ACLU Sues Alabama Over Arbitrary Behavior on Ex-Felon Disenfranchisement

On July 22, the ACLU sued the Alabama Secretary of State, and county elections officials, over their arbitrary decisions over which crimes are serious enough to cause disenfranchisement of ex-felons. The Alabama Constitution says persons convicted of “moral turpitude” may not be registered, but no one knows which crimes that term includes. The lawsuit also attacks a state policy that awards a “voting pardon” on completion of a sentence, but only permits this pardon if that person paid all pending fines and restitution orders. The case is Baker v Chapman, state court, Montgomery.


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ACLU Sues Alabama Over Arbitrary Behavior on Ex-Felon Disenfranchisement — No Comments

  1. Interesting. Well, traditionally such a label was often used against persons convicted or accused of committing so-called “victimless” crimes.

    I.e. prositutiton, pornography, adulutery, bigamy, fornication, homosexuality, etc. I am not sure how such a ban on “moral turpitude” voters would hold up in court.

    I suspect — given the current USSC — they would probably uphold it for state elections, but possible not federal — if the crimes were not felonies.

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