I have been a registered sex offender since 2004. I was 23 years old when I committed my crime. At that time I struggled with the choice of going to court and facing a greater sentence for my mistake, yet being able to present my mitigating circumstances, or taking a plea agreement for a minimum sentence and compliance with the Michigan Sex Offender Registration Act. I signed documents prior to my sentencing placing me on this registry for 25 years… (That was part of the deal!) – The deal was that I would eventually be able to put this all behind me instead of dragging my case through the court system.

I made my mistakes, and I have done my time. Other than my offense in 2004, I have never even been charged with any other serious crime… Either before or after. I was fortunate enough to find a job and buy a home (although renting was about impossible when I attempted to, due to my SOR status.) I even own a business now that is considered essential and is a big part of the community.

I have been fortunate enough that I feel like I have been less affected by the SOR requirements but these requirements and their affect is ridiculously bad for society and the country.

I have been through a lot of therapy… As I needed… I made mistakes and needed to learn from them in order to never make the same mistakes again… I also learned that others who committed offenses had similar things going on in their lives… Bad things, whether struggling to find work, a parent died, they were being evicted, etc.

By no means are any of those an excuse. Nobody has a right to hurt somebody because they are having a rough day, week, month, year.. However, to put more people in that situation that have already coped with this bad situation poorly is a bad idea…

If you tell someone their future is hopeless, you will get a desperate response out of people and desperation never leads to anything positive, in fact it usually leads to something toxic.

I know it will likely fall on deaf ears, which is fine, however I would like to know that I said my part…

PLEASE do not keep people on the registry for like unless it is an extreme case.. The public is safer if people are at least given a hope of normalcy in their future.

Additionally, please do not tear family’s further apart by including ANY kind of exclusion zone… Murderer’s can go anywhere they want as can Armed Robbers and Thieves. It would be ridiculous to have a registry of Thieves and no longer allow them in stores…

Just please use sense.. Everything is about science and research when it comes to the Coronavirus, please use the same sense with SORNA – the science shows that lifetime registrations, etc.. do not work..

On a more personal note – USA / STATE OF MICHIGAN – Uphold your end of the deal you made in October 2004 and end my registration in 2029 when it is supposed to, otherwise allow me to withdraw my plea from 16 years ago… Do not keep changing the rules after I held up my end of the bargain.

Thank you for your time.