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March 2001 Case of the Month
Ex-Offenders and Voting Rights: Black State Legislators et al. v. Moore
In order to help bring a better understanding of the Bill of Rights in action, the ACLU of Florida website posts a Case of the Month. Each month, we highlight either a current case before the courts or current issues that affect civil liberties. In discussing the case, we hope to offer extensive learning materials, including balanced information on key legal issues, lesson plans, teacher handouts and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's).
The Case of the Month is designed to be a resource tool for teachers and students, as well as an opportunity for the general public to keep informed important civil liberties issues.
For March, we have selected a case that deals with state laws that deny the right to vote to convicted felons. The ACLU of Florida's Equal Voting Rights Project recently filed a lawsuit challenging the failure by the State of Florida Department of Corrections to assist ex-felons in applying for restoration of their civil rights, including the right to vote. The lawsuit, Florida Conference of Black State Legislators, et al. v. Michael Moore , was filed on March 14 in Leon County Circuit Court in Tallahassee. To read the press release, click here.
One particularly troubling aspect of these state statutes that disenfranchise ex-felons is their impact on black men, who are arrested, convicted and incarcerated at disproportionately high rates. The following information serves to explain these laws, in detail, and describe the overall impact of these voting restrictions on ex-felons in Florida.
- Overview
- Legal Issues
- Parties involved
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Lesson Plan
- Legal complaint
Special thanks to Marjorie Kret, ACLU fall law clerk, and Alessandra Soler, ACLU of Florida Public Education Coordinator, for preparing the March Case of the Month.
