On July 1, all the full-time judges of the Eleventh Circuit agreed to hear Jones v Governor of Florida, 20-12003, even though the case so far has only been decided by a U.S. District Court Judge. It is very rare for the judges of any Circuit to hear a case en banc before a 3-judge panel has heard it. Jones v Governor is the case over whether ex-felons who owe court costs, restitution, fines, or other fees can register to vote. The U.S. District Court Judge had ruled that ex-felons who cannot afford to pay may still register to vote.

There are twelve full-time Eleventh Circuit judges. Six of them are Trump appointees, and one other, William Pryor, is a Bush Jr. appointee. The judges also voted on July 1 to stay the order of the U.S. District Court Judge in this case. That suggests that the en banc panel will not rule favorably for the ex-felons. The case will be heard the week of August 10-14. This case could easily end up in the U.S. Supreme Court before the election. Thanks to Rick Hasen for the news.