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Falsely accused & wrongly convicted

deleted_user
deleted_user
My husband was falsely accused and wrongly convicted in 1984. He just found out that he is now required to register for the rest of his life due to a amendment to the original law in 2006.. We have been maried 12 years, and he told me about his conviction soon after we met. He has been on the registry for a little over a year. We are still in shock. He is completely devastated. I don't know what I want to do. Go or stay is what I'm wrestling with right now. True friends who have seen him on the registry call and ask what happened. Some are true friends, but many are not sticking by us. His family knows because they were with him when it was going on, but he is not close to his family at all. No one in my family knows yet. All of our children know except the youngest who is 9. Neighbors told our other children. I told all of them they best not tell my youngest or I would press charges for abuse on them. My kids love thier dad, but they are seriously affected by this. I am so pissed off at this registry. I just don't know what to do or how to cope.
deleted_user
deleted_user
Well this is a wounderul place to help cope with the problem. There are many people on this site that are in the same situation you are in. I am on the other side of the fence, I am on the registry. I don't care whatside of the fence you are on, but it affects everyone.

You should know best, people are more then their past convitions, they are able to learn and move on with there life. He was open and honest with you from the start, and it sucks that you know have to deal with this and it is not fair that your children must suffer from something so far back in his past.

Now you are in a position that you have two options, you accept it, or you get out there and fight. You are the perfect person to stand up and speak out. You can show the harm of these registries, both to you and your children.

There are so many organizations that will be able to help you speak out, and find the right resources so you are able to speak out and work towards change to change this process. What state are you from?
red55
red55
All I can say welcome to the club. My case was from 1988 when I took a plea bargan to save my children from the state. I got grandfathered into the registry just like your huspand. I know it is not plesant . I believe that the retroactive registry is ilegal but no one has the money to fight it. through ex post facto. Several people have won and been taken off the registry because of ex post facto under similar situations as me and your huspand but it has been on a case by case basis. I hope this helps to know your are not alone. Tell you huspand he is not alone this same thing happened to me and is still ongoing. You need to talk or any way I can help just let me know.

red55
deleted_user
deleted_user
We are in Texas.
deleted_user
deleted_user
My BF was also wrongly convicted. We had a public defender that was then removed from the case and had another reappointed due to a conflict of interest in the case. When he was convicted, it wreaked havoc in my family for a long time. Just know that youre not alone. Try and hold it together for your children. I know its hard , I was there.
deleted_user
deleted_user
I feel your pain, as someone that also was wrongly accused over a custody battle ,where I had custody 10 years earlier for 6 month then tried to work it out again "big mistake".. innocent and on the registry ..its more common than anyone thinks but not too many people want to believe it. Coping with registry is a everyday challenge.for the accused and their family.The registry can seem like a life time of house arrest ,I been on it for 18 years, theres alot of energy and stress put in trying to keep friends and family from knowing.You have 12 years of marriage and a family that is your husbands strength and support that gives him hope. Surrounding yourself with true and loyal friends, RSO support groups in your town or state,web sites like this one, prayer and research will help you cope... your not alone ...you ve taken the first step opening up ...theres new laws "slow going" but hopefully changing registry laws for low level RSO and crime that was years ago...think you for sharing your story..and keep faith !!!
deleted_user
deleted_user
if your in texas,check out the group"texasvoices" mary sue is one of the people heading the group and is very helpful....
Tonight
Tonight
I'm right there with you. :(
bakertaylor28
bakertaylor28
That would be incorrect. The law applies to him as it was at the time of the conviction. The U.S. Constitution prohibits the legislature from passing ex post facto laws. That essentially means they can't apply new law to old crimes. You can challenge it and will likely win.
rewdiazepam
rewdiazepam
Ex post facto laws----laws that are basically retroactive----are only unconstitutional if the law is considered to be punitive in nature.

There is no ex post facto protection against civil laws, as they can legally be applied retroactively.

For this reason, states can continue to add restrictions to the sex offender registry year after year. As a result, any registrant regardless of the date of his conviction would be affected by any new regulation regarding the registry. The registry is not considered punitive, but rather the courts have ruled the registry to be a civil regulatory scheme to protect the public. This allows the states to pass retroactive laws regarding the registry.

rewdiazepam