From a member in Polk: Polk County has changed their registration location without telling anyone. I went to the old office to update vehicle registration and found it closed with a sign on the door. The new location, 7101 Decastro Road, Winter Haven, Fl, 33880, is hard to get to. Other registrants were complaining that there’s no close bus stop, and nobody seems to have been notified of the change – even those who had appointments to register. Please get the word out – it’s horrible for people to make arrangements to get to Bartow only to find the place has moved.
As of 5/14/2021 the FDLE still has the old address listed on the directory: https://offender.fdle.state.fl.us/offender/Documents/REREGISTRATIONLOCATIONS.pdf
This article and the many views are interesting. Yes they say everything takes time. I was expecially in chereeooke’s ordeal at Disney World. Reminds me of my incounter back in 2016 when I had the idea of doing telephone work. Actually it was telephone work to get Donald Trump elected. While I had already my reasons all along about Trump I wanted to know “why” they wanted Donald Trump as President.
Course the lady at the location office said everyone would have to go on Facebook to sign up and I knew I couldn’t and had second thoughts.
I had a monthy report at my PO and mentioned that to him that I had gotten a job and he ask me whats the job and I said telephone survay work for Donald Trump and I mentioned that I couldn’t take the job as I had to go to facebook to registar and sign up.
So he’s my PO. taking things to far and while I did not actually sign up, get a password to enter facebook they assumed that becausse I was on the front of the website that I actually signed up for it.
So here I am going back to court. Of course it was a closed hearing because it involved the 2016 presidency there for that was a violation for just going to the Facebook front page without signing up getting a password and things of the nature of the ordeal.
Even my sister wonder why it was a closed court trial that day. Since Donald Trump is no longer President.
If FAC feels like posting this thats ok if not than we should leave it alone but this ordeal does tell one how many will go to so many lengths to cover up a lot of ordeals.
I am for banning the sex regristy with these methods of obstruction of Justice and yes true justice in America is getting out of hand in many area’s and not just the registry. Restore true Justice as nobody needs computer Justice. Restorative Justice is the way to go in any situation.
Candy:
See if your husband has to register in Michigan after Does II becomes final. I know a guy in Saginaw with a “victim under 13” who hired an attorney. His attorney told him that he will automatically be removed after Does II becomes final. He is on for life for a 2000 conviction.
You can read all the stuff on ACLU of Michigan’s website. There are several attorneys in Michigan doing a significant amount of registry work as part of their practice. You can contact one of them as well.
Mike:
My cousin’s stepchild is on the registry in Indiana. She was placed on the registry after a couple of guys took nude pictures of her and her 16 year-old friend in high school.
She did 3 years on her last FTR and is currently in Rockville doing 4 years on her current FTR. She’s 34 now and has about 11 or 12 FTR’s for minor stuff like there not being bus service in a hick town for her to “deregister” in. She has spent most of her adult life in jail or prison on these various FTR’s.
I would be cautious in Indiana.
Here is my take on that, no disrespect intended. Everyone said before I went to prison no one can do probation. I had to do a driving log, wear a monitor, do treatment, on top of probation. Did it, 3 years worth no issues. In my opinion there is always going to be people who push buttons, or challenge the system the wrong way or too far. I don’t know what town or county the person you spoke if is in but so far it seems good here. I can vote, nothing unusual on my license. I think when I say it is better here, it’s based on what is important to me, and that will differ from person to person. Lots of people on the registry arrested everyday for petty stuff. I’m never going to dance in the gray area, I feel that I owe my family that. So, I’m sorry that people have to go through being locked up for the registry. For me I will speak out against it up until I feel my freedom is at risk. I can’t do anything for my kids sitting in prison.
Candy and Mike:
Thanks for the posts.
What I am seeing is that Georgia and Florida are trying to chase registrants out of state. Georgia has a state rep (Jerry Keen) that chasing registrants out of Georgia is his sole issue.
