Posted on 07/31/2006 6:07:29 PM PDT by neverdem
Associated Press
DENVER — The Colorado Supreme Court on Monday upheld a state law that prohibits convicted felons from voting while they are on parole, a ruling that will keep some 6,000 people from casting ballots this year.
Colorado law denies felons the right to vote while they are serving their sentences, and the justices said in a unanimous opinion that parole must be considered part of a sentence.
The ruling affirmed a lower court's interpretation of a 1995 state law.
The American Civil Liberties Union's Colorado chapter challenged the law on behalf of two nonprofit groups and Michael Danielson of Fort Collins, who was paroled in 2003 following a conviction on drug and theft charges.
Attorneys for Danielson, the Colorado Criminal Justice Coalition and Colorado-CURE argued that under the state Constitution, prisoners' voting rights should be restored when they are released from prison, even if they are still on parole.
But the Supreme Court agreed with the secretary of state and Denver District Judge Michael Martinez, who said convicted felons have not served their full sentence until all components _ including parole _ are completed.
"Of course we agree with Danielson that parole did not exist at the time Colorado adopted its constitution, but this does not mean that the General Assembly was constrained from punishing crimes with sentences that include custody while the convicted person is being transitioned to community and before restoration of his or her full rights," the ruling said.
On the Net:
State courts: http://www.courts.state.co.us
Oh well...back to the graveyard
tee hee
The only reason our Colorado Judges voted the way they did is because there is a ballot initiative by petition this election cycle limiting the terms of judges here in Colorado, Hmmmmm curious huh?
Ping
Wanna bet they aren't voting? Dead people vote, and these convicted felons will have no problem voting Democrat.....
That's a net plus about 4500 votes the rat won't get. Believe it or not, about 15% of felons who vote, vote GOP. They are probably former lawyers and accountants.
Gee have the justices heard the outcry over their making up the law as they go? They finally read a statute to mean what it says.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.