Would you have taken the plea had you known… ?
One of the comments that irritates me the most is “well you should have thought of that before you…”.
It was once said to me by a police officer who had just denied every single one of the proposed residences on the list I provided her because it ran afoul of their city’s residency restriction. It had been my third list of more than a dozen rentals, generated after my third trip going around the city with a realtor trying to find a compliant place to live that didn’t look like it was too close to a “place where children congregate”. I was quickly realizing the effort was pointless, because EVERYWHERE was too close to a school bus stop or place where children congregate. As I pleaded with her for guidance because I was days away from being homeless. She just looked at me and said, “well you should have thought of that before you looked at what you did.”
No, actually, I couldn’t have though about the residency restriction because it didn’t exist until years after my offense. At the time I took my plea, nearly 20 years ago, it was completely unforeseeable that someone would come up with that! Had I known that every year the screws would be tightened and new restrictions would be added to the list, I would have never taken my plea.
Which brings us to a poll (which you can answer by clicking on the “Yes” or “No” below). Results will be shared after we have collected a meaningful sample.
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I said I would, it’s a hard decision really looking at it from this side but I thought long about it and said yes. I was sentenced it of Washington county. They are notorious for you take that please it you get the max. It was 5 prison and 3 probation or 15 years. I would be getting out this year from the 15, but all the good I have done for myself and others these past 9 years would have never happened. I read some comments about prison, it is scary to think about going there. Once you are there, you get into a routine. I could have done 15, glad I didn’t have to but it is possible. Does any of this retrospection take away from my disdain for the system and nonsense I live with, not at all. I would move away to another state if I thought it would be any better. The only hope we have is one day someone will be brave enough to look at the evidence and make decision based on facts not emotion.
It isn’t much better to fight it. In Florida, the public is so brainwashed no juror believes you could possibly be innocent. And the judges won’t allow you to present your evidence at trial or call your witness’. Then you still get convicted and get a prison term as punishment for going to trial. And you still get a long term of probation. So basically you get the same deal with prison time added. And the judge penalizes you for not taking a deal. I don’t know if anyone can win in Florida at trial. Especially in the cases where cops set you up and no one believes a cop would ever lie.
Debi Bochmann
You are soo right. But it’s not just in Florida. From the time we start school we are taught the cops and courts are the good guys always trust them. Brain wash, fake news, lies, our government always does what is best for you, propaganda, The truth is government is not run by “ we the people “ it’s run by greedy politicians, and selfish people with badges, only interested in their own bank accounts. Look and see the results.
“ And the judges won’t allow you to present your evidence at trial or call your witness”
This is what I was referring to in another comment I made in here. This is not right. We are all innocent until proven guilty, and if we have evidence to prove our innocence the why the hell would a judge block that? This is literal corruption and needs to be blasted all over the place so everyone can see what could happen to them. Make it about ANY type of criminal charge (people have to understand that a CHARGE is nothing more than an ACCUSATION). I say publish the judge and prosecutor’s names in articles and say that no matter what crime you are ACCUSED of, you obviously cannot provide YOUR evidence because judges and prosecutors just want convictions.
This will raise eyebrows.
Hell No. It’s been almost 30 years and I’m still paying. So again.. NO!
My parents are elderly. I do not have much family left. After my parents are gone, if I am still on the registry, I will have nothing to lose so I might become a Martyr for our cause.
My Dad is a cancer survivor and a war veteran. My Mother almost ended up in a mental ward when I was sent to prison. I have only myself to blame for that part. I will however, take zero blame for being put on a registry when that was NOT part of any deal and didn’t even exist then. People come and harass us all the time. My Dad had to send all his guns to another safe location just so I could live with them. My Mom recently had to pepper spray someone who refused to leave until they got to speak with me. I was not home at the time or it would have ended even worse for that person and probably me. I put family only under God and sometimes have to apologize to Him for putting them first.
I am in no way a mental case but each day wake up thinking, this will be the day, the week, the month, the year, the decade………. we get some relief. In reality, it just keeps getting worse and wore with no end in site.
Going to go lay down now, got myself all hyped up.
No, a Suspended Imposition of Sentence ( not a conviction in Missouri), no jail time and 2 years probation. All this in 1993 before the registry was non existent…..now a tier 3. Someone needs to explain to me how a person without a conviction can be labeled the worse of the worse and retroactively at that. Fu*king amazing and this is in the USA.
sad Matthew how it turns out by yea I took Adjuication withheld same as your (SIS) we took that to keep from getting conviction on our record,
yrs later now and after 15k of fees for past attempts an attorney now who is good still to this day (INA) under AWA says sorry we see withheld as conviction your shit out of Luck we fk you out of your wife and mother of your child, even when I was putting letters of good conduct together they wanted me to have all the letters state I was convicted of a Sex offense which was far from ADJ withheld so either way they just keep stickin it in the A$$
Someone keeps going down to the court house and paying to get my records which should not be released. They get them, make copies and hang them on all my neighbors doors. When I call the police, they say there is nothing they can do.
One neighbor came down and said ” Stop hanging your notifications on my door”.
He thought I was required to do that but it WASN”T me.
Has every juicy detail of my case other than redacted victim info.
Jack if your in florida its public access nothing is private
Jack Albert bldg Florida mine kept. happen to me 2x even after th
CherokeeJack
if you need a peaceful place to live i have a 3 br home that i rent out between orlando airport and palmbay currently it is rented but i’m 70% sure they will be moving in a few months
I appreciate it my friend, that is very nice of you. I do not work so my parents are letting me live for free by being their slave LOL
Wash dishes, clean the house, fix broken things. Mow the yard etc etc.
I know there is a guy who is there sometimes when I register. He bought every house on his street and only rents to people on the registry. I think he has like 4-6 guys in each house.
At least for law enforcement they can check on numerous people on one street.
Thanks again for the offer, that was mighty kind of you sir.
Hell no! back in the day I just out of Military with TBI (traumatic Brain Injury) suffering off on dementia took 3 yrs to get into court underage dating me in my young 20s parents refused to press charges, they i get a Public defender New young punk as kid of course after 4 Public defenders who bowed out cause it was a BS charge they knew it any 6 pre trials later and refusals from the parent to show up i said i wanted a trial, the Punk ass kid said even if your found not guilty judge still has to find you guilty and you get 10 yrs my brainless confused ass took the plea 2 days before probation was up AWA took effect and the rest of my life is in the shitter though released from the club 10yr hitch, i’m still paying the fiddler
Had I known then what I know now I wouldn’t be alive. My case was complicated with a dirty cop soon to be father-in-law that didn’t want me to marry his daughter. They didn’t like that I wouldn’t fall in line with their expectations. Bingo bango here I am. The night my life started falling apart I made a very serious attempt on my life. 9 days in icu on life support 23 days in the hospital. Had I known I would have had my life destroyed, my dreams crushed and a son taken from me forever, Had I known all these things I would have cut the veins from my arms leaving no chance of saving me.
Dan I am so glad you did you didn’t do that. I do not know if you believe in God and never push my faith and beliefs on anyone. Having said that, God has a plan for all of us, but also gives us free will. He did however allow you to live after the hospital stay because He has something in store for you. It could even be you helping someone else that has nothing to do with you.
Maybe some day you can re-connect with your son.
Isaiah 41:10