Federal judge in Missouri denies move to let mentally ill man vote next we

[Kadie]

Federal judge in Missouri denies move to let mentally ill man vote next week
KELLY WIESE, Associated Press Writer

Tuesday, October 26, 2004


(10-26) 18:58 PDT JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) --

A federal judge on Tuesday declined to allow a mentally ill man to vote in next week's election but agreed to hear his challenge later to a Missouri law that denies voting rights to some who are mentally ill.

U.S. District Judge Ortrie Smith said presuming the man is competent to vote is risky and "any outcome that permits a potentially invalid ballot to be cast should be avoided."

Steven Prye said he moved to St. Louis from Illinois earlier this year and tried to register to vote, but wasn't allowed because he has a court-appointed guardian in Illinois. A court is considering whether to appoint one for him in Missouri.

Under the Missouri Constitution and state law, those who have a guardian because of "mental incapacity" cannot vote and can face criminal charges if they do.

more...
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2004/10/26/politics2158EDT0772.DTL

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. I assume he's a Republican.

And obviously, mentally ill voters are not especially unusual.

[swag]

3. Yeah, he was the one who voted for Ashcroft over Carnahan in 2000

[Mizmoon]

2. Yet another way in which the mentally ill are deprived

of their basic civil rights. What else is new? It's hard to think of a more disparaged and despised group.