Members in Jacksonville have reported that on recent compliance checks, the Sheriffs office have been requiring registered citizens to sign the following notification:
Among other restrictions are that registrants are not allowed to participate in holiday activities where children are present (other than their own family) and registrants are required to hang a sign outside their home on Halloween, visible to the street, that says “No candy or treats here”!
There is no exception to this restriction for people whose offense pre-date the ordinance. There is no exception to this restriction if the registrant is themself a child.
In California, a similar ordinance was knocked out because it violates the First Amendment right to be free from compelled speech (see: http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/court-ruling-is-mixed-bag-for-sex-offenders-on-halloween).
FAC is calling on groups or members in Jacksonville or Duval County who are interested in challenging this ordinance to contact us. Since we are only two months away from Halloween, we will likely not find a legal aid organization to take this one, but we will work on finding a private attorney to file a challenge. This will require money, so hopefully among the 2188 registrants in Duval, we will be able to raise enough to fight this law that would force registrants to publicly shame themselves.
If you are interested; please contact [email protected]
Any update to this challenge? I would be interested in contributing or filing a class action suit.
This is nothing new for S.O’s ,Jews in 1930’s Germany had the same thing happen to them, Excellent interview on a national radio talk show program about the secret agenda of the S.O.R
here is the link to hear a replay of the radio interview
http://www.veritasradio.com/guests/2015/08aug/VS-150820-ajones.php
Oh my goodness I actually started to cry while reading the flyer – this is outrageous and heartbreaking – when will it ever stop??? There have not been any incidents that I know of involving registered citizens on Halloween – why, why, why?
RSO’s, Don’t answer the door when they come knocking. if they want to do an address check so bad they can ask neighbor if you still live there. there is no law that says you must answer the door.
No Randy, if your not home or don’t answer note on door. The Sheriff believes he can arrest you. The Sheriff also contacts landlords and employers to ask. How and why would they do business with registered citizens.
I don’t think it’s pleasant to have the police asking your neighbors about you. They will anyhow, but it’s better to not give them a reason to.
So is this just for Halloween? Can we still decorate our house for Christmas? When will this crap stop?
Apparently not. RSOs are prohibited from putting up any display that can be visible from the street. Below is the code. It will stop when we challenge it. Join our call tomorrow night to discuss.
https://www.municode.com/library/fl/jacksonville/ordinances/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=710922
Again, are we or are we no longer under supervision after having served our sentences and completed probation?
Also, it’s laughable that someone on a county commission board actually sat down and thought of these restrictions in detail. Crazy. What a waste of resources. I will say that this ordinance is better written than that approved in Pasco county this last summer.
I’m curious as to how many offenses have occurred during activities as described here. My guess? Few to none. Sorry Jax citizens…this ordinance is embarrassing and scary.
To answer your question…
According to a 2009 study by Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment, children are no more prone to threats by sexual predators on Halloween than on any other day of the year. Other law enforcement statistics also show that the rate of sexual crimes against children do not increase on Halloween. – See more at: http://criminal.findlaw.com/criminal-charges/halloween-sex-offender-laws.html#sthash.1sZh9KbW.dpuf
When was it accepted that address verification be renamed compliance check? How is it the Sheriff was given dictorial powers not under Florida law? Why are 80000 registrants allowing their constitutional rights to be violated,, without a concerted legal battle?
Good question, Mark.
It’s not going down without a legal battle. In fact, FAC (by this post) is trying to organize a legal battle. We need registrants to step up! Join our member call this Thursday for more information.
Well, I brought this up last year: http://floridaactioncommittee.org/halloween-sex-crime-myth-vs-reality/. Did nobody read my comment? Jacksonville has been doing this since 2010. But, yes it is more restrictive this year. If you click on my previous post link, there is a link there to the entire ordinance.