Federal Appeals Court Overturns Ruling That People with a Felony Conviction Don't Have to Pay off Court Fees and Fines in Order to Vote

Date:  09-13-2020 Ruling is expected to be appealed to Supreme Court

From The Miami Herald: A federal appeals court on Friday overturned a judge’s ruling that Floridians with felony convictions don’t have to pay off all court fees and fines before voting, dealing a setback to advocates for 2018?s Amendment 4. In a 6-4 ruling, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit ruled that the plaintiffs did not prove a violation of the U.S. Constitution. The plaintiffs included more than a dozen people with felony convictions who accused Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida lawmakers of imposing a “poll tax” by requiring them to pay off all court-ordered costs relating to their felony convictions before voting. “Because the felons failed to prove a violation of the Constitution, we reverse the judgment of the district court and vacate the challenged portions of its injunction,” Judge William Pryor wrote for the majority. Continue reading >>>