Valerie Parkhurst, a community volunteer, has been unjustly arrested and charged with assault, while defending herself from a registered sex offender and convicted felon. We, the citizens of this community, this state, this country, petition the Courts of Broward County and the State of Florida to dismiss all charges against Valerie Parkhurst. Ms. Parkhurst is a 20 year veteran volunteer of her community of Davie, Florida. She has served her community, giving of her many hours and her own monies to better the safety of her neighbors and their children. Among many activities she has been involved with, Ms. Parkhurst was very instrumental in changing Davie\'s footage laws concerning the distance sex offenders have to stay from children. The original statute was 1000ft. and applied to only offenders who were under probation or community control. Davie, Fl. wrote its ordinance to extend the footage to 2500 feet and applies to any and all convicted sex offenders. The Town of Davie was second only to Miami Beach to adopt this 2500ft. legislation in the state of Florida. In an effort to better the safety of children while on the internet, Ms. Parkhurst has worked for years to have sex offenders register their IPO addresses and ban convicted internet sex offenders from owning a computer. In circulation now, she has a petition that would allow a city to set limits to the number of convicted sex offenders that could set up residence in any one zip code. To help the safety of her neighbors, for more than 20 years, Ms. Parkhurst has passed out fliers of violent criminals in the community. Spending her own money, time and gas, she has felt it was worth it to give family and children the opportunity to have this information. On Dec 1st 2007, she was followed, confronted and cornered and threatened by convicted sex offender, Dale Weeks and his girlfriend. Ms. Parkhurst was passing out fliers about a different offender. Dale Weeks, as listed on the Florida Sex Offender Site, is a convicted rapist and kidnapper. As listed in the Sun-sentinel newspaper, Mr. Weeks held his victim for 6 hours and tortured and raped his victim with a weapon. His record lists four counts of assault. His criminal record goes all the way back to 1977, to include drugs and grand theft. Found listed, he was convicted of multiple felony sexual and battery offenses in the state of Florida. Having researched Mr. Week\'s criminal history previously, Ms. Parkhurst knew of his dangerous nature when she was confronted and verbally accosted by this felon.. Being frightened and defensive in this situation is not a crime, but the right of every citizen of every community. Ms. Parkhurst has a right to do her community service without deliberate confrontations from convicted sex offenders and she has the right to protect herself and be protected from such persons while doing her civic duties. We do not need to punish the ones that volunteer to keep our neighborhoods safer.

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