Shalimar, Florida’s WEAR ran a story on the newly designed Florida driver’s licenses. One surprising opinion about the new license came from a retired parole officer, who commented on the sex offender designation on licenses for those registered. Here’s what he had to say:
“The new license turns heads in Okaloosa County; including Don Gatchell’s. He’s a retired parole officer with the state of Florida who worries an old, but remodeled feature – a mandatory sexual offender identification on the card – may be too much.
“My honest opinion now that I have been out of it for 10 years, retired, I think we’re overdoing it with the sex offenders. I mean, I know there are some guys out there, sex offenders, that are bad, but not all sex offenders are bad. You got people out there who are on probation for underage sex for example,” Gatchell said. He worries the ID will cause unnecessary prejudice in the lives of those impacted”
More Information (Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles)
“I think we’re over-doing it with sex offenders”
Ah, that’s putting it mildly!
But I give the retired parole officer credit for speaking up!
Wow, how has this not been challenged and struct down yet? This is just short of having to wear the Star of David on the outside of clothing, in full public view.
Very soon CA must become Real ID complaint too. That will mean new a DL or ID card for everyone in the state. Maybe CA will decide to mark all of our ID’s with Sex Offender also. I hope someone in Floridah challenges these markings soon.
I wish Hurricane Harvey would have hit Florida, instead of Texas!
Here in Oklahoma sex offender is already on the DL. I believe there is a challenge already in place in the 10th circuit court.
The previous license has the florida statute in small print at the bottom as the mark (it is bad, but at least it does not scream “sex offender”). Is the new license any different?
Any news on the Oklahoma DL challenge?