Martin County deputies arrest multiple sex offenders altering their driver’s licenses
Well this isn’t good… How about the other 99% of the times someone needs to show their drivers licenses, like when cashing a check or using a credit card?
Florida Action Committee
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Or staying at a hotel.
The offender designation is pretty nondescript, but the predators designation is very much in your face and in red print.
Speaking of hotels, I stay in them frequently and have never had a problem. I did stay at a place called Woodbridge Suites a few weeks ago that said on the registration form that they checked the guest list against the federal database and PRR would be asked to vacate, but apparently that was just to make people feel warm and fuzzy.
Well now that the news caught wind of this, now people will start looking for that statue #. Great now more hard times for all of us. Like I said, I got pulled over a couple years ago and the deputy said he didn’t know what that # was until he ran my license.
Having said that , how in the *uck is that branding NOT punishment, at least for those who have sexual predator on their licenses? Especially so for those who have done their time. There was a big fight over a similar controversy with the yard signs a few years back that registrants had to place in their yard displaying they were an offender.
Might as well perp walk all of us around town with sandwich boards around our necks like they did back in the day with the town drunk, advertising our crime.
At minimum, it’s compelled speech. That doesn’t mean the State must remove it but it does need to prove it’s the least restrictive means to achieve a compelling government interest. The interests is well established and probably unimpeachable but “least restrictive” is certainly ripe for attack.
My take on “least restrictive” is indeed removal, as the State already has a means to convey this information to the public. It’s called the ML registry. That people don’t use it doesn’t mean the State can steamroll one’s Free Speech rights. If that argument fails, I then say the least restrictive means would be to have some minor coding or symbol on the back of the license. Given the State argues it’s for the benefit of LE (which is pure crap for a number of reasons I’ll skip), there should be no problem putting it on back. Or is the State willing to stipulate their LE employees don’t completely look at a license when they have one in hand?
It would be prudent for these FL people to look at the recent case out of the LA SC, which itself referenced the Fed District Court case out of AL.
But it’s not punishment, right?
First off, they were wrong for altering the license. Now because of that people are more aware and will be looking at drivers license closer. All this does is makes it harder for everyone else because it’s another tool for them to use in the witch hunt.
I don’t think there should be any special markings on license, but there is. So a few people wanting to buck the system will make it harder in the rest of the population.
Before you break out the Kool aid and crackers…I think this can be appealed to a Federal District Court. In Colorado we saw it fail at the State level, appeal to Fed Level ( Judge Richard Matche) where it was overturned. Several States pooled their resources and appealed at Fed District Appeal Court and FDAC overturned Matche. FAC covered this. This case is a bit different so hopefully it will hold up. Here is hoping this is the crack in the wall that brings it down.
If they were really concerned about their criminal histories, they would have done a proper background check. Their driver’s license isn’t going to tell them if they were previously convicted of murder, child abuse, etc.
Of course. That is beyond obvious to people with brains. But Registry Supporters/Terrorists can’t be bothered with facts or reality. They’ll love a Scarlet Letter even if it is useless and gravely harms children. Because in reality, they don’t actually care about children or people in general. They care about how they feel.
Still not punishment though right? I cant believe that no attorney out there with all the evidence of things that are against us has not made a case strong enough to get a state or federal supreme court to abolish the registry. It is clearly Double jeopardy we are being punished for the same crime over and over. the gentleman clearly said in the video if he or someone else hires any offender/predator and they commit a crime again they are liable. After seeing that how many people out there do you think will hire anyone on the registry? barred from getting some state licenses to work like nursing barred from living in a large part of the state and now barred from being hired in almost any field and that’s just the tip of the iceberg
Judge: What evidence do you have that sex offenders are prevented from working?
File it! More evidence for us! Keep it comin Florida!
(That’s my neck of the woods, btw. Don’t let the location fool you, they are as conservative and ignorant as they come. They
pride themselves in keeping the “evils” of South Florida at bay. Just look at what I-95 does in Martin County – that pretty much explains the politics there. )
Question: my florida dl cracked at the bottom and broke where the statute is. I used clear tape to fix it until I can get a replacement. Is this a violation of law since I didn’t actually modify the dl but actually fixed it?
Curious
Even though I am not an attorney, I believe if it was clear tape and were just repairing it without blocking the info, you are good until you get it replaced. That is not really altering or covering any information. I do think if you got pulled over, the officer would tell you to get it replaced. So I would do so as soon as you can.
My thoughts are, if I was going to alter mine, it would be a sticker the same color as the background of the license. Show it to hotel or who ever then take it off the rest of the time in case you are pulled over.
But burning it is illegal even if not on the registry. It plainly states in the law that alter a state issued ID is a crime. Temporaily protecting your safety with a pull off sticker to me is not altering it. NOT saying to do that but was a better idea that burning off the designation.
Luckily mine just has a small statue # that even most cops do not pay attention to ( Know that from experience during traffic stop.)
