Prosecutor Stacey Honowitz wants her arrest post removed
We received an email from an attorney requesting we remove a certain post from our website. The post concerned Broward Sex Crimes Prosecutor Stacey Honowitz’s arrest for shoplifting at a Publix Supermarket in 2018. The removal request appears below:
Good Day,
I hope this message finds you well in these trying times. I am writing on behalf of Stacey Honowitz to kindly request the removal of the article published to the above-copied link. The incident, a misunderstanding, is a most embarrassing blemish on Ms. Honowitz’s otherwise pristine record and career. The charge was readily nolle prossed (please see attached). As you can certainly appreciate, the continued publication has caused and continues to cause Ms. Honowitz great distress and damage to her reputation.
Please do not hesitate to reach out should you have any questions. We thank you in advance for your time dedicated to this sensitive matter.
Cordially Yours,
Vanessa McGill
Stacey Honowitz is a sex crimes prosecutor and an advocate for harsher sex offender restrictions. To quote Ms. Honowitz, “Tougher laws [are] needed to protect our kids from sex offenders.”
While we agree with Ms. Honowitz that sexual abuse needs to be prevented, we strongly disagree that tougher laws are needed to protect anyone from persons forced to register as “sex offenders”. The overwhelming majority (95%+) of people on the registry will not re-offend and are trying to live productive lives, yet the continued publication of their information on a public registry prevents them from obtaining employment, housing and other basic needs for themselves and their families.
For most registrants, their crime was a one-time offense and a complete aberration in an otherwise law abiding life. Surely most were guilty, but many were not. Some were wrongfully accused, baited and switched in a sting, or a misunderstanding for which they took a plea decades ago out of convenience and to avoid the risk of jail time without knowing what was to come as far as the registry. Arguably their incidents are also a “most embarrassing blemish” in an “otherwise pristine record” and “the continued publication” of their information on a sex offender registry “has caused and continues to cause” them “great distress and damage”.
So what to do about this request to remove the article? Since the letter came from an attorney who lists one of her areas of practice as defamation cases, the implication is that if we chose not to take down the article we might face a lawsuit. However, the Miami Herald’s story, Veteran Sex-Crimes Prosecutor Accused of Shoplifting is still up. So is the Sun-Sentinel’s coverage. The surveillance footage of her sticking the cosmetic items in her purse and leaving the store has not been taken down. So why should we remove our post?
We did update the story to state that the charges were nolle prossed, but do we need to take down the entire article? Even if the shoplifting incident was unintentional and she simply forgot to pay for the items or mindlessly put them in her purse without realizing, she prosecutes people who unknowingly or unintentionally violate a technical registration rule all the time and even if decades have passed without incident, her office still vigorously opposes petitions for removal from the registry.
It’s very possible that the arrest has given Ms. Honowitz a different perspective and greater empathy for people who “as [she] can certainly appreciate” are suffering great distress and damage from their continued publication on the registry. Or, it’s possible she could care less. We’d like to see where she stands in light of the fact that she’s “kindly requesting” we take down a post.
Frankly we’re impressed that our little forum would even concern her enough to retain an attorney to contact us. But, before we act on the request, we’d really like to hear the thoughts of our membership, so please feel free to share them in the comments below. We’d also love to hear from Ms.Honowitz herself, given the ironic nature of her request. If she would like to be a guest on a future member call, consider this a public invitation.
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I sympathize with her. It sucks to be remembered for a mistake. Lucky for her, she won’t be disbarred, not will she suffer unemployment or homelessness.
PS: By the way, did you know she writes books?
If I had to guess the name of her next book will be “The Art of the Steal”
I say leave it up and send ol sticky fingers all our comments too….
BTW, when on ‘Googles’ her name, the first thing that comes up is about HER ARREST!
So, she should SUE GOOGLE and sell her new book on Amazon! HA!
Many states continue to publish online via sor convictions that have been summarily dismissed with no notation of such expungement.
Perhaps she should give that God awful law a good think?
Considering my law degree from South Dakota (prison), The postings are based on factual events followed by a conclusion. Committee is under no legal obligation to take down the post. The post is protected by the First Amendment freedom of press/speech and also Covered indirectly by redress of grievances.
I believe not only would interview in discussion making a strong correlation between her work and Her ask would be noteworthy for the community to watch.
You could even potentially write an article as a press release highlighting The hypocrisy of the situation if things go south.
I believe that’s a settlement agreement between the committee and this attorney would be in the best interest financially for future litigation and change. In other words speak with counsel about a potential offer agreement to take down the post.
I believe that anyone who is in a position to “serve” citizens of any state, yet they themselves commit a fault, their own rules apply to them also, regardless of their priviledged position.
In California, they have begun a “CopWatch” list of such priviledged individuals. See https://sfbayview.com/2020/12/san-francisco-public-defender-launches-copwatch-sf-database-to-ensure-public-access-to-available-police-records/
I think it is time Floridian citizens who are on, and their families who are NOT on the registry, yet have to live with equal punishment under Floridas laws, should make a registry of such criminal priviledged individuals.
According to the Supreme Court, laws or statutes are not the “Law of the Land”, thus only Gods given laws are the LAWS OF THE LAND.
Floridian Victims should apply Gods laws such as an Eye for an Eye with as much information about them and let them experience their own doing.
FAC, I would not delete anything, since it is TRUE what she did.
Golden rule Ms. Honowitz. Welcome to our world. Perhaps this experience and exposure will protect your neighbors cosmetics. Maybe your shopping should have to done at least a 1000 feet from any cosmetics counter and your picture should be posted on the internet. Maybe going plain face for the rest of your life so all can ask about the one mistake you made in an otherwise. Cry yourself a River so build a bridge and get over it. Remember, it is not punishment.