In a comment on another post someone used the term “Registered Family” and I thought it was very appropriate.
We are not just persons required to register, we are families required to register!
If you share a home with someone on the registry, the police regularly show up at your doorstep, the car you drive is registered, you cannot decorate your home on the holidays, you clean up the vandalism and the neighbors give you the same dirty looks.
If you are the child of someone on the registry, you are the one that gets bullied and shamed in school, you are the one that doesn’t have birthday parties or sleep overs, you are the one whose father (or mother) can never come to your games, plays or graduations.
If you are the spouse of a person required to register you need to carry the finances because your partner will be chronically unemployed or under-employed, you need to cover most if the parenting because your spouse can’t go to schools, parks, theme parks or other places your children will want to go, you will be banned from living in most areas on your city, you can’t travel to the places you want (or you will need to go alone) and you need to worry about aging because most assisted living facilities won’t take your husband.
If you are the employer, clergy or even just a friend of a person required to register you will suffer the scorn of merely associating with them or allowing them into your business, congregation or life. The registry does not only punish the registrant, it punishes everyone in their life.
We are not just persons required to register, we are families required to register!
I have stumbled upon this organization while trying to help a dear friend get removed from the registry. This has been a wealth of information and quite the education for me.
I have read the threads on the Ex Post Facto case and am trying to figure out if this applies to my friends situation. In a nutshell his offense was in 1995 in a state other than FL. He relocated to FL in 2001 and has been a full-time resident since that time. In 2016 he was notified by the original state that he was no longer required to register. A couple of months later FL sent a letter to him which stated he would be required to registered for life. The original state the charge was a 2nd degree misdemeanor and Florida says it is a Felony and he would be required to now report 4 times a year instead of twice a year and the police check on him monthly even though on the registry is status is Released – Subject to Registration . It seems to me that he has been given an additional sentence without any type of legal proceeding. Prior to and after this conviction he has had no legal issues…not even a parking ticket! Can someone help understand why this has happened.
Thank you
DQ,
Appreciate that you’ve found our site helpful. I’ll answer your questions/comments in the order presented.
– YES, your friend would benefit from a favorable decision in the Ex Post Facto case.
– We have many people removed from the registry in the jurisdiction of conviction yet still required to register FOR LIFE in Florida.
– In Florida it’s lifetime FOR ALL. The frequency of registration is offense based.
– The address verification is done on everyone, including those no longer on probation.
If it has been 20 years since he’s completed his sentence (including probation) he MIGHT qualify for some relief, but he should speak with an attorney about that and other potential individual challenges he has. If you don’t have an attorney, contact [email protected] for a referral.
I’ll
Thank you so much for your quick response. I have contacted a couple of law offices and have been told that his case is to old and that it is impossible to get off the registry and to not even bother trying to fight this. I will email the address you provided and go down that path.
Thank you again
His case is too old to challenge, but that is NOT necessarily the same as removal the registry!
In fact, the only cases I have heard of in which Floridians were removed from the registry without having to reverse their convictions, happened precisely BECAUSE they were old!
It is for that same reason that removals are only now starting to happen, albeit slowly, and I think via FAC-associated attorney(s).
While I feel your friend’s discouragement, don’t give up til you’ve gone through the referral process.
Why has this happened to your friend, you ask?
Because almost every year since your friend broke the law, states have continued to pile laws onto persons with such a background, without regard to recidivism data (including, data demonstrating that risk of recidivism declines over time!).
While these laws constitute punishment after the fact, it’s only recently that courts have begun recognizing this. Until recently, states could always successfully argue in court that any new registration laws were not punishment so much as part of “a non-punitive civil administrative regulatory scheme”! And that is still the case in Florida, but FAC’s Ex Post Facto Plus challenge is intended to reverse that.
Your friend has done nothing wrong!
Thank you Jacob. I appreciate your response and will be contacting the referral service tomorrow. It is sad that so many people are treated with such disregard for their human and civil rights. I am thankful that I have found this site and the work that is being done by FAC. Maybe someday there will truly be relief for those who have paid their debts to society and will be free to live their best lives.
The whole family suffers. My son is severely disabled and on the registry because he was taken advantage of. He has no idea what the registry is. Both my husband and I are the ones living the registry. We lost a grandson last year and my husband and son could not leave the state to say goodbye. It’s just heartbreaking what it’s done to our family.
Don’t just be a victim. Take action against this. Join the boycott of all American products. The US belongs to the World Trade Organization. That means foreign products have to be offered for sale in the US.
Here is a list of American products to stop buying and foreign products from non-registry countries you can buy instead:
CARS:
DON’T BUY Ford, Fiat-Chrysler, General Motors, Tesla, Toyoto Camry or Sienna, Honda Odyssey (made in USA)
INSTEAD BUY: Nissan, Toyoto (Japan) except Camry (made in Registry UK), GAC (China).
