PINE HILLS, Fla. — A community learned on Monday that an accused repeat sex offender will be released back into their community, again.
Channel 9 first reported on 56-year-old Joseph ____ since 2020.
____ has recently been found incompetent to stand trial and is not currently facing time for any of his charges.
In the courtroom, parents of the alleged victims were livid. They did not want him to be released anywhere near their daughters, who he’s accused of attacking in Pine Hills.
Deshawn Browdy spoke in court defending her two daughters who she said were victimized by ____ .
“As the mom of two victims I never gave anyone permission to drop charges,” Browdy said.
The state was given the job of finding another place to send ____ besides a facility within proximity to his multiple victims in Pine Hills.
In court the state representative said none of the four placements it found take sex offenders.
The state was tasked with finding another location.
The state said ____ did not qualify to be a Baker Acted and another facility would not take him because he was found incompetent to stand trial and is not currently serving a sentence.
“The issue left before the court what to do regarding conditional release status,” said Judge Wayne Wooten, “The other option is I could just release him period.”
“The state was given the job of finding another place to send ____ besides a facility within proximity to his multiple victims in Pine Hills.
In court the state representative said none of the four placements it found take sex offenders.”
Since so few places accept “sex offenders” now, they are placed wherever is available…which could, incidentally, turn out to be very close to their victims (if they had any). Something about that just strikes me as…amusing.
“The issue left before the court what to do regarding conditional release status,” said Judge Wayne Wooten, “The other option is I could just release him period.”
Now wouldn’t that be something…too mentally incompetent to stand trial…yet, somehow, competent enough to be released onto the street, with no support system, and no prospects whatever. Go for it, that ought to be good for a lark. This is precisely what the registry scheme gets ya…enjoy.
First of all, someone needs to let Ms. Browdy know that the state doesn’t need her permission to drop or press charges.
Second, the absence of details in this case is curious, at least. Nowhere are there any allegations of anything specific, nor about why he was found incompetent to stand trial. You would think his incompetence to stand trial would make him eligible for civil commitment, but apparently not. Very odd, especially for Florida.
Considering, it looks to me like the accusers here either fabricated or exaggerated whatever actually did happen, if anything at all. IF so, then this “story” is just another example of the press attempting to create alarm where there otherwise wouldn’t be any for clickbait.
In Florida, the state attorney determines whether to initiate legal action for a ‘civil commitment’, but only upon completion of a CRIMINAL SENTENCE. However, if the criminal prosecution has been suspended due to the accused’s mental incompetency, AND no criminal sentence, therefore, exists, the judge (as in this case) may then either order the subject to be released OR order ‘hospitalization’ so the person receives treatment/restoration to competency. Once competency is restored, criminal proceedings could again be initiated, a trial conducted, and if found guilty, a sentence pronounced. After completing any sentence, the accused could THEN be subjected to the civil committment process described above.
They couldn’t find housing for him so now they are holding him for civil commitment hearings. Let’s spend $150,000 per year housing someone in civil commitment who is homeless rather than $6,000 per year housing him in a rooming house. The lawmakers in the land of Duh are really intelligent.
Released back into the community? He should go to a mental hospital. Remember, this guy’s a ‘repeat’ sex offender. If you’re on the registry like I am, why aren’t you pissed? Legislation to get rid of the registry is now farther away because of this guy. Blame the victims? Why not blame this guys urges to repeat offend. People like me went to jail for failure to register and this guy walks? Somethings not right here. I think there is more to this story than we know.
“I want him to know that I don’t work and I have a lot of extra time on my hands,” Browdy said. “When he sees me I hope he is aware I’m watching him. I am not comfortable with him being able to roam free and brutalize our children.”
That’s the problem…you have too much time on your hands. Why don’t you get a job, girl! Then you won’t have all that time to think about this man
I’m not surprised that he was released back into the community, and it does make sense to me knowing that the criminal justice system treats black offenders & victims much differently. As long as he’s released into the hood far away from middle class affluent areas, the registrant is not viewed as a “threat to the community.” In other words, as long as he’s not in “our” community where law enforcement & prosecutors make their home. Time and time again, registrants are “dumped” into inner city areas that normally don’t have local ordinances because most big city residents distrust the criminal justice system, and they elect politicians that push for rehabilitation. I believe if circumstances were different, they would have found a way to “civil” commit this man or lock him up somewhere