My old neighbor, Hal Nemecheck was one of the first registrants on the registry in Michigan in 1994. He was on the registry until he died in 2017. He was on the registry for 23 years in Battle Creek and the police didn’t come to his door a single time. He said he was always in and out of the registration office (4 times a year) in under 5 minutes and the police were always very nice to him. The cities that aren’t so much into compliance checks in Michigan are Detroit, Flint, Saginaw and Battle Creek. Jackson isn’t strict but I heard about the Jackson police shining their lights in the windows of registrants.
It would be helpful if we could compile registrant experiences in these different jurisdictions. Perhaps, you and others wouldn’t have relocated to Florida if such a matrix existed.
We moved from Florida (where my husband is on the registry for lewd & lascivious from 1996) to Georgia. Georgia is great – they changed their laws over a decade ago and Keen isn’t in office anymore, anyway. The local sheriff’s dept understood what he was on for – one deputy even told me that Florida has the most ridiculous laws pertaining to the SOR. To make a long story short, my husband doesn’t have to register in Georgia at all, he was completely removed from GA’s registry (not Florida’s, though). It was one court hearing, about $1500 in legal fees and a “tier-ing” since Florida doesn’t tier.
Teresa:
That is good news. I wasn’t even aware that registrants could petition for removal in Georgia.
Do you have the statute that allows for removal?
Hey Detroit – it is O.C.G.A. § 42-1-19 (a).
Teresa:
This is good news. Every registrant in Florida should know about this. Georgia’s not that far to move for most in Florida.
GA attorney Mark Yurachek has cautioned against relocating from FL over differences in registration. Those thinking of doing so might consult with him first.
Jacob
It is what I call “Registry shopping”. I tried it in the past and it bit me in the hind parts. Thought I could move to greener pastures, but like you said, out of staters often have to go by different rules. I moved right back to where I was to start with.
Detroit, only one problem. I have lots of friends here in Florida and I like living here in my retirement home. I didn’t spend 29 years in the military service to let some ‘candy ass’ politician who is clueless about life situations cause me to move. I will stay and fight for justice. That’s the sort of spirit military service will give you.
Mike:
How is the registry “better” in NJ? Do they do compliance checks?
In NJ, my husband was classified at the lowest tier level, since he was a first time offender and his conviction was in 1990, long before Megan’s Law was in existance. He’s never been arrested before or since that charge. So once a year in NJ, two detectives showed up on our doorstep to make sure he was living there. That’s it – he didn’t have an identifier on his license indicating he was a sex offender; he was just another passenger on a cruise ship out of Florida when he lived in NJ but because Florida has a publically available online registry, he’s now been banned. He was just another tourist in DisneyWorld for over 8 years, but now that he’s a Florida resident who tried to get an annual pass, he’s banned for life. Now that we live in Florida he has to report 4 times a year to the county sheriff’s office, and he is forced to pay $25 twice a year to cover the costs of registration, which is complete BS. I was the one that failed to research SO restrictions in this state before moving here, but honestly, it never occured to me that just moving from one state to another would result in publically shaming us for life and I wish so badly that we could afford to leave, but we are trapped! Just wondering, what idiot came to the conclusion that the registry isn’t punishment? It seems that our entire family is now guilty by association just for standing by his side. So, if you don’t mind being discriminated against on a regular basis just for being a resident that pays taxes, then Florida is a great place to live, but it is hell for us.
Not to highjack the post topic, but I’m actually in Indiana now. A lot of jobs, as long as you aren’t afraid of hard work. Better pay, I have kids so better schools.
Registry specific, they have 3 levels, if you are not deemed a predator by this state you register once a year. They have been very nice and understanding about travel and moving. No one has come to check on me after 3 months. From the officer in charge, yes I can take my kid to the park. As long as I keep them informed of changes they aren’t in my business and going to bother me. I was shocked. He looked shocked when I asked if I could take my kid to the park. Is still a registry, like I can’t go to schools if my kid is sick. But as far as feeling like a piece of crap because admitted that’s what most sheriff’s there think of us, I lived in Volusia, it’s just nice to be treated like a person.