Air travel –
DO NOT FLY American Airlines, United, Northwest, Continental, Alaska.
INSTEAD FLY: Air China,(China), Japan Airlines (Japan), Seychelles, Aeromexico, Mexicana. Seychelles, Mexicana, AeroMexico, InterJet, Finnair
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Check the company website or wiki.
Read the back labels of products. American companies have bought up many foreign companies.
It does not matter if you use American products now, as long as you avoid buying from them again.
No boycott is perfect, but it is better to try.
DO NOT BUY Microsoft, Apple, HP, Dell or other American computer products or software.
SUBSTITUTE Toshiba, Sony (Japan), Lenovo (China).
SUBSTITUTE free Linux based applications word processing, video editing, free Ubuntu, Knoppix operating systems, RealOS.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
COFFEE:
DO NOT BUY: Starbucks, Peets, Maxwell House coffee, Green Mountain, Keurig, Medaglia Doro, Bustamante…
SUBSTITUTE
Lavazza, Illy (Italian),
Guatemalan coffee,
Vietnamese coffee,
Nacha brand, Doi Chaang brand, Black Ivory, more brands (Thailand)
Maktoub (Lebanon)
BEVERAGE:
ALCOHOL: WHISKEY AND BEER:
Don’t buy Jim Beam, Jack Daniels, Wild Turkey, Four Roses, Samuel Adams, Anchor Steam, Anheuser Busch, Michelob
INSTEAD:
Asahi, Kirin, Sapporo, Suntory beers (Japan)
Tsing Tao beer (China)
WHISKIES: Drink instead Yamazaki, Hibiki, Nikka, Yoichi, Suntory (Japan)
DO NOT BUY
Coca Cola, Fuze tea, Nestea, Minute Maid, Fanta, Mirinda, Sprite, Odwalla, Powerade, Dasani, VitaminWater, del Valle, Simply Orange, Fresca, Smart Water, Mello Yello, Burn, Honest Tea, NOS Energy Drink, Ciel (Coca Cola), Snapple, Hansen
INSTEAD DRINK
Oishi, Kikuru, Pokka tea drinks,(Japan),
Sangria (Mexico)
FOOD:
BOYCOTT: KRAFT, KELLOGGS, MONDELEZ, Nabisco, General Mills, Cadbury (owned by Kraft), Kraft, Kelloggs, Heinz, Lays potato chips (Pepsico)
Dole, Ruffles, Tostitos and Fritos brands.Tropicana, TAZO juice/tea brand, Quaker, Mother’s cereal and puffed wheat.
INSTEAD DRINK: Japanese, Mexican snacks.
ENERGY DRINKS:
BOYCOTT MONSTER (Hansen, Coca_Cola, USA), Samurai, Sting, Vive
INSTEAD: Lipovitan (Japan), Red Bull (Austria, not the Thailand version)
CIGARETTES:
DO NOT SMOKE Marlboro, Lucky Strike, Camel, Pall Mall; Boston, Caribe, Green, Derby, Pielroja, American Gold, L&M (Philip Morris)
INSTEAD:
Aromas de San Andres, (Mexico).(boycott DELICADOS – owned by Philip Morris, USA.)
MS, Nazionali (Italy).
Mevius (Japan)
Gold Flake (India)
Davidoff (Switzerland)
SOAP:
BOYCOTT DOVE, CAMAY
SUBSTITUTE:
Kirei-Kirei (Japan)
TRUCKS, BUSES:
BOYCOTT MACK TRUCKS & BUSES
Buy Hino (Japan)
FARM EQUIPMENT:
AVOID John Deere, Caterpillar (USA)
INSTEAD: Belarus tractors (Belarus), Kubota, Komatsu ISEKI, YANMAR, MITSUBISHI, HINOMOTO, SHIBAURA (Japan)
TIRES:
BOYCOTT: Cooper, Titan, Denman, Goodyear, Kelly Springfield.
INSTEAD Buy Yokohama, Bridgestone (Japan), Pirelli (Italy)
CLOTHING/FASHION:
BOYCOTT: American Rag Cie, Esprit, Jessica McClintock, Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Van Heusen, Nautica, Lee/wrangler jeans, Levis, Guess, Polo Ralph Lauren, DSquared2, Marc Jacobs,GAP, Camel Outdoors
INSTEAD BUY:
UNIQLO, KENZO (Japan)
Fendi, Benetton (Italy)
VARIETY:
BOYCOTT:
WALLGREENS
INSTEAD SHOP:
MINISO (China-Japan)
EYEGLASSES:
BOYCOTT LENSCRAFTERS
INSTEAD: SUNGLASS HUT INTERNATIONAL OR PEARL VISION, LUXOTTICA (Italy)
SHOES:
BOYCOTT: Red Wing, Dockers, Florsheim, L.L.Bean, Steve Madden, Cole-Haan, Timberlake, Caterpillar.
