They did their time. They regained the vote. Florida is taking it away again.

[babylonsister]

They did their time. They regained the vote. Florida is taking it away again.
“It’s not what the people voted for. It’s not what people supported. It’s heartbreaking.”
Addy Baird
May 14, 2019, 8:00 am


Coral Nichols will be eligible to vote again when she is 188 years old. That’s the estimate, at least, if she pays the state of Florida $100 per month to satisfy her nearly $190,000 debt.

Nichols is one of 1.4 million people with felony convictions in Florida who had their right to vote restored last fall following the passage of Amendment 4, a victory that marked one of the most significant expansions of the right to vote in the United States in the last century.

“It was completely amazing,” Nichols said, recalling when the ballot initiative passed in November. “We had all worked so hard, and we had all believed that the people in the state of Florida believed in second chances.”

Many activists and experts argue that Amendment 4 was self-executing, meaning that once it was passed by voters, the measure would be put into effect, no questions asked.

But Republicans in the state legislature last week passed a new bill making regaining the vote conditional on having first fully repaid any outstanding fines and fees — including ones not related to their felony conviction.

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has said he will sign the bill into law in the coming days. When he does, it could keep people like Nichols from the ballot box for the rest of their lives.

more...

https://thinkprogress.org/fines-and-fees-returning-citizens-affected-d2f30f0ec2b6/

[Baitball Blogger]

1. Think about it. Republicans can insure that their good buddy supporters get their debts paid

in order to protect their own base.

This is something that Republicans in Florida are very good at. They can redistribute money and opportunity to the people that support their circles -- including old guard Democrats. Florida Democrats are not so good at protecting their own people. Mostly, they're just go-alongs with the Republicans.

We still don't have an AOC rising up through the ranks.

[Celerity]

2. the Rethugs will NEVER stop trying to gerrymander and use multivariate voter suppression to game the

system and cling to power. State house and statewide elections elections in 2020 (they will use the new census to further gerrymander and further restrict the vote) and the 2020 Census itself (the citizenship question and other attempts to ratfuck minorities and statewide redistricting) are absolutely crucial for the 2020's decade.

[RKP5637]

3. It's incredible! So unfair! Too bad there are so many damn wacko politicians in Florida. n/t

[Grins]

4. "Florida is taking it away again..." EDIT!!

"...Republicans are taking it away. Again."

Se how much better and more accurate that reads...?

[912gdm]

5. The person in this article still has to pay 190,000$ in restitution

These arnt court fees, these are damages to the organization she embezzled from. If she still owes restitution, then how has sentence been fully satisfied?

[lostnfound]

6. The judge ruled her sentence is complete. What remains is a civil lien

“She was sentenced to five years in prison and 10 years’ probation, and ordered to pay $190,000 in restitution. A judge later converted that restitution order into a civil lien and called her sentence complete.”

[csziggy]

10. If they are going to include civil liens does that include child support?

Because child support payments are also court ordered. I can't find the articles right now, but my memory is that more than one member of the Florida Legislature is in arrears on their alimony and child support payments.

Here is another article in which they mention a woman who owes $59 million for insurance fraud: https://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/2019/03/25/she-owes-59-million-should-she-be-allowed-to-vote-under-amendment-4/
Apparently she and her cohorts were also involved with money laundering: https://archives.fbi.gov/archives/tampa/press-releases/2010/ta051810.htm
I'm surprised she still has a passport (as mentioned in the first article above).

[lostnfound]

8. So when white collar felons pay it off using borrowed money, are you going to punish them too?

Or is this just going to be another anti-poor standard?

Because guys like Manafort or Trump will pay off their restitution” by “refinancing” properties. They still do it with borrowed money, and the debt is paid indirectly through a private party.

This woman won’t be able to borrow that kind of money, from a private lender.

[Efilroft Sul]

7. Just like gerrymandering, Republican politicians are choosing the voters.

They don't like it when the voters choose the politicians.

[Captain Stern]

9. I don't have a problem with that, since that was the original intention.

The director of the ACLU wrote a memo prior to the referendum vote that described how the scale of the amendment's impact should be described. Here is how he said it should be described:

"Under Amendment 4, as many as 1.4 million Foridians who have completed supervision of a felony sentence have earned a 2cnd chance to fully participate in their community and could be eligible for the restoration of their ability to vote upon payment of fines, fees, and restitution."

https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/5775917-Florida-Simon-Mauer-Memo.html

[ScratchCat]

11. I'm sorry

But this is just not accurate or correct. There are no fines "unrelated" to the conviction which have to be paid. This IS what was intended by the Amendment. The woman with the $190,000 "civil lien" - that's the way they work it so the person can't be thrown back into prison for not paying. She still isn't ever going to pay it.

The fact is, the VAST MAJORITY of felons who have been released do not have fines, fees and restitution to pay. These sob stories are ridiculous. Nobody made these folks commit felonies to begin with.

and YES, I voted for this and it was clear that all fines and restitution had to be paid to complete the sentence.

[912gdm]

12. facts and logic don't matter.

it's topsy turvy world now.