Fearless Group Support Team Starts in Florida
There is Fearless Group starting in Florida and you are invited to participate. This is a peer-led support program that has been offered by NARSOL affiliates in other states. With the leadership of a key volunteer in the Tampa area, FAC members can now participate, too.
Meet your facilitator Daphne on the first phone meeting Thursday November 19 from 6:30-8:00pm ET. Call 727-731-2927.
The program is aimed specifically at providing a supportive community for persons who are required to register, along with their family members and significant others who face the same challenges, which are immense. Fearless groups run independent of FAC and have no direct ties to the organization. The purpose is to encourage members to become “fearless” and strength to be an active advocate for organizations such as FAC. You can read more about it in the Fearless Group pamphlet.
Three Key Goals of Fearless Groups:
* Ending the fear we experience as registered citizens or friends and family of registered citizens.
* Ending the fear of the general public due to false stereotypes and hype regarding registered citizens.
* Helping each other to overcome obstacles and succeed in life, in spite of the laws that keep us down.
The meetings are structured, beginning with the reading of the Fearless Group Courtesies and Manifesto, then moves to the two main potions:
1) a presentation that focuses on ways to take charge of your own life and affect change in the law.
2) a very quick check-in: where they are, what you may be dealing with etc. then proceeds to discussion and feedback on a range of topics.
Sharing your story with others
Coping with stress
Taking care of ourselves
Getting past fear
Discuss a manifesto declaration
Letting go of anger
Initially, the meetings will be by phone and we hope later to see small, local in-person groups develop throughout the state.
Join Daphne and others for the first meeting Thursday Nov 19 from 6:30-8:00pm ET. Call 727-731-2927.
If you are unable to join Thu evening, but want to participate at another time, contact Daphne to let her know your availability, your concerns, and perhaps your desire to lead a Fearless Group in your area. She can be reached at: daphne.fac@gmail.com or leave a message at 321-754-0446.
You can read more about Fearless Groups on the NARSOL site.
I own several houses in Michigan and rent to registrants. I recently purchased a house I will be remodeling into an office for my business. During non-business hours I will be holding meetings there for registrants. If I can get a reliable person to handle a helpline I will buy the phone. I am also looking for a property to turn into a homeless shelter for registrants. I have housing today for registrants and their families and a rooming house for single males. I will put females in this house if I believe they are able to protect themselves and don’t bring drama. In the coming months we will have a freestanding office to hold meetings and receive mail. As soon I have a reliable volunteer, we will have a helpline.
Through a series of federal and state court decisions, most persons with an offense date that predates 2012 will be removed from the registry in Michigan and the remainder will receive a date certain to be removed. If you have an offense date that predates 2012, want off of the registry and are willing to relocate to Michigan or want to participate in this effort, please contact me at leonb7056@gmail.com. I have never been on the registry so this is something I do when I have time. My properties come first. I am also in my 60’s and getting quite slow, so you have to be patient. I can reduce rent for advocates and persons with carpentry, electrical and plumbing experience.
Michigan will REMOVE thousands from its registry? That’s new. Can anyone verify?
https://www.bing.com/search?q=Michigan+will+REMOVE+thousands+from+its+registry&pglt=43&FORM=ANNTA1&PC=LCTS
The court in Michigan already ruled, right? But they did not order registry removals, did they?
If I am forced to register for life in florida and I relocate to Michigan, do I have to continue to register for life? If I don’t, where in the law does it say i dont have to?
You’ll remain on the Florida registry until the end of time, at least for the foreseeable future. As I understand it and assuming your original register-able offense was pre-2011, you would not have to register in Michigan.
But understand that if and when Michigan rewrites its registry law, they’ll probably include a provision that requires registration if you’re registered in another state regardless of whatever date the crime was committed.
Even so, you’d have a good chance to beat that if you move prior to the enactment of the rewritten law. I’m not a lawyer, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night….
Michigan removing thousands from the registry isn’t new. We have won a string of victories in both state and federal court for the last several years.
