SCOTUS upholds Florida poll tax

[RandySF]

Link to tweet

?s=21

[dalton99a]

1. This Supreme Court will do whatever it takes to keep Republicans in power.

[Bettie]

2. Does that mean it stays for good

or that they will decide it later?

[sl8]

6. The appeal will be heard by the full 11th Cir.

Last edited Sat Jul 18, 2020, 10:20 AM - Edit history (1)

Basically, the district court judge (Hinkle) decided in favor of the felons.

Desantis/Florida then asked the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals to stay Judge Hinkle's order and hear their appeal.

The 11th. Cir. agreed to hear the appeal and stayed the district court order.

The plaintiffs ( "felons" ) then went to the Supreme Court (they went to J Thomas, who brought it to the full court), requesting that he/they vacate the 11th Cir. stay.

Today, SCOTUS declined to vacate the 11th Cir. stay.

The appeal will proceed at the 11th Cir. and the stay remains in place.

On edit:

Obviously, this is a gross (over)simplification, especially with regards to Judge Hinkle's decision. Recommend reading his decision or a summary of it.

[Bettie]

12. So, this is a signal tha t

eventually, this will wend its way to SCOTUS and they will ensure that there are fewer people with the right to vote in Florida.

Heck, I suspect that a state could put in a literal poll tax and they'd say "yeah, that sounds good".

[Blue_true]

20. They decide later.

The 11th Circuit put the hold on while it reviews the legal briefs and issues. I would guess in the end it will come down to whether the Courts are willing to set aside the will of voters. Such set asides have happened before when voters as a group (White voters in the days of Jim Crow) attempted to restrict the rights and freedoms of a minority group. Since Florida voters chose to expand the rights of a minority of it’s citizens, the Courts likely will uphold the voters’ intent, IMO.

[UTUSN]

3. Aren't they supposed to be on vacay in plushness somewhere?!1

[former9thward]

5. No.

In the summer they are not in session at the court. But they are on call for cases which demand timely answers.

[UTUSN]

7. Thanks, always good to hear good information!

[Desert grandma]

4. Maybe Tom Steyer and/or Bloomberg

should band together and pay all these fines to eliminate this unfair barrier to voting in Florida.

[dsc]

8. actually the problem is deeper than that

in many cases no one knows exactly how much these people owe. But on the plus side, I think county by county is how this is being done and some Democratic counties have decided to waive the dollars except for restitution.

[uponit7771]

10. +1, looks like a lot of democratic counties in Florida.

[uponit7771]

11. Were is Bloomberg? I'd think this is the biggest thing to turn an election for Biden.

[fescuerescue]

9. If someone has paid their debt to society, they should be able to vote

But surely that actually means paying their debt. To Society.

[Hortensis]

13. SCOTUS says the states will decide. Shameful subjugation

of citizen rights to those who don't want them voting, but... THIS IS A MATTER FOR THE CONSCIENCE AND CONVICTIONS OF THE ELECTORATE.

The sooner FL finally goes blue the better. For 22 million reasons. And more.

[mcar]

14. As others have noted

in most cases, their "debt" cannot even be figured. In one county, a returning citizen got three different amounts from the same Clerk of Courts.

This is all so much voter suppression bullshit. The amendment which, by the way, passed with more than 65% of the vote, had a clause in there saying that if repayment of fines/court costs/etc was part of the ruling, those fees would have to be paid before the person could register to vote.

What the FL Legislature Republicans did was pass a law overriding the will of 65% of the citizens of this state and muddied the waters.

Now, because of the discrepancy, returning citizens who have paid their fines are afraid to register to vote. Because, if the court comes back and says they decided the amount was different then guess what? The person is going back to prison.

[fescuerescue]

17. How do other states handle Felons with unpaid debt?

I would think that California and New York would be a good model.


Seems like maybe Florida should emulate those that have figured this out.

[edhopper]

15. it is quite obvious

Robert's does not believe in the Right to Vote.

[lagomorph777]

16. A bit of remedial reading for the SCROTUS jagoffs who sided with the majority.

ABOLITION OF THE POLL TAX
TWENTY-FOURTH AMENDMENT
SECTIONS 1 AND 2 .
The right of citizens of the United States to vote in any primary or other election for President or Vice President, for electors for President or Vice President, or for Senator or Representative in Congress, shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State by reason of failure to pay any poll tax or other tax.

The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

[edhopper]

18. Roberts does not believe in

Voting Rights.

[Nature Man]

19. SCROTUS