SUBSTITUTE: Bata (Czech), PIKOLINOS, (SPAIN), ECCO (Denmark)
Body CARE, hair color:
DO NOT BUY CLAIROL, COLGATE, Proctor & Gamble, Revlon, Wella, Paul Mitchell, Pantene, Neutrogena, Head & Shoulders
SUBSTITUTE: Hoyu, Shiseido (Japan)
TOOTHPASTE
BOYCOTT: COLGATE, CREST
SUBSTITUTE:
Natura House (Italy)
Trisa (Switzerland)
Systema toothpaste & mouthwash (Lion Corporation, Japan)
===========================================================================================================================================
TV screens: BUY Sony, Sharp (Japan).
MOBILE/TABLET:
DO NOT BUY: Surface (Microsoft), iPad, iPhone, Motorola (made in USA)
SUBSTITUTE
Sharp, Fujitsu (Japan);
Xiaomi, Huawei, Meizu, Honor (China).
APPLIANCES:
Buy Hitachi (Japan)
ELEVATORS:
BOYCOTT OTIS, SCHINDLER
SUBSTITUTE
FUJITEC (Japan)
Astarlifts (Spain)
Kone (Finland)
BOYCOTT CATERPILLAR, JOHN DEERE
USE INSTEAD: KOMATSU, KUBOTA
INSURANCE:
Boycott AIG
======================================================================================================================================================
WATCHES:
DO NOT BUY FOSSIL, GUESS, TIMEX, Nixon
INSTEAD BUY:
SUPERDRY, CITIZEN, SEIKO, ALBA, G-SHOCK, QQ (JAPAN)
Swatch, Mido (Switzerland)
Police (Italy)
Do you really want to hold Japan out as a good example? Try getting a visitor’s visa to there when you have a felony record.
https://ccresourcecenter.org/2016/04/11/japan-bars-all-drug-offenders-from-entry/
I have been truly blessed. I have 4 daughters . Two from a previous marriage (18 and 16), 1 step daughter 19 and a 5 year old that was conceived though a IVF procedure. We all live together as a registered family. Also i help raise 2 knuckle heads, 29 and 31 (Men) which are still in my life today. I say to myself at times, god please forgive me for my trespasses, for i have also brought shame to my family as well… What does God do, he giveth to me to add to my list is 1 Rottweiler, 2 chihuahuas, 2 cats and some gold fish. I know that sometimes we say to ourselves that we don’t deserve these beautiful things, but the lord is great! keep believing with faith that tomorrow will be better for all of us and for yourselves, my extended registered family. Thank you FAC…
Aloha,
It is very interesting in reading about how we are affected in other states other than the one we live in. Obviously I live in Hawaii and was sentenced to time and probation which has all been well in the past. I also had to register and the law here states that if you are a tier 1 offender than you are on it for 10 years, (which is the end of this year) than I may request to be removed from the states registry in a civil hearing. Except when I inquired about it the courts say it’s a criminal hearing and it is basically asking for a pardon. (which would be absolutely impossible to get not because of the crime!!)
So instead of me going to a civil hearing, I would have to retain an attorney ($$,$$$$) with no guarantees and would have so much publicity that it would remind everyone here what happened over 12 years ago. Curious to hear what you would do???
I have all those same issues as far as family, friends,employment, travel and housing.
We just have to remain strong in our faith that we are people that made a mistake and deserve a second chance, just like anyone else that makes a mistake.
Aloha & God Bless
If it’s a criminal hearing, then wouldn’t the registry be a punishment for a crime in your state?
If that’s the case, ex post facto would apply in your state.
Nice post. 🙂 RC’s and RF’s. No SO’s
Jim
To be honest politicians don’t give a damn about your family because to show sympathy for them wouldn’t get them any votes. They would just say if you don’t like it you should not have done the crime. That’s there way out of any conversation about it and so they feel justified in anything they do and have lots of support.
I want implying the politicians would care about our families. I was starting that the courts would hopefully see that the families have committed no crimes yet their civil rights are being trampled on. Wouldn’t a court or jury be sympathetic to a 16 year old having to have their car and address registered because of something someone else did? What about the wife? What rationale could they possibly come up with. They did nothing wrong. The wife loves her husband and making that choice is not a crime. The child has absolutely NO control. They didn’t make any choice yet they must live in a house where they are in more danger than other children because of the possibility of vigilantes. If a child is EVER harmed in an attack on a registered persons property, you can be assured these laws will start tumbling. But it should not require that such a graphic event happen to fix stupid laws. I believe if an attorney paraded women and children that have committed no crime in front of a jury, there would be damages awarded and those lawyers would get paid.
