Judge strikes down Florida's system for denying felons' voting rights

[SummerMadness]

Judge strikes down Florida's system for denying felons' voting rights

The state of Florida routinely violates the constitutional rights of its citizens by permanently revoking the "fundamental right" to vote for anyone convicted of a felony, a federal judge ruled Thursday.

U.S. District Judge Mark Walker said the Florida "scheme" unfairly relies on the personal support of the governor for citizens to regain the right to vote. In a strongly-worded ruling, he called the state's defense of voter disenfranchisement "nonsensical," a withering criticism of Gov. Rick Scott, the lead defendant in the case.

 

[Redac]

Gotta make sure there's a few extra Democratic voters next time around.

 

[Aryeh Jay]

Gotta make sure there's a few extra Democratic voters next time around.

Scooter Libby and G. Gordon Liddy would disagree with your implication that all convicted felons are voting for the Democratic Party.

 

[iluvatar5150]

Gotta make sure there's a few extra Democratic voters next time around.

According to the article, it was the current Republican governor who implemented the arbitrary and subjective policies.

Scooter Libby and G. Gordon Liddy would disagree with your implication that all convicted felons are voting for the Democratic Party.

Don't forget about Rick Scott himself. Remember that the same governor who implemented these policies ran a medical services company that admitted to 14 felonies (related to fraud and kickback schemes) and agree to pay the federal government $600 million - the largest fraud settlement in history (at least at that time)

 

[SummerMadness]

Scooter Libby and G. Gordon Liddy would disagree with your implication that all convicted felons are voting for the Democratic Party.

We all know that if most convicted felons looked like Scooter Libby and G. Gordon Liddy, they would be clamoring to get rid of such laws.

The United States is one of the only developed countries that actively works to prevent its citizens voting. One as to only look at the past to see why they are so set on preventing certain people from voting, it's baked into their original ideology, only white men who owned property should vote. Everything that has followed has been set on preserving that ideal.

 

[Belk]

Gotta make sure there's a few extra Democratic voters next time around.

Do you have a reason why people convicted of a felony should permanently lose the right to vote?

 

[jazzflower92]

We all know that if most convicted felons looked like Scooter Libby and G. Gordon Liddy, they would be clamoring to get rid of such laws.

The United States is one of the only developed countries that actively works to prevent its citizens voting. One as to only look at the past to see why they are so set on preventing certain people from voting, it's baked into their original ideology, only white men who owned property should vote. Everything that has followed has been set on preserving that ideal.

You really haven't been paying attention to Spain.

 

[Rion]

Do you have a reason why people convicted of a felony should permanently lose the right to vote?

I'm guessing they're confusing Florida's law with things like in California, where some want to allow felons serving time the right to vote.

 

[Goonie]

I'm guessing they're confusing Florida's law with things like in California, where some want to allow felons serving time the right to vote.

One hopes. I agree losing voting privileges should be part of the prison sentence, but I see no good reason to ban felons once released.

 

[Rion]

One hopes. I agree losing voting privileges should be part of the prison sentence, but I see no good reason to ban felons once released.

I have no problem with it either. I just know that the OP was arguing for what I described earlier in a previous thread.

 

[Goonie]

I have no problem with it either. I just know that the OP was arguing for what I described earlier in a previous thread.

Well whilst I’m somewhat sympathetic to the idea of allowing those in the last year of their sentence to vote as part of preparing for release, and those with short sentences, I can’t say it’s an important issue. More important is looking at a legal system and society that sees so many people locked up.

 

[CRAZY_CAT_WOMAN]

Gotta make sure there's a few extra Democratic voters next time around.

That funny, since I know Conservative Christians and Republican have broke laws. But I'm guessing a conservative Christian and Republican sins are forgiven. Just like they never broke the law. Since they will more likely vote for a Republican.

 

[pat34lee]

We all know that if most convicted felons looked like Scooter Libby and G. Gordon Liddy, they would be clamoring to get rid of such laws.

The United States is one of the only developed countries that actively works to prevent its citizens voting. One as to only look at the past to see why they are so set on preventing certain people from voting, it's baked into their original ideology, only white men who owned property should vote. Everything that has followed has been set on preserving that ideal.

