Parties’ briefs in Florida Restoration of Civil Rights
News on Florida Voter Case
In a significant order issued earlier this month by Judge Walker of the Northern District of Florida, the State’s scheme for arbitrarily restoring voting rights to certain former felons was declared unconstitutional.
The Judge gave the parties until yesterday, February 12, 2018, to brief on possible remedies.
Below are copies of the Plaintiff’s briefs and the State’s.
While the judge didn’t find the disenfranchisement unconstitutional, he did find the arbitrary re-enfranchisement unconstitutional. One of the Plaintiff’s potential remedies to create automatic restoration of voting rights for ALL, following a reasonable waiting period. One of the State’s potential remedies is to simply not restore voting rights for anyone.
It does not seem as though the Parties are close to any agreement on potential remedies, so it’s likely this will come down to the Judge’s decision. It also seems likely (based on the State’s pleading) that any decision will be appealed, so this fight is not over yet. Neither party proposed distinguishing among or excluding any type of felony.
So far so good!
OK, so I know the right to vote is crucial and fundamental to our liberties here in America. But the more I learn about government and how corrupt and “rigged” it is, the fact that I can’t vote is meaningless to me. Even if I had the right to vote still, I probably wouldn’t vote anyway. Because they are all the same, they just act like they belong to this party or that. But their goal is the same, to acquire as much power and wealth over us as possible. I mean, just consider, no matter how much we vote, or call our rep, or whatever we do, the only person that has any influence over politicians and their votes or opinions, are the lobbyists, and the wealthy. Period. Ron Crook of course is the best example of that. So, I applaud the efforts on getting voting rights restored, but to me, it doesn’t matter.
Vote Libertarian. You aren’t restricted to the two major parties, and libertarians have taken positions against registration many, many times.
” the only person that has any influence over politicians and their votes or opinions, are the lobbyists, and the wealthy. ”
Add big corporations and special interest groups with deep pockets to that list who want laws passed or amended to benefit them.
” One of the State’s potential remedies is to simply not restore voting rights for anyone. ”
Lol. So either we cherry pick who we want voting rights restored to or nothing at all ?? Wow, that’s how I understood it.
Nothing at all or damn close to it has worked for Florida since what? Reconstruction?
Yep. This is the same state that kills and abuses boys at Dozier school for boys and kills off an entire town of African Americans. What town was that? It’s over on the gulf coast somewhere.
MJ and others – I understand how you feel but think of it this way…if lawmakers know that those that are affected by their actions CAN vote they might – just might – think twice before they pass more restrictions.
Ultimately, a case like this could raise the question of how the permanent disenfranchisement where the only option for restoration is arbitrary executive clemency is constitutional , yet somehow, the MANNER that the clemency is granted is unconstitutional? The one good thing that Charlie Crist did was to clean up the clemency/restoration process, but he still didn’t fix it.