSHOT everything! Like the old adage goes “cover your ass.”
When my case adjourned in 1997 there were only 3 requirements for registrants. Today, there are now over 60 at the state level and many more across different counties. Applying all of these rules against me and my family almost 30 years after my case was closed is UNCONSTITUTIONAL!!!! I did not violate my probation or break any laws since. LEAVE ME AND MY FAMILY ALONE!!!!
Staley, et al, refers to PFR’s as ‘perverts’ and other derogatory terms anytime he talks about us. It’s clear he’ll look for any excuse at all to make an arrest.
This may well be FDLE retaliation with a lame Sheriff who is more than willing to go along with it and fight it, as it was his county that was mentioned on the radio the other day and was going to seek a dismissal of the lawsuit. The timing couldn’t be more perfect and the walking like a flying fowl while talking like a flying fowl seems to be spot on. Maybe he picked the easiest county to seek targets in for this op, but I have to wonder how many in his office or the Sheriff’s office are offenders who have yet to be caught and embarrass them as of today…you know, those in positions of trust.