DeSantis again denies pardon to ex-felon voting advocate Desmond Meade

Orlando Sentinel ^ | 03/11/2021

[SoFloFreeper]

On a day when advocates for ex-felons could celebrate another big win, Desmond Meade was again denied a pardon by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

DeSantis also would not expedite Meade’s clemency, saying he should go through the proper channels.

[SoFloFreeper]

The media all over Florida is attacking DeSantis.

[bankwalker]

The media all over Florida is attacking DeSantis.

Thus confirming he made the proper decision.

[SoFloFreeper]

Yep.

[RandallFlagg]

My standard for these things is pretty easy.
The opposite of the enemedia’s position is the one to take.

[SoFloFreeper]

Yes. The media is almost always on the wrong side.

[BobL]

Pretty neat setup for felons - they find others to pay THEIR FINE and then say they’ve ‘made resitution’.

Who know, maybe soon they’ll have ‘jail sitters’ to take their place behind bars. Maybe nearly-graduated kids out of our lovely colleges, who need some time to themselves to write their poetry or something.

Why not?

[nuke_road_warrior]

Interesting choice of words in that headline. How does one become an ex-felon? Does one get excommunicated from the church of felony? Does one resign from one's job as a felon? Unless one is pardoned, which the headline makes clear didn't happen, once you're convicted, you're a felon for life.

[mewzilla]

According to the Palm Beach Post, Meade was also convicted of battery.

I haven’t been able to find any real details on his conviction, exactly what he did.

Wonder why that is?

[DaBroasta]

Yep the large contingent of active-duty and retired military folks and their families here in panhandle consider the pardoning of ex-felons, especially those dishonorably discharged from the military, as the most important duty Governor Desantis was elected to carryout. All the great work he’s done to support the military, keep our seniors alive, our kids in school, and our businesses open doesn’t make up for his failure to do his job and pardon this ‘reformed’ criminal.

[Gay State Conservative]

I,unlike some (and,perhaps,unlike some here on FR) believe that if you commit certain crimes...certain *types* of crimes...you should lose your right to vote *and* your right to own a firearm...FOR LIFE!

I don't know what this clown's crime was but I can easily imagine that it would be one that falls within my "lose it for life" guidelines.

[Gay State Conservative]

Just read the piece and saw the mention of a dishonorable discharge. I was far from the finest young man to have ever served in uniform but I never ran afoul of the UCMJ during my 6 years and 3 weeks under the command of the Commander-In-Chief.

It seems to me that it takes some effort to get a dishonorable discharge.

[palmer]

He's married with fve beautiful children yada yada: https://desmondmeade.com/desmond Nope, doesn't say what he did there.

From a different glowing article:
After graduating high school in 1985, Meade pursued a career in the United States Army, which ended after he was caught stealing liquor while stationed in Hawaii. He returned to Miami, and was convicted of several drug charges as a result of living the fast-paced life of a celebrity bodyguard. In 1995, his mother passed away and shortly after, his family home was foreclosed. In 2001, Meade was sentenced and served 15 years in prison for possession of a firearm as a felon. After his early release, he found himself homeless on the streets of Miami.

Then turned his life around, yada yada.

From another glowing article in 2018:
Almost two decades ago, Meade spent three years in prison after a drug charge conviction. After prison, Meade fought through homelessness to attain a bachelor’s degree from Miami Dade College and a law degree from Florida International University.

Turned his life around, etc.

Hmm: https://floridaclemencylawyer.com/backlog-of-florida-clemency-cases-grows/
TALLAHASSEE -- Desmond Meade served time for cocaine possession and aggravated battery, but turned his life around and overcame the drug and alcohol addictions that forced him to live on the streets of Miami.

Seven years after walking out of state prison, Meade, 44, is in law school and helps run a halfway house for addicts. But what he wants most he can’t get: full citizenship and the right to vote.

[no-s]

I,unlike some (and,perhaps,unlike some here on FR) believe that if you commit certain crimes...certain *types* of crimes...you should lose your right to vote *and* your right to own a firearm...FOR LIFE!

