New Florida Clemency Law AGAIN carves out persons convicted of a sex offense.
Earlier today the Florida Clemency Board voted to automatically restore most civil rights stripped from felons once they have completed their sentences, including court-ordered financial obligations. Felons who meet the criteria for restoration of rights still won’t have the right to own, possess or use firearms, but they will be able to to serve on a jury and hold public office.“I believe that those who have had their voting rights restored under Amendment 4, it makes sense to also restore the other civil rights,” DeSantis said.
The new policy will not apply to people convicted of murder or felony sex crimes.
As long as it is not punishment EVERYTHING is ok. But I think Daniel Webster would roll over in his grave that the words punishment and punitive were erased from the sex offender edition of the dictionary. We are all given an edited dictionary upon release from the department of corrections.
Seems certain laws and their meanings can be twisted in favor of law makers
(Sarcasm intended)
So after vehemently fighting this for two years, now DeSatanist wants to proclaim how “compassionate” he is. GTFOH
This comes as no surprise.
SSDD…ya gotta wonder if we’ll ever get justice and be free again.
California has a similar bill being proposed – which also has a carve out for those convicted of sex offenses.
So this means we can apply for our rights back though without having to wait for the 5 years?
I’ve sent in my paperwork for my rights 3 times since 2010 and when I call or right about my status I get told “We have not received any paperwork from you.” That is even though I have the SIGNED Return Receipt/Certified Mail paper in my hand where they had to sign for the documents.
I think a good start is for anyone convicted of a sex offense, just as long as your sentence has been completed, including probation, is to apply for a waiver (which I think you can, FAC legal help me out on this) and actually go in person in front of the commission. The more people show up and better. I’ll let FAC legal comment further on this.
I am not sure what your speaking towards Big J. I submitted my paperwork to the Clemency Board in 2007. TO date they have not yet even assigned an investigator to my request. I asked for voting rights only in an attempt to make it faster. Imagine if I had asked for 2nd amendment rights as well.
When this was being supported by the ACLU, i joined in on the group call and asked why were certain groups being excluded and was told in so many words, the bill had a better chance of being passed without certain individuals being included.. and you know who was deliberately kept out..
For those who got their rights back congrats.. for the rest of us.. just more of whats very routine.. very very routine.
Folks, this is going to be an uphill battle…… The political background here in Florida is, and always has been, staunch conservative and that’s NOT a commentary on political party. The social/political climate in Florida sees anyone in our “caste” of RSO’s as unworthy of participating in normal society. We see ourselves, rightfully so, as citizens that are required to register but for the majority of voters that drive what’s considered the “socially acceptable” bus here in Florida we are considered unclean or unworthy of participating in society. We talk of getting relief/justice through the court system but that also is driven by the social and political climate here in Florida which has resulted in a predominantly conservative judiciary.
My feelings are that we need to keep working at small, almost unnoticeable legal victories and slowly loosen the social and political stranglehold that Florida has on us. It’s the old story of boiling the frog by putting it in room temp water and then slowly increasing the temperature until it boils.
Roger
People think if democrats take over a state, their saviour has come to save the day. They may be more lienent on many issues, but not on sex offender issues. Look at California, one of the most liberal states in the Union, and yet they have some of the harshest registries in the nation.
If Florida Governor Densantis runs for president, which he hinted he would, and a democrat takes over in florida, there is no guarantee that glory has shown upon us. Seems everyone but our families hate us. Even Ex murderers are welcomed with warm embraces to get back into society (in most states)
Why do you think the brainiacs came up with civil committments for ex sex offenders who have done their time. Someone who murdered someone, car jacked someone, beat someone, is just as much if not more a future threat to society once released. And yet, they get to go on livin while we go on registering Ad infinitum.
Jack,
I wasn’t alluding to any particular party. I’ve lived in Florida since birth (60 years) and the political climate and judiciary have always been extremely conservative. I was in my middle teens before anything was open on a Sunday. I watched 2 young people in my age group be beaten senseless, one for being black and on the wrong side of town after dark and the other for being a gay teen whose family moved down from up north. Whom ever Florida elects as governor next election will not have any significant impact on our situation. Any advances on our behalf will have to take place in almost unnoticeable increments so as to not rile the public and fear-mongers out there to action.
Roger
Thank you for your reply. I use to live in Ocoee. I really didn’t know the history of what happened there back in the day until I saw the story on a special the news did recently. Although I am white, I was appalled to see back in the 1930s all the black folks were beaten, killed, burned or run out of town.
To make matters worse, the rich white men went down to the court house and declared all the property owned by blacks now belong to wealthy whites, and the judge signed off on it as he was in on as well.
It was known as the Ocoee Massacre.
Am I saying we should compare ourselves to their demise? Yes and no. No because it is not about race with us. Yes because it is the same mentality. Those in power make the rules up as they go along and the Hell with the constitution. AND the sad thing is, the courts turn a blind eye. When they say justice is blind, that is NOT what comes to mind.
I don’t live in FL so I don’t know how many carve-outs there are but it would seem at some point there are enough straws on the camel’s back, so to speak, to be able to show animus against RCs and murderers. Though considered the most heinous crimes, they have the lowest recidivism rate. Is it possible Romer v. Evans could somehow, some day, apply?