On February 21, Florida state officials filed this brief in Hand v Scott, n.d., 4:17cv-128. The U.S. District Court had ruled on February 1 that the state’s process by which an ex-felon may ask the Governor to restore his or her voting rights is hopelessly arbitrary. The state says that, even given this order, the court cannot order general relief to ex-felons, but must only consider relief for the particular plaintiffs who filed the case.
Total separation of powers —
ie courts to do pardon, etc. stuff.
Let’s see… embezzlers should be okay to vote but murderers not? How about child molesters? How about folks who torture animals? Okay? What BS!
CO,
There’s no legitimate reason that breaking any law whatsoever should have anything at all to do with losing voting rights even while incarcerated, much less for life even decades after being released. Unfortunately Maine and Vermont are the only US States that allow prisoners to vote anymore, but it’s very common in other nations. Most US States do allow for rights to be restored to those who have been released from confinement either automatically or following some process. That few that don’t generally have a long history of denying voting rights based on racial and economic disparity through abuse of literacy tests, poll taxes, property requirements, and so on. It should clue folks in on their real reasons for denying people their right to vote for the rest of their lives.
Florida is a good example. Outright slavery is alive and well in the sunshine state – just get convicted of breaking many edicts, with or without victim and it’s perfectly legal. Jim Crow is far from truly over too, legal or not. What’s legal when the guy with the badge has a gun in your face? Good luck getting justice even if you get executed on video.
Begging a State Guv for stuff is derived from the DARK AGE monarchs stuff in England —
the monarch was THE chief judge in the regime for disputes between the top gangsters — earls, counts, *lords*, etc.
The monarch’s pardon power was kept regarding the *kings peace* — crimes — even after regular courts (with monarch appointed judges) got going in England from 1066 to the 1400s.
Very limited voters early on — for voting for members of House of Commons in 1200s and later- for lower executive officers and lower judges — the olde *justices of the peace* – limited jurisdiction – minor stuff.
Basically only *some* democracy starting in 1800s with more Voters
— the various political wars to get the *right* to vote.
See Dorr’s War in RI in early 1840s – Elector definition and gerrymanders.
Thus the MAJOR super-radical 14 Amdt, Sec. 2 in 1866-1868 – but with the fatal crime loophole language — exploited in rotted ex-slave State regimes like Florida.