In 2018, Michigan elected Dana Nessel as it’s attorney general. One of the first things she did upon taking office was to begin work to reduce the number of persons on the Michigan registry. She put out a press release only 3 months after taking office on the subject which you can read on the Michigan.gov website. She filed two amicus briefs in two separate Michigan Supreme Court case SUPPORTING THE REGISTRANT’S POSITION. We are talking 60+ page briefs telling the truth about the registry. All the other attorney generals want to castrate and torture sex offenders. Michigan is the only state in the union where the attorney general is placing science and reason above politics. Ask FAC to post these briefs.
I keep telling registrants that Michigan will be the first state that will be forced to abolish the registry by the courts but no one believes me. And yet the courts have been consistently siding with registrants in Michigan. Now we have an attorney general that is siding with registrants.
#goodbyeregistryinmichigan!!!
Has Michigan removed anyone from the registry yet?
The attorney general’s briefs in the Michigan Supreme Court cases can be read at: People v Snyder, case #153696 and people v Betts, case #148981. Ask FAC to post them.
FAC already has a link to both briefs. Put Betts into FAC’s search box and two articles come up with one of them with the links. Perhaps FAC needs to issue a reminder on these briefs.
Does I only removed the named plaintiffs years ago. Does II is being litigated to remove the remainder. The attorney in the Does II lawsuit is the Oliver Law Group in Troy, Michigan. Their # is 248-206-3677.
Sadly, even if you move to Michigan and eventually get off their registry, you will forever be on Floriduh’s. So a Google search will still show you as a “sex offender.” Until that battle is won, moving should be discussed thoroughly with your family/friends/support system.
Thank you, “Detroit,” for your obvious dedication and hard work helping registered citizens.
With Regard to The Google Search of a ‘Person Forced to Register’, it is my understanding that the FDLE pays Google a fee so that an algorithmic sequence can be created so that all ‘persons forced to register’ in Florida are ‘TAGGED’ in Name Searches,…SO, THAT is the Real Problem of Being on The FLori-Duh Registry……I have not looked in to the Legality of why the FDLE is able to have GOOGLE do this…….SO, the real problem is GOOGLE!….Please comment!
How is it your understanding that FDLE pays Google a fee? Based on what?
Companies or entities can pay Google to have their sites at the top of the search results. But, Google always seems to place negative content at the top. Information on this topic is suppressed by Google so it’s hard to find. But here’s something:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMTCCT_NtBk
This June 2020 article from Detroit News is especially worrisome:
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2020/06/08/michigan-sex-offender-registry-changes-considered/5196974002/
“Michigan State Police Col. Joseph Gasper….”
“Gasper also called for stricter rules governing sex offenders who move to Michigan from other states.
‘Any revision of (the law) should ensure and clarify that an individual convicted in another state of an offense requiring sex offender registration in that state should, at a minimum, be required to register in Michigan for a similar duration under substantially similar terms regardless of the date of offense,’ he wrote.”
So life on the registry in Floriduh would equate to life on the registry in Michigan if Gasper gets his way. Ex post facto be damned!
In reading the entire article, I can’t see where anyone has been removed from their registry, they are just not enforcing it.
Tell ya what… I’ll let go of my “anger” just as soon as the cops, media and society lets go of their pervasive hate. Does that sound reasonable?
JZ:
The article you reference is irrelevant. These are only opinions. The fact remains, when Does II is settled, most registrants whose offense date predates 2012 will be removed from the registry and the remainder will receive a date certain to be removed.
You can find thousands of these articles of various opinions in every state. All sex offenders should be castrated, sent to a remote islands, removed from society permanently… These are all opinions. Opinions don’t matter. The law does.
