Doe, et al. v. Miami-Dade County, et al.
What's at Stake
The ACLU and the ACLU of Florida filed suit against Miami-Dade County and the Florida Department of Corrections, seeking a permanent injunction against an unconstitutional housing ordinance that is extraordinarily difficult for former sex offenders to follow without becoming homeless.
Summary
The law prohibits former offenders from living 2,500 feet (almost half a mile) from any building the county labels a "school," a category the county has enforced arbitrarily since the ordinance went into effect in 2010. This restriction has left about fifty former offenders with nowhere to live other than an outdoor area along railroad tracks on the outskirts of Miami-Dade county. This site has no drinkable water and no shelter from the weather; people sleep in chairs and small tents, and under tarps.
The squalid conditions make it extremely difficult for former offenders to find and maintain stable employment and regular psychological treatment, which are the only two factors proven to reduce the likelihood of reoffending. Decades of research show that housing restrictions like Miami-Dade's have no impact on reoffending and are more likely to increase it.
Legal Documents
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10/23/2014
Complaint -
10/23/2014
Plaintiffs' Motion for Leave to Proceed Anonymously -
12/12/2014
Amended Complaint -
04/03/2015
Order Closing Case -
10/05/2017
Second Amended Complaint -
08/29/2018
Plaintiff's Opposition to Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgement -
10/15/2018
Plaintiff's Proposed Findings of Fact -
12/19/2018
Final Judgement
Date Filed: 10/23/2014
Court: District Court (S.D. Fla.)
Affiliate: Florida
Date Filed: 10/23/2014
Court: District Court (S.D. Fla.)
Affiliate: Florida
Date Filed: 12/12/2014
Court: District Court (S.D. Fla.)
Affiliate: Florida
Date Filed: 04/03/2015
Court: District Court (S.D. Fla.)
Affiliate: Florida
Date Filed: 10/05/2017
Court: District Court (S.D. Fla.)
Affiliate: Florida
Date Filed: 08/29/2018
Court: District Court (S.D. Fla.)
Affiliate: Florida
Date Filed: 10/15/2018
Court: District Court (S.D. Fla.)
Affiliate: Florida
Date Filed: 12/19/2018
Court: District Court (S.D. Fla.)
Affiliate: Florida
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03/04/2016
Order Granting in Part and Denying in Part Motion to Dismiss -
05/13/2019
Brief of Plaintiffs-Appellant -
06/26/2019
Appellee's Answer Brief -
07/30/2019
Reply Brief of Plaintiffs-Appellants
Date Filed: 03/04/2016
Court: Appeals Court (11th Cir.)
Affiliate: Florida
Date Filed: 05/13/2019
Court: Appeals Court (11th Cir.)
Affiliate: Florida
Date Filed: 06/26/2019
Court: Appeals Court (11th Cir.)
Affiliate: Florida
Date Filed: 07/30/2019
Court: Appeals Court (11th Cir.)
Affiliate: Florida
Press Releases
Advocates File Response in Lawsuit Challenging Miami-Dade County's Unconstitutional Residency Residence Restrictions
ACLU Challenges Miami-Dade Housing Restriction Forcing Former Sex Offenders to Live by Railroad Tracks