In some places in early America, black property owners could vote, too.
The ideal was that those who were invested should be the ones to benefit.
They hated democracy because most people are too uneducated to know
the issues, much less be able to vote intelligently.

 

[pat34lee]

One hopes. I agree losing voting privileges should be part of the prison sentence, but I see no good reason to ban felons once released.

If they can be banned from owning guns forever,
why not lose the right to vote forever, too? Of
course, it depends on the laws they broke in the
first place.

 

[Goonie]

If they can be banned from owning guns forever,
why not lose the right to vote forever, too? Of
course, it depends on the laws they broke in the
first place.

Indeed, I believe those convicted of murder, or major vote fraud should be banned for life. But allowing felons to vote gives them a stake In society, what was one reason for the American war if Indepence? No taxation without representation.

 

[ThatRobGuy]

Felony Disenfranchisement rules are, and have always been, about preventing a "certain" kind of person from voting.

 

[durangodawood]

In some places in early America, black property owners could vote, too.
The ideal was that those who were invested should be the ones to benefit.
They hated democracy because most people are too uneducated to know
the issues, much less be able to vote intelligently.

The ideal of the "consent of the governed" won out.

 

[Sistrin]

We all know that if most convicted felons looked like Scooter Libby and G. Gordon Liddy, they would be clamoring to get rid of such laws.

The only two groups of people in America who view everything through the prism of skin color are liberals and skin heads. At times it is truly difficult to determine which of those two groups affiliate may have issued the comment in question.

The United States is one of the only developed countries that actively works to prevent its citizens voting.

The United States is one of the very few countries left in the world which still attempts to enact and follow policy reflecting the simple concepts of right and wrong. On one hand you have people who believe a convicted rapist, or murderer, or child molester, drug dealer, arsonist, or some combination of all of the above should forfeit their right to help influence policy affecting the remainder of society, while on the other hand you have people who embrace rapist, murderers, child molesters, drug dealers, arsonist, or all combinations of all of the above as cherished members of their base because they can be counted on as anther voting block.

And make no mistake, that is all this issue is about. The liberal/left does not support voting rights for convicted felons for any reason other than increasing their voter base. Neither compassion nor a sense of justice have anything to do with it.

One as to only look at the past to see why they...

They? You mean those who enacted and fought to retain slavery as an institution in this country? You mean those who embraced the KKK as their enforcement arm against both their political opponents and the black community at large? You mean those who enacted and fought to retain segregation, Jim Crow Laws, and actual voter suppression of the black community at large? You mean the Democrat Party they? The same political party which to this day treats the African American community as favored pets to be segregated and pandered to for their votes but in over fifty years have yet to actually do anything to improve the quality of life for that community?

Yep, the "they" you reference couldn't be any other than the Democrat Party. Perhaps you will get lucky and one day Nancy Pelosi will pat you on the head.

...are so set on preventing certain people from voting, it's baked into their original ideology, only white men who owned property should vote.

And you have proof President Trump, or indeed any prominent Republican, is promoting the ideal only white property owners should be allowed to vote?

Everything that has followed has been set on preserving that ideal.

Another comment which prima facie is difficult to determine if made by a liberal or a skin-head.

Felony Disenfranchisement rules are, and have always been, about preventing a "certain" kind of person from voting.

Yeah, convicted felons.

 

[Sistrin]

Do you have a reason why people convicted of a felony should permanently lose the right to vote?

In any election voters tend to cast their votes for those they most sympathize with. Therefore ask the logical question.

Which party would most convicted rapist, drug dealers, or murderers vote for? The party which supported and spoke in favor of convicting and imprisoning Garcia Zarate for life, or the party which elevated Zarate to hero status and fought tooth and nail to set him free?

 

[Belk]

In any election voters tend to cast their votes for those they most sympathize with. Therefore ask the logical question.

Which party would most convicted rapist, drug dealers, or murderers vote for? The party which supported and spoke in favor of convicting and imprisoning Garcia Zarate for life, or the party which elevated Zarate to hero status and fought tooth and nail to set him free?

You're claiming felons should lose the right to vote because they will favor one political party over the other?