The reason I know what is going on in Michigan is because I am one of the ones doing the legal research on this issue. I am aware of what arguments are in the planning stage. From what I know, I am confident that the registry in Michigan will be brought down in the coming years. Things are happening in Michigan. We are not planning on whittling around the edges and taking down the registry piece by piece. We are planning on striking at the very heart of the registry. Registrants have to be patient. It took us 6 years to get to this point. We are hoping that the pre-2012 registrants will be removed in 2021 or 2022 at the latest. Within the next 6 years we will be building on these current cases and asking the courts to take down the registry in Michigan in it’s entirety. These lawsuits take years. Look at the lawsuits in the various states that are unsuccessful. Simply by reading them you can see the poor planning that went into them. Litigating successfully is more than just raising money and finding an attorney to press an argument. To be successful in litigation takes years of preparation. This is why we are getting these various bad decisions. Registrants are more concerned with getting themselves as individuals off of the registry than striking at the very heart of what makes the concept of registration unconstitutional. Registrants believe they are doing something positive by attacking the registry piecemeal but they are not. Their poor planning is getting bad case law that is making it more difficult to litigate successfully. We work years to develop a successful argument and a bad decision sends us back to the drawing board. The quickest way for registrants in other states to get off of the registry is by supporting our efforts in Michigan. The best way to support us is by stop getting these bad decisions. Registrants aren’t looking at why Michigan is successful. They are only looking at their own personal situation and the situation in their own state. I don’t want registrants to stop donating to these various efforts. I want them to recognize the planning that goes into being successful in litigation so they are more successful in court. Registrants in Florida and other states can be successful in court if they concentrate more on planning their litigation. You don’t just raise $20,000 and go into court. You must be prepared to appeal to the 11th Circuit and ultimately the U.S. Supreme Court. Realistically, the very minimum you should be raising for any case is $50,000 and $100,000 is more realistic.
Currently various litigators are involved in the various aspects of the registry in Michigan. We are hoping to get at least the core group of litigators in Michigan brought together over the next year or two in an effort to strike at the very concept of litigation. Things are happening in Michigan. Stay tuned.
I meant striking at the concept of registration.
Rest assured, this article is not worrisome. Focus on the law, not opinions.
Where the law stands currently. All persons whose offense date predates October 1, 1994, who were not in prison on probation or parole on or after October 1, 1994 and have no subsequent felony conviction are off of the registry today and permanently off of the registry. Through a series of state and federal court decisions, these persons can never be placed back on the registry.
It’s the persons who were on the registry between 1994 and 2012 who are difficult to determine if they are required to register or not. Does I took all of the named plaintiffs off of the registry. We are anticipating that most offenders whose offense date predates 2012 will be PERMANENTLY removed from the registry in 2021 or 2022 at the latest. This is by what the courts have ruled. Everything else is speculation.
We are working on getting the entire registry ruled unconstitutional and expect Michigan to be the first state where the entire registry is taken down in it’s entirety.
Offenders from 1994-2012 are listed on Michigan’s registry currently. They can be viewed on the Michigan State Police website.
Much as I’d love MSP to take them down, I haven’t seen anyone order them to do so.
JZ brings up an interesting point. Being removed from the registry in Michigan and continue to be on the registry in Florida.
If you move to Michigan and are removed from the registry it is highly unlikely that your landlord, neighbors or employers will know you were on the registry in the past. I own several houses and do background checks on all renters. The registry is not tied into the system of performing background checks. When I do background checks it won’t catch someone who is on the registry but whose record is sealed (i.e., a lot of juvenile adjudications). Actually I haven’t had a single juvenile adjudication appear on a background check yet and learned later of applicants juvenile cases. This is probably because most of my applicants are from Michigan and it’s difficult to get juvenile records in Michigan (plus there are statutes making it difficult to get juvenile records in Michigan). I don’t know the status of out of state juvenile records. This could present an invasion of privacy claim for someone who moves to Michigan with a juvenile record who is not required to register in Michigan. This may be how Florida’s law of listing registrants who have moved out of state is eventually addressed. A registrant may move to Michigan, get off of the registry and sue Florida for continuing to list him on the register.
Landlords and employers can only get your criminal history by doing a background check with your approval and only convictions on your record will show up. There are limited background checks that cheap landlords and employers use where certain convictions such as convictions over 20 years old don’t appear. I pay a premium for good background checks and have found that it still misses some criminal convictions.
