Non-Registrant (Sex Offender) Collateral Consequences (NRCC) Challenge
Weekly Update #61
Dear Members and Advocates,
In September, we announced that our next legal challenge would be the “Non-Registrant Collateral Consequences (NRCC) Challenge”. 2019 has been FAC’s “year of the family”. We have engaged more non-registrants into our advocacy, we coordinated family support groups with treatment providers, and there is no way to better end the year than by initiating a legal challenge on behalf of our “Registered Families”
To someone on the registry, the support of friends, family, employers, roommates and others is critical to survival. These heroes put up with the shame, stigma and restrictions of the registry, but without having done anything wrong. It would be far easier to dismiss us from their lives and not have to deal with any of this (as we unfortunately know many do), but those who stick by us are worthy of every effort we can take to alleviate the injustice imposed on them.
This lawsuit will challenge the Florida sex offender registry on behalf of non-registrants who are impacted by it. The devastating effect these laws have on the children, spouses, employers and others in the lives of persons required to register can no longer be ignored! Roommates should not have their vehicles registered, businesses should not be shamed for giving someone an opportunity, children should be allowed to have their parent watch them graduate or perform in a school play, and an entire household should not be prohibited from decorating their home for the holidays. People who have done nothing wrong should not suffer collateral consequences because of who they choose to love.
Over the past few months we’ve responded to children whose parents were denied entry to school functions, spouses who lost job offers when it was discovered they were married to someone on the registry, business owners who were harassed because they hired a registrant and many other heart-breaking examples. If you are a non-registrant (or know of one) who has suffered an adverse consequence because a friend or loved one is on the registry, please share your story with legal@floridaactioncommittee.org.
The announcement of this new legal challenge coincides with Giving Tuesday, the international day of charitable giving, and we hope that you will take a moment today and make a donation towards Non-Registrant Collateral Consequences (NRCC) Challenge as a gift to the loved ones in your life who stick by you. But here’s the best part… To help kick-start this challenge, a very generous matching pledge has been made by one of our supporters! From now until the end of December, if we can raise five thousand dollars towards this legal challenge, they will match every donation, dollar-for-dollar, up to $5,000!!! A fundraising thermometer has been added to our donation page and we would sincerely appreciate you helping us meet this goal and get the opportunity to have the impact of your donation doubled.
Sincerely,
The Florida Action Committee
Amazon Smile – select (FAC Outreach Partner “Justice Transitions in Sanford FL” as your charity. Make purchases using https://smile.amazon.com in order to be certain that Justice Transitions (and FAC members) benefit from your purchases.
Holiday Fundraiser “With Unity Comes Change” Say it…Wear It! Click here to order your T-Shirts and Hoodies to support Justice Transitions, the organization that helps with Outreach needs of our FAC members year-round. This sell ENDS DECEMBER 5th.
Reminders:
Thu Dec 5th – 8pm ET – Monthly Membership Call. Dial 319-527-3487
Sat Dec 7th -Holiday Party – Apopka (Orange County) 2pm – 7pm – Food and Entertainment (no children)
SUNDAY Dec 8th – Family Support Session in Central Broward County -11:00am-1:00pm -Seating is limited. RSVP early.
Thu Dec 12th – 8pm ET – New Member Orientation Call. Everyone welcome. Dial 319-527-3487
Mon Jan 27, 2020 – Central Broward County – 6-9pm. Community Event “A Courageous Conversation on Sexual Offense Issues”. Includes a public viewing of “Untouchable” documentary followed by a discussion of expert panelists. Watch for details.
For more information about these events, or to RSVP email membership@floridaactioncommittee.org or call 904-452-8322. No children please.
SOME HEADLINES FROM THIS WEEK
Online Dating Apps and the Sex Offender Registry
This past week, several news outlets have republished a story that originated with ProPublica, the theme of which is that certain online dating applications are not screening for persons required to register as sex offenders and that users of those apps are somehow…
7th Circuit case shows the lengths a law enforcement officer will go to mess with a registrant
A case out of the 7th Circuit Court of appeals shows just how far a member of law enforcement will go to mess with someone on the registry and just how impossible it is sometimes to comply with all the rules and restrictions that accompany registration as a sex…
Potentially exciting development on Halloween sign case.
Butts County Sheriff, Gary Long, is appealing the District Court’s Ruling that placing signs on the properties of persons required to register violates their First Amendment Right! If you recall, Sheriff Long was enjoined from placing signs saying, “NO TRICK-OR-TREAT…
Is your Sheriff’s Office requiring an itinerary for DOMESTIC travel?
A member has reported that when advising his local Sheriff’s Office of DOMESTIC travel, he was asked to report his flight information and specific itinerary. For INTERNATIONAL travel that information is required by statute, but to our knowledge not for domestic…