The petition
We will be sending this petition to those who hold the fate of Jean's life in their hands.
This message comes to you on behalf of the people that support Jean Karlo Ponzanelli.
Jean is currently incarcerated because he had consensual sex with a girl he believed to be 15. Jean has been in this battle since he was 17, he is now 19. As constituents and taxpayers, we believe that the punishment Jean now faces is cruel and unusual. Jean faces deportation and registry on the sex offender list.
At the present time we are working on Jean's behalf with the following request. Evidenced by the signatures on this petition, we are respectfully asking that the plea that was entered by Jean be withdrawn for several reasons. Among them, Jean's Counsel advised him to take a plea, and Counsel had no knowledge that Jean was not a citizen. Jean also did not know that he was not a citizen of the United States, nor did he know that the guilty plea on the sex offense made him potentially deportable.
It is within your power to show compassion and mercy for a young man who now faces life ruination for one mistake he made as a teenager. We are asking that you honor this request and allow him to withdraw his plea.
We also believe that Jean, and others like him, should not be registered as sex offenders because this bogs down the registry with names of young men and women who had no intent of harm, but were misled by their partner. This registry should be reserved for actual pedophiles and child molesters as was its original intent. We do not believe it is a place to list teenagers who made a judgment error based upon bad information, leading to consensual sex with another teen. We do believe that the laws regarding this should be amended and we will continue to work toward that goal.
Please be aware that your comments will be forwarded to court officials and it is important to refrain from using abusive or profane language.
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