Martin County is full of boat loving, yacht owning people. There’s a lot of snobs down there thinking they’re the same as West Palm Beach. I live in Saint Lucie County and I have to go down there pretty often to drop jobs off and on the surface it is nice but they’re pretty rude there overall. I thought about concealing my license somehow but I realized that it’s not worth it. It’s not pleasant to have to show your license but if you have to do it then you have to do it. It’s better to get an evil look then to be arrested for altering something like a license. I definitely agree that adding the designations to a license is a form of punishment especially since I have the Predator one on there. I don’t know how they can say it’s just for information and not harming the person that has the license. Why don’t they have one on their license for a week or two and see how it goes? I understand it’s my fault for the wrongs I’ve done but after 23 years since I’ve been in trouble I think it’s a bit Overkill all this that they’re doing. I could understand if a person was on probation and they had the registry and the license designation but once you’re done with probation or parole all that should be be taken off. They still have your record they still know who you are
remember people, keep your mouth shut and don’t talk to the police!!! im not sure how the statute reads but i suspect the state would have to prove the person arrested was the one that actually altered this said lic.
No, the statute requires sexual offenders and sexual predators to possess a driver’s license with the required markings. Even if it somehow miraculously got erased off, we would be legally required to get a new one right away, based on how the statute is written. The crime is not actually defacing the card; it’s not having one with the required markings.
In other words, if you’re on the registry, it’s a felony to lose or have your license/ID stolen, be too broke to afford one, OR even allow it to expire. 🤦♂️
Keep your stuff updated and set a reminder well in advance to renew, folks.
How is labeling a driver’s license with “sex deviant” any different than wearing a scarlet letter around your neck, or a yellow star on your coat, or a sign on your lawn, or prohibiting some categories of people or certain races from entering a town, restaurant, or wooded area for hiking. Is not that information routinely available during an electronic records check by radio? Is there a presumption of privacy in records? Scholars have shown in study that these former offenders have one of the lowest recidivist levels, but those in the Criminal Justice system seem to refuse to accept the proof before them. Their continued villification keeps them and families from reentering society. Can’t forget that the Registry is overburdened with lesser non-violent crimes that do not warrant this shame and cruelty, i.e., consensual sex by minors (like parking in the 1960s), consensual high school selfies, nudity (like a romantic swim or beach day or midnight hotel pool by adults), urination at construction sites or while hiking, viewing an illegal picture free on the internet. The size of the Registry is overwhelmed by well-meaning public servants. The Founding Fathers stressed the nature of human rights, and the justice in allowing persons successfully graduated from punishment to resume status as a citizen, and live unhindered the best life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness they can. Do you not expect freemen to rebel against injustice, bad lawmaking, by throwing tea with illegal taxes overboard? For those officers that took the time to enforce this unjust law, would it be easier to understand or offer some forgiveness or administrative admonishment, if one of those civil protesters were their own son or daughter? What makes law makers more interested in appearing tough on crime, than ”just” before voters? Many years ago, certain Supreme Court judges favored their role and that of prosecutors, and law makers on justice rather than high arrest rates. What if a legislator put more importance in revising the criminal justice rules that might actually lesson the population of prisons, reduce plea bargains that imprison innocent people, hold prosecutors culpably responsible for hiding evidence, lying, and then help failed souls and families to reenter the community without welfare or poverty or homelessness?
It’s different from wearing a yellow star. Trust me on this.
Exactly. The Scarlet Letter and Hester Prym is a better example.
It might be a different play, but the same ball game for sure.
So the guy from the Chamber of Commerce complains that businesses don’t seem to know that the label is there, but the business owner complains that it wasn’t there? Seems that relying on a license for an indication of legal background isn’t very helpful, by their own words. Even when the label is there those looking at it don’t seem to know what it means; so what purpose is it serving? This news piece proves the label means nothing.
The news piece proves that the label is punishment.
So who is the yellow dot with no name? FAC?
How do you respond to one of their posts, re: yellow dot?
I knew that FLORI-DUH branded the Statutory Number, but Didn’t Realize that they Put a ‘Sexual Predator’ Tattoo on the State Issued ID for Some!
Everyone Must Read the book, THE SCARLET LETTER; I was forced to read it by the Nuns in Catholic School back in the 1980’s; guess that was a Pre-Cursor, to TODAY’s Stranger Danger STATUTORY Mentalities…
HUMMMM…?1?1?1?
Truth
Yeah, mine has a small statue # on it. Anyone designated a sexual predator has that spell out on the front of their license. You can look at an example online. Personally, I do feel bad for them because if I had that on my license, I would NEVER leave the house.
I mean every time I go to the doctors office I have to show my ID, even home depot asks for ID when you pick up a special order or pay with a store credit. Not sure how that is not ruled punishment at least for those who completed their sentences. Just insane.
Is anyone in FLA going to challenge the state code/predator moniker and image on the DL whether in state or federal court using the Doe v Marshall case out of AL ruled on in Feb 2019 about labels on DLs? Perhaps wait and see what happens with the LA appeal to SCOTUS on their DL case?