Movie The Untouchables Shows Human Side of Sex Offenders in Miami-Dade Cy Florida
Weekly Update 2017-09-19
Dear Members and Advocates,
Last week, two short-form versions of David Feige’s documentary, Untouchable, were released. One version highlighting the story of an individual on the registry who probably doesn’t deserve to be there for life – intended to humanize those behind the label and remind the public that “sex offenders” are not all beady-eyed dirty old men in trench coats. The second version focuses on the grievous mistake made by the Supreme Court in 2003 in relying on bogus statistics to supporting their findings in Smith v. Doe.
It’s this second version, that was released by the New York Times as a “Op-Doc”, which each of you reading this should be sharing with at least 10 other people. The video, which can be found here: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/12/opinion/when-junk-science-about-sex-offenders-infects-the-supreme-court.html?mcubz=1 , includes the source of the bogus statistic, describing in his own words, how misused and incorrect it is. If you can’t dig up the emails for 10 judges, political or media contacts, send it to 10 friends or even strangers. It is critically important to get this information out there!
Think of it as though you have a piece of exculpatory evidence in your hands that could exonerate someone who is being unfairly incarcerated. Only it’s you or your loved one who is that person! We need to make sure that information gets into the right hands and David Feige’s short video is an amazing tool to accomplish that. Please share it! Many ask us how they can help. When we suggest contributing to
Next week, the Supreme Court of the United States, is scheduled to conference on Doe v. Snyder, (the case out of Michigan finding the registry IS punishment). No matter how that case is decided, it will have an impact on us. It is important that decisions made in courts hereafter, whether the US Supreme Court or a local county court, are based on fact, not myth.
Also, affecting us directly; pending before the Federal Court in the Northern District of Florida are the parties Motions for Summary Judgment in the Internet Identifier case. A Motion for Summary Judgment is essentially a pleading to the Court stating that the other side doesn’t have a case and should lose. The filing of these motions is generally a matter of course and the Judge may grant one party’s Motion or deny both and wait until after trial to make their decision. You can read a copy of the Plaintiff’s Motion here: https://floridaactioncommittee.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Fl-Internet-Identifier-P-Summary-Jgmt.pdf (along with the expert’s declarations) and the Defendant’s (filed yesterday) here: https://floridaactioncommittee.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Fl-Internet-Identifier-D-Summary-Jgmt.pdf.
We are still collecting information on how our population was treated (or mistreated) during Hurricane Irma. If you were denied access to a shelter or housed in a jail, please let us know.
Sincerely,
The Florida Action Committee
PS: There will be a Volunteer Workshop in Orange County on Sat Sep 23 from 1-3pm at 2860 Grace St Apopka FL 32703 RSVP call or text name to 407-620-3085.
Other Meet and Greets planned for Palm Bay/Melbourne on Sunday Oct 1 (Brevard County) and Gainesville Sat Nov 4 (Alachua County) and Jacksonville (TBD).
SOME HEADLINES FROM THIS WEEK
CA: Gov. Brown supports bill sent to him that would end lifetime listing of many sex offenders on public registry
After an emotional debate, state lawmakers on Saturday gave final legislative approval to a controversial bill that would end the lifetime listing of many convicted sex offenders on a public registry in California. The bill, which was shelved then revived, was sent to…
Shawna: A Life on the Sex Offender Registry
The following was posted on the Marshall Project and written by David Feige: met Shawna a year into filming “Untouchable,” a documentary that examines sex offender laws through the lives of individuals on the sex offender registry. It was at an Oklahoma treatment…
Washington Supreme Court: Child porn laws apply even if perp, victim are the same.
The Washington Supreme Court has upheld the conviction under state child porn laws of a 17-year-old boy who sent a picture of his own erect penis to a 22-year-old woman. The case illustrates a bizarre situation in which Eric Gray is both the perpetrator and the victim…
36 Percent Uptick in Texas Teacher-Student Sex Cases over Last Year, Data Show
The following story, that ran in Breitbart News, makes you wonder why there’s a buffer around schools for registrants, when it’s not them committing the sexual assaults… it’s the teachers. For the ninth consecutive year, the number of Texas teachers accused of…