They have no responsibility to tell us anything it seems. But if we forget or life just gets in a way of doing what we have to to make sure they have every bit of info on us like we are so dangerous if we aren’t at an exact location it’s a felony.
Last week Friday with permission from my po I went home to south dakota for many different reasons to include ceremonies of pur people and being with family when I recieved a call from my significant other that the detective who usually drives my and has me step out side and wave to verify I’m here stopped in and discovered I was back home. With everything that’s happening in my life I can honestly say that to forget to tell my assigned detective that I was leaving town was not intentional. With my probation officer giving me permission I felt I was good to go and my po didn’t remind me that I had to check in to leave as well. My trip was suppose to be for 2 and a half weeks of multiple events to include my daughters college graduation and ceremonies but here I am back in Florida to signed paperwork that took a big financial chunk from the wallet that I can no long use for my ceremonies. I’m here for two days then i can fly back. Though the sorna office is working with me on this to correct it which is why I came back the stress of what has to be done in person rather than a phone call is very degrading and bring a sense of importance as a person to the heart. It very hard to live this way.
Frank
You are on probation so I can kind of understand what you are going throuh, I have been there. When I was on probation I went out with a friend once for a day at Disney World. My Probation officer came by the house to check on me (was under no obligation to be home)
She called me on her cell phone , Which I did not recognize so I answered. I wish I had not. She asked where I was and I was honest because I was never told I could not visit a theme park on probation. WOW, she exploded on me and made me hand my phone to my friend, who had no idea I was on probation.
She told him that I could stay this ONE time but if I was to go into the bathroom, he had to go in too to make sure I did not drag someone off into the bathroom stalls.
Anyway, That was then, this is now. I am no longer on any paperwork but still have to check in to the Sheriff’s officer for so many things that they say are not punishment. I cannot see any other group of people who are not on probation who are treated as badly as we are.
We all know it is punishment because it places sanctions, limits, rules, laws and restrictions on us so severe that we can be arrested for violating any of them. Tell me dear Brother, how that is not punishment?
After I was off probation I went to NJ a few times. Every time checking in with sheriff because I had people staying at my house with my animals. Two separate times the sheriff came by to do a check because they never were told I wouldn’t be home. It seems to be a consistent issue there.
Off topic I have left the state, not for registry reasons, and it is better here. Hopefully over time things will change for us all
Unfortunately we have the ‘blind’ leading the ‘blind’…not to demean the blind.
Im not on any paper but three years in a row: i go home to another state for the summers: leave june come back august for kids school. Each year they tell me i need to do my second yearly that falls on july and i need to be back here to do it. Ive always stated if thats correct as im away but have literally been told each year by vcso that i need to return to do the paperwork and then go back to my other state.
JM
The loophole seems to be that you do reside here for more than 3 days a year so are considered a temporary resident. That may be the deal breaker requiring you to continue to register. If you have moved away and never come back or just come back for a day or two it may be different.
Im a florida resident. I do stay a quarter of the year in the other state. They make me fly back when i go away for the summer bet june and august
JM
Ohhhh, I see what your saying. A-hole Florida is making you come back to register even though you are not normally here during those months. That is a tough one. Seems if you are not living here during those months there would be an exception. That actually makes the registry cost you money, which is punishment.
Of course this was most likely deliberately done this way in hopes to put SO’s back in jail for failure to report a change within time constraints. There is no way that this was an unplanned move unless the building caught on fire or was flooded or some other unexplained catastrophy…this is so becoming of Sheriff Grady Judge-the lawman of Florida!
Question? So in Fla, those on SOR have to report when going on vacation more than 3 days to their police dept and then go in again when they return? Do they have to go to the police if they vacation in another state too? If so, isn’t that punishment and what happens if they move like the mentioned above without notice? Unbelievable.
They don’t have to report vacation > 3 days UNLESS they are staying at the same address for that amount of time. But even if it is out of state.
We believe it’s punishment, the state believes it’s public safety, the courts believe it’s more public safety than punishment, and we are working in the courts to correct that.