I disagree. I would expect that if we want to take away rights permanently upon conviction for a particular kind of crime, we should just be willing to give the person the death penalty or "outlaw" them in the classical sense ("and every man's hand against him", where the choice is to be shot on sight or leave civilization behind). If not, then don't talk about depriving people of their rights as a condition of conviction. Once the sentence is complete there should be a full restitution of all rights, we don't need to create "under-class" citizens. It leads to the expansion of what is considered criminal and the diminishment of consequences as the criminals become mainstream and eventually permeate all of society, with a subsequent lessening of civilized and just behavior. It leads the authorities to view rights as privileges which can be withheld from the disfavored and provided to the connected.

[FoxInSocks]

It leads to the expansion of what is considered criminal and the diminishment of consequences as the criminals become mainstream and eventually permeate all of society, with a subsequent lessening of civilized and just behavior. It leads the authorities to view rights as privileges which can be withheld from the disfavored and provided to the connected.

There are certainly arguments to be made for both sides. But it’s not a “diminishment of consequences” — loss of your right to vote or own a firearm are consequences. Diminishment would be automatically restoring those disincentives.

Also, those two particular rights (voting and firearms possession) are not being “withheld” — as above, they were consequentially stripped in the first place as a result of the felon’s poor choices.

[DaBroasta]

It seems to me that it takes some effort to get a dishonorable discharge.

Indeed--at least since the mid-70's--you have to be a cowardly traitor or all around disgusting subhuman to rate a dishonorable discharge. Most who commit serious offenses other than rape and murder receive jail time and a bad conduct discharge.

[Vaduz]

He should go through the proper channels.

LOL sounds like DeSantis is giving a little dig at the yellow robes for not hearing Trumps cases.

[Kickass Conservative]

Funny considering the DEMONCRATS want to turn all of us Gun Owning Trump Supporting Irredeemable Deplorables into Overnight Felons simply by passing their Leftist Legislation.

Meanwhile, People facing Misdemeanor Charges in the Capitol Hill “Riot” are still rotting in Jail without Bail being set while the Just Us Department cooks up some fake Felony Charges against them.

[Rockingham]

From the Florida Department of Corrections:

03/06/2001 FEL/DELI W/GUN/CONC WPN/AMMO

07/19/2004 MIAMI-DADE 0107404 3Y 0M 0D

---------------------------

11/24/2001 COCAINE - POSSESSION

07/10/2002 MIAMI-DADE 0135797 1Y 7M 18D

---------------------------

09/26/2001 FRAUD USE OF PERSONAL ID

07/10/2002 MIAMI-DADE 0135851 1Y 7M 18D

---------------------------

09/26/2001 FRAUD USE OF PERSONAL ID

07/10/2002 MIAMI-DADE 0135851 1Y 7M 18D

---------------------------

09/26/2001 FRAUD USE OF PERSONAL ID

07/10/2002 MIAMI-DADE 0135851 1Y 7M 18D

---------------------------

09/26/2001 FRAUD USE OF PERSONAL ID

07/10/2002 MIAMI-DADE 0135851 1Y 7M 18D

---------------------------

The Miami-Dade county clerk shows the following criminal charges:

2 BATTERY/AGGRAVATED FELONY CONV AND SENT

1 RESIST OFF W/VIOL FELONY CONV-PROB SPEC COND

2 BATTERY/LEO/COR/FIRE FELONY CONV-PROB SPEC COND

3 ALCOHOL/OPEN CNT/VEH MISDEMEANOR CONV AND SENT

4 DEPRIVE OFF WEAP/ATT MISDEMEANOR CONV & SENT-CONCUR

5 PROBATION VIOLATION MISC HOLD PROBATION MODIFIED

1 BATTERY/AGG/DWEAP FELONY NO ACTION

1 COCAINE/POSSESSION FELONY NO ACTION

2 DRUG PARAPHERNA/POSN MISDEMEANOR TRANSFER-COUNTY CRT

Those with a mind for details will note several charges of battery and one of resisting an officer with violence. Two battery charges racked up convictions, as did the resisting with violence charge.