Facing an imminent lawsuit to be brought by Legal Services of Greater Miami on behalf of the homeless sex offenders living alongside railroad tracks in Miami-Dade, the Deputy Mayor has granted a temporary reprieve to the forced eviction scheduled for Sunday, May 6, 2018.
Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez, had sent a memo on March 21st, announcing plans to shut down the encampment of sex offenders living outdoors, legislated into homelessness by the County’s 2500 foot exclusion zone. Included in that plan was a deadline of May 6th for the registrants to leave or the County would enforce the recently enacted “Bovo Amendment” enabling them to arrest homeless on site if they were registered sex offenders.
During the period that followed, nobody, including the homeless trust, was able to find alternate housing for the 270 individuals, even for those who could afford it. The county’s solution; move them to another street corner all the way in southwest Miami,next to a rock quarry in the middle of nowhere, over one mile from the closest public transportation, where they would still be outdoors without shelter, running water or sanitation. Still “overnight camping”.
As the deadline approached, attorney Jeffrey Hearne, Director of Litigation at Legal Services of Greater Miami, sent notice to the County that if they intend to move forward, a lawsuit would be filed.
Today, Deputy Mayor Maurice Kemp granted a stay of any enforcement action so that the County can “provide clarity” as to what their intended next course of action is. A copy of the letter is below.
A tremendous amount of gratitude goes out to Jeff Hearne who has been working tirelessly on this!
This is merely a 4 day reprieve.
Courts are beginning to rule that SORR are Punishments and not remedial sanctions Violative Federal ex post facto clause.
Counties can not impose punishments power belongs only to the State legislation.
I will repeat this fact of Constitutional law until someone listens.
I was going to pursue this issue privately however I’ve been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and now in a battle for my life.
Thank God for.all your hard work it has paid off as of now. We must take a stand if we are to ever see changes. RSOs should not he treated any differently than any other criminal Offenders.
Thank God for Jeff Hearne!
A huge thank you to Mayor Kemp and Jeff Hearne! You are wonderful people who have a heart.
Thank you, Florida Action Committee, for your hard work!
It takes some real thinking, some real research and a heart for people who need help to do this work. Thank you!
Jeff Hearne deserves all the thanks.
The Vice Mayor only granted a reprieve under threat of the lawsuit.
This is just the saddest thing. Thank you Jeff for your heart and your tireless work.
The authorities in Miami are surely a threat but at least they don’t seek out registered citizens to set them on fire as one vigilante is accused of doing (and confessed to doing) in Kissimmee, Florida, this weekend. Please check the following link http://www.wesh.com/article/man-accused-of-trying-to-kill-several-people-in-kissimmee/20193028
The substantive prong to the 5th and 14th Amendments Due Process Clauses prohibits “arbitrary and capricious government conduct,” including arbitrary laws. The erroneous presumption RSO’s have a high rate of recidivism, adopted by all legislators and Congress, renders the AWA and Residency Laws arbitrary and unconstitutional. There is a body of case law on arbitrary laws.
Koodos To Mr Hearne! Thanks for being one of the few that cares. I’ve always said for the last 20-30 years,that people have no problem given away someone else’s freedom, constitutional rights. But now the shoe’s on the other foot and they want to start crying about it. If the truth was known these people that pass judgement on other people have the same skeletons in their closet, but they haven’t been caught. You see it everyday media, schools, priest, teachers officers government officials it goes on and on! So maybe the Paradigm will shift again and get us out of this suppression and unconstitutional laws of United States Of America
Today it’s Us tomorrow it’s You wise up America.
Congratulations on the reprieve! You have saved hundreds of registrants and their families from great harm.
Yay!!!!!!! I met Jeff out at the tent area and the patience and humanity he showed towards the registrants was heartwarming. Kudos to Jeff!!
Love it!!! Nice try Bovo and Books.
No one should have to work tirelessly on this. Human beings should not be treated like this.