Because, you know, Polk County…
I’m curious, is that the only location and was it originally at a sheriff’s office? A jail?
Right next to the Hazardous Waste collection site and Polk County Animal Control.
Interesting that it is Near a Hazardous Waste Site and Next to Rabid Dogs….AMAZING!
And FDLE HAS NOT UPDATED ADDRESS?!?!
IS THERE ANY STATUTORY LAW THAT WOULD MANDATE PO-DUNK COUNTY TO PUBLISH A CHANGE OF ADDRESS?
SO, PO-DUNK COUNTY CAN CHANGE ITS’ ADDRESS WITHOUT NOTIFYING THE PUBLIC?!?!…IF A PERSON FORCED TO REGISTER FAILED TO REPORT AN ADDRESS CHANGE, THEY WOULD BE THROWN IN JAIL ASAP!…CORRECT?!?!?
Truth
When will people realize that the LAW is above the law? Or at least they think they are. Cops everywhere lately are being held accountable for their actions. The one exception seems to be, anything related to sexual offenders, where they seem to get a pass and a blank check to do anything they damn well please.
When mistakes or changes are made by the Sheriff’s offices, it is up to us to be private detectives and figure out the mystery? When the pandemic first hit there were registration locations that closed down. You had to call in your registration at some places and got NO receipt proving you did so.
This seems to be a common problem everywhere. They have done that several times here. They want all your contact information so they can contact you any time of day or night with in a minutes notice. But for some reason if they decide to change the place for you to go for your scheduled visit they don’t know how to let you know so you can make the needed arrangements. Very strange.
Maybe they may as well just get rid of all our contact information as they don’t know how to use it anyway.
That sounds like it could be a good lawsuit argument. Changing location without notice and knowing that if you’re a day late to register can get you arrested sounds like 100% setup.
been hearing for years they were gonna move out there, they are supposed to be working on a ” kiosk” where you can come in 24/7, scan you lic. and register yourself, update info.. etc.. but, it is the middle of nowhere
J
Hell, if I could register at a kiosk and avoid the BS, I would drive across the state. As long as I got a reciept of doing so. Of course, a kiosk poses a question of safety for registrants.
Say the news does a story on the new fangled idea of a kiosk for sex offenders to register. Then a bunch of vigilantes lay in wait for an unsuspecting person to come use it and WHAM! A bullet to the head fired from the woods, or 3 guys with baseball bats come after you. At least inside the Sheriff’s office I feel mostly safe from harm.
Some jails have a check in kiosk for those who are out on bond inside the jail lobby. A palm print is required, money, etc.
It appears that as much thought went into changing the location of the registration office as goes into the operation of the registry. No one is in charge and everyone is in charge. Reminds me of ‘Catch 22’.
Capt
I heard a rumor that each morning at the Sheriff’s office briefing, they draw straws on who has to man the sex offender registration chair of shame. Unless of course there is a new guy, then he gets the job. They have changed employees at least 5 times in the last 24 months at my registration office.
Its kind of funny they just spent all the money to set that office up so they could charge us for registering. Then move it. Then they don’t tell anyone so if you go on your last day or close to your deadline for something and its not there and you have no way to get to the new office your in violation yep dude has stopped to a new level of low
These are things that the Florida state legislators need to be made aware of.
No reason for this bull shit
Crying Crack Head not wathinging his kids, crying in front of the legislature. Because the State let a Crazy go who had ask not to be. Fish story, Not
Effectively criminalizes lacking adequate transportation.
I’d be curious to know when they moved the office and how many other people have been affected by this.
This is a set up from one of the most vengeful Sheriffs in all of Florida. Sheriff Grady Judd has a history of using questionable tactics to ensnare registrants on Failure to Report charges. It’s wouldn’t surprise me if they changed the office location without notification on purpose to ensnare more registrants and make headlines because old Grady Judd loves the news cameras
I always call the office at the beginning of the month where I register too make sure they are open and nothing has changed. Doing it tag the beginning of the 2 months I register gives me plenty of time to adjudge in cased I need to.