You know I’ve been released from my convicting state and I have yet see where any of this pertains to help us all I see is a state that is doing what they want and getting away with it oh yeah if we had a $100000 dollars we be off in a min. Well I can’t get my contractor license cause I’m a sexoffender but yet my state realized I was not required to register so they released me but I won’t go into it I have a state that says check the conviction state and when you do it don’t come up with anything so all of this family have to register well I lost everything and nothing to live for I’m sick of having to go up there twice a year and I can’t nor do this no more. I also have asked the smart office if they are setting forth the guidelines how come this is not uniform? Don’t we live in the United States then shouldn’t the laws all be united. Hell I can’t vote nor do a damm thing so hear is what I say I will not endure another year of punishment for the same crime that happened in 1998 so rest assured that I will go out with bang
This is why I chose to live separately from my family to not bring the shame on them.
Maybe if all the families were to come together and approach Morgan & Morgan to do a class action against the government for civil rights violations, they would be interested. Morgan&Morgan don’t seem to be interested in us registrants, but maybe protecting wives and children would be something they’d be interested in.
If they won, it could only help or cause.
WELL SAID!
The Most Harmful policies ever purputated upon American Citizens
Maybe the family members bring lawsuit against this unwanted punishment
There you go. Here is my example my wife got a car for our oldest daughter to use at college. It’s in my wife’s name, tag title and I could do separatel insurance. Why is it on my profile?
The answer is it shouldn’t be. I don’t own it. My in laws go out of town and want to park their car at my house for security reasons. Why would I have e to list it. It’s not my car.
This is helping protect the public how? How is this least restrictive? Etc etc.. the list goes on
This part of the registry injustice is particularly disturbing. As I have a daughter that was 4 yrs. old when I was put on the registry . I had gone through a divorce when she was 2 . I was awarded visitation, but after my ex found out I was on the registry she refused to give me my visitation with my daughter. Though I took it to court several times the judge told her she was required to follow the previous order but she continued to refuse so because I was on the registry the judges refused to do anything to enforce the visitation orders. So my daughter grew up without a Dad, except by phone with her mother listening in at all times. She is now 27 and married but not happily. They say the registry is for the children, but how can they justify it when it destroys the lives of a hundred times more children than it protects. The sad part too is I was falsely convicted, though I know they will never believe it, and it’s useless to try and prove it. I’m sure this story could be told by others with similar experiences a thousand times. What is it going to take?
Nice to hear encouragement from everyone. Those who really know me haven’t acted judgmental. We do tend to blame ourselves though when our family is hurting because of it. As the article points out, most people don’t even consider the fact that the registries also punish family members who have done nothing wrong. On the bright side, the police in my area are actually reasonable and don’t bother registrants for no reason. Just have to keep praying for legislators to wake up to the truth too.
The stigma is so strong that my 3 children even considered changing their last name while I was in prison. While they didn’t go through with it, they still prefer that I not use my last name in online communications with them. I am good friends with a female neighbor right now, but I am afraid to pursue a deeper relationship with her for fear that she would find out about my status. In fact, I would feel honor bound to tell her before taking our relationship to a new level. I am fearful every day about losing friends in my neighborhood if they learn that I am on the registry. It seems like no matter how good you are to people, it can never overcome that past crime.
Man don’t be so hard on yourself no one really cares or looking about you or what you did or where you live except the cops that’s duty’s to bring you in for an unregistered car or email and keep the courts rich off bulls shit which they earn a patches for unfortunately your kids went through hell im sure it’s lowered their self esteem and put them in a lower objectives crowd in school counseling or drugs should help life is short I hope y’all move past this dumb shit
Gerald, I feel your pain. I also feel bound to tell people who grow close to me (friends, etc.). I don’t want them to be blindsided by getting the information from somewhere else. These people already know me fairly well by the time i tell them. This gives them the ability to weigh what they know about me with who the registry claims i am. I have come out on top every time. A side “benefit” is that i choose my friends carefully and weed out any of those that are mercurial. These people could never be real friends with anyone anyway. The one real exception to my policy was my wife. There were a few factors that weighed in on my decision but mostly I knew from the first date that she was special. At the end of the first date, we sat down and I laid it all out. I then asked, that knowing everything, did she want to continue. She replied that she did and the rest is history. We will be married 15 years this year.
I believe that all of our families and even some employers will have grounds for law suits once this registration crap is found to be illegal.