It’s highly unlikely a neighbor would find you on the registry in Florida. They wouldn’t be able to find it by a zip code or address check if you are not required to register in Michigan. They would need your correct name and spelling to locate you on the registry in Florida. This can be defeated by using a nickname rather than your real name or giving them the incorrect spelling of your last name or a false last name altogether. If you change your name in Michigan, you are under no obligation to report it to Florida as long as you don’t return there and re-register there. In this scenario, you can give everyone your real name with the correct spelling and they would never know. In short, it is highly unlikely that any of your neighbors would find you on the registry. If your employer or landlord doesn’t do background checks they probably won’t find out either. The only way to know for sure is to spend some time in Michigan.
Thank you and in no way do I mean to belittle your diligence, but it doesn’t take a background check. The Google search algorithm places “sex offenders” near the top of the results when you search the name.
I have a problem in Osceola County, FL because there are no hearings being held and the inmates are continually being kept in jail because of this. What is the solution? What can we do?
This dilemma of being kept in jail waiting for hearings to start up is becoming a problem nationwide.
https://dcist.com/story/20/11/16/us-parole-commission-dc-jail-coronavirus-covid19-pandemic/?fbclid=IwAR1KWs5vV1RFBDdwBKxVTe9Ev0PmuzCriTOexX7Ghmrz7yN8IZdYn-Ygr8Y
Jacksonville, FL had started back with jury trials, only to close down again because of the virus. We feel for you.
Jacob:
Read the posts. Does I took all of the named plaintiffs off of the registry. Yes, the judge did order them removed. Does II was filed to enforce Does I for the remainder of 1994-2012 registrants. We expect a final order in 2021 to take the remainder off of the registry.
Very few prosecutors are filing FTR’s in Michigan anyway due to the registry being up in the air.
The federal court suspended most registration violations, except for persons who refused to register. Due to covid, the federal judge suspended enforcement of the registry in a separate order.
Read all of the info at aclumich.org.
Persons who relocate to Michigan whose offense date predates July 1, 2011, can move to Michigan and apply to be removed from the registry today. You can download a copy of the petition on Michigan’s website. I have emailed all of this to FAC and asked them to post it on this website.
Has Michigan removed anyone from its registry under this procedure?
The court ruled that placing registrants on the registry whose offence date preceded July 1, 2011 is unconstitutional. Any person who is on the registry today is on in violation of the U.S. Constitution. Michigan is forcing them to be removed one by one through the petition process. Removal is mandatory and less than 5% have applied and have been removed. The remaining 95% are most likely unaware that they are eligible for removal. Does I only removed the named plaintiffs. Michigan has a petition process and is forcing eligible registrants to use this petition process to be removed. They have recently changed the petition to reflect the recent court decisions. I emailed a copy of the new petition to FAC and asked them to post it. You can obtain a copy of the petition by googling “Michigan sex offender 406 a”.
The remaining registrants may be eligible for monetary compensation for being on the registry after the court ruled keeping them on is unconstitutional. To see if they are seeking monetary damages in Does II, you have to contact the Oliver Law Group in Troy, Michigan.
The problem with determining if a person is required to register is that there are so many different dates reflecting the various changes in the law. It is difficult for even an experienced criminal defense attorney to determine if a person is required to register. Read the court decisions at aclumich.org and you see that even the judge was confused.
The 2 most important dates are October 15, 1995 and July 1, 2011. All offenders whose offense date preceded October 15, 1995 are permanently off of the registry except for a very small number who were in prison or on parole or probation on or after October 15, 1995. All persons whose offense date falls between October 15, 1995 and July 1, 2011 will either be removed from the registry or receive a date certain to be removed. These persons eligible for removal who are still on the registry may be eligible for monetary compensation.
Dustin;
You are only creating rumors. The courts have already ruled that Michigan must treat out of state offenses the same as in state offenses. Michigan cannot apply a different set of rules to persons who were required to register in another state. If registrants move to Michigan to get off of the registry, then so be it.
If you are not required to register in Michigan and remain in a state where you are required to register, then getting off of the registry isn’t that important to you.
All – this post got hijacked. This is not about Michigan