Courts are not always unbiased
Two recent decisions in Florida:
- Lawrence Taylor failed to report a change of address to authorities. Prosecutors in Broward County, Florida, dropped the charges.
- An FAC member, John Doe, recently failed to report a change of address, which triggered a domino effect that has him now serving ten years in prison.
Lawrence Taylor is a famous NFL football player. His attorney placed part of the blame on Taylor’s ex-wife for the failure to register. Taylor also failed to report a change of address in 2021, but “Taylor did not knowingly commit any criminal offense.” It was all a misunderstanding.
John Doe also was going through stress because his ex-wife had kicked him out of their home. His emotional state was at its worst so that when he found a place to live, with the trauma of his wife leaving him, the last thing on his mind was that he needed to register his new address within 48 hours.
Some days later, John Doe remembered that the address change needed to be reported, which he did immediately. The unfortunate thing for Doe was that he is a human being, not a robot, who will forget things occasionally, particularly under times of stress. Judges forget; legislators forget; law enforcement officials forget; and prosecutors forget. But Persons Forced to Register, they are not allowed to forget, even if they have dementia.
I was present at the court house on the day of Doe’s sentencing. I was present to witness Doe’s agony knowing that he was going away for ten years for failure to register a change of address. I saw the anguish in his face simply because he “forgot.” He had no high-paid attorney saying, “Mr. John Doe did not knowingly commit any criminal offense. This situation is a significant misunderstanding.”
These were two similar situations with two completely different outcomes. What I learned was that it matters who you are in life. Some people call this a respector of persons. I call it injustice.
John Doe’s outcome will be shared in one of our speeches that will be read throughout the state at the upcoming delegation meetings.
10 tears for an address change! That makes me sick to my stomach hearing that. I was hit with that same charge in 2002. I paid a fine and got 6 months probation. That convictiin now keeps me from being removed from the registry. But 10 years?? That’s just horrible. He got 10 years and I got a guarantee life on the registry for an adress change.
Actually the arrest keeps you from getting off the registry
I had a situation one time where my mother had just passed away, I was suffering from terrible sciatica and could barely walk and was getting very little sleep and my wife’s car got totaled in an accident that was not her fault. We struggled to get her a new vehicle and we’re finally able to locate one. I almost forgot to register the new vehicle because of everything that was going on. But it really scared the hell out of me because I almost totally forgot! The amount of overwhelming stress I was feeling during that time was truly life-altering and overwhelming. And to think that I could have racked up a felony charge just because I didn’t report a new vehicle in a 48-hour window. Most of the requirements the registry are completely authoritarian and arbitrary. They do nothing to enhance public safety. They only make our lives more difficult than they already are. Anyone that believes that being on the registry isn’t a lifelong form of punishment is delusional.
Douglas
I use to have roommates, but once the state started making everyone in your house register their vehicles, the roommates moved out, and I don’t blame them.
Unbiased? Legal outcomes are as unbiased as a roll of the dice. So much depends upon the judge who is assigned, which prosecutor takes the case, and statistics show that judicial decisions differ depending on whether they are made before or after lunch. The comforting myth of equal justice under the law is just that–a myth. In reality, sometimes we roll a seven and sometimes we roll snake eyes. The only way to be certain is to do everything we can to stay out of that damned casino.
“America pushes a mythology about fairness. Justice. The rule of law. But that is the myth. That is smoke and mirrors. At its core, those are not the values that America lives.
The values that America lives are power, money, and politics. Are there good judges who are truly fair, impartial, without bias? Yes, there are.
Are most judges fair, impartial, and without bias? No. Not in my opinion.
In my opinion, most judges in America are political actors. That’s how they got appointed or elected. And when you get to the Supreme Court, those are perhaps the most nakedly political actors in America’s judiciary.”
But it’s not punishment folks!
RaD
And we don’t even accumulate badges or points towards getting off the registry. On a serious note, unless they have a life sentence, most felons eventually get off paperwork and can move on with their lives with just a record in their past.
We on the other hand are for life on the registry which in some ways is worse than prison because we are not safe in our own homes.
” But Persons Forced to Register, they are not allowed to forget, even if they have dementia.”
Why do lawyers not challenges this if the person is charged for not remembering beyond their capacity? You know this is why we don’t have traveling circuses anymore where the lion tamer would crack his whip and expect results from an animal held in captivity against it’s will. Why? Because of the animal rights activists, animals have more rights than WE DO.
This is a violation of ethics, morality and human rights. This is why I keep saying that to registry is too MILITANT AND PERFORMATIVE. It’s malice with vitriolic contempt. In spite of their attempt to have strive for an “accurate” registry, they will never have a robust or dynamic registry that protects any child on American soil. Why? Because the messaging of the registry is an inauthentic mess that is an abuse of power and technology. The Internet was never meant to be used in this fashion.
@Facts
Imagine this scenario. A person forced to register is admitted to a hospital. The person has no family and is so bad off that he either cannot notify the registry office or have anyone or anyway to do so.
Jump forward, he/she has been in the hospital so long that their time to register has lapsed and authorities track him/her down and arrest him/her right in the hospital?
This could end up being reality instead of just a scenario. AND the judge’s hands are tied most of the time due to there being little to no exceptions. And even if dropped, even dropped charges count for being removed from the registry as a disqualification.
Just makes me sick.
I was sentenced to 5 years for being a day late changing my address. It just goes to show that when you have fame and fortune you’re able to bend the law.
@James
I have seen someone accused of murder get probation but someone like you had a paperwork brain fart or stressful forgetfulness and get 5 years. Just shows how messed up the system is.
I see car jackings, robberies and other crimes on the news all the time and often the charges are dropped because the victims are afraid to testify. But those with a sexual offense can go to prison for a paperwork error. Just freaking wow! Tell me the system isn’t rigged.
James
Getting 5 years for a paperwork error is excessive and unnecessary punishment. Was this recent? Did you hire a lawyer?
Chop off someone’s hand for stealing a piece of candy.
Gouge out someone’s eye for looking at someone the wrong way.
Burn someone at the stake for possibly being a witch?
A guy is late one day registering, and he gets 5 years.
What has happened to our justice system? Or unjust system.
These are all things that have happened in history.
Not sure where to put this but I am shocked. I looked up someone who use to register with me and hadn’t been able to get a hold of them. I found them on the registry as deceased. I looked up all the people in his county on the registry in Florida for just ONE county. I found over 100 registered offenders who are dead in just ONE county.
How is that helping anyone be safe? A dead man (Also saw dead women there as well) cannot harm anyone. Also, again, Florida has 67 counties and I just found 100 in one county. I am about to cry right now. No matter what someone did, once they pass away, my opinion it is up to God to judge them, not us. May they all rest in peace, their families sure are not at peace. They did remove the addresses so I guess that is a plus for those who still live there.
I even searched small rural Florida counties and there were lists and list of deceased registered people. If I had the guts to do it, I would go to the news with that story. I am sure the registry is being paid for each one of those deceased.