Black women's felon-voter-restoration case in FL draws sympathetic hearing during 11th Circuit
Black womens felon-voter-restoration case in FL draws sympathetic hearing during 11th Circuit arguments
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit has an opportunity to invoke the Nineteenth Amendment to extend voting rights to Black women who cant afford to pay the restitution required under Floridas Amendment 4 of 2018.
Judging by oral arguments before a three-judge panel this week, its not clear they can or will.
The case could turn on whether the court needs to look for a specific intent by the Florida Legislature to discriminate against Black women ex-felons who, according to a legal team from the Southern Poverty Law Center, face extraordinary financial barriers against meeting the legal financial obligations meaning court-ordered fines, fees, and restitution required.
Alternatively, the court could decide that its enough that the law implementing Amendment 4 discriminates in effect against the women.
Read more:
https://www.floridaphoenix.com/2021/07/25/black-womens-felon-voter-restoration-case-in-fl-draws-sympathetic-hearing-during-11th-circuit-arguments/