VICTIMS (SOB) Voting rights sought for rehabbed ex-cons (ACLU, felons, parolees, probationers sue)

Star-Ledger ^ | Wednesday, January 07, 203 | JONATHAN SCHUPPE

[Liz]

Minority advocates and 10 convicted felons filed a lawsuit yesterday challenging a state law that keeps parolees and probationers from voting.

The ban, they said, discriminates against blacks and Hispanics and poses an unfair hurdle to felons' rehabilitation.

"Many of us, when we come home from prison we work, pay our taxes, pay our fines and do what's possible to make our community better," said one of the plaintiffs, Zenon Quiles, a Hispanic 41-year-old father of four from Montclair on parole for drug offenses. "It's terribly frustrating for me to sit there and watch the political process go by and not do anything about it."

[Liz]

"We were under-represented in each place of power in this state. The only place we are over-represented is in the jails of this state," Perez said.

I know this is a (gasp) revolutionary idea.....but if you didn't commit crimes, you wouldn't be over-represented in jails.

[17th Miss Regt]

...because it has a "grossly disparate impact" on minorities.

No, because it has a "grossly disparate impact" on felons. Try again, idiots!

[goldstategop]

The Democrats are the Party Of Felons. Their hero is one himself.

[FormerACLUmember]

...because it has a "grossly disparate impact" on minorities.

The chronic suppression of military absentee ballots by the rat party has a "grossly disparate impact" on minorities, who are overrepresented in the military.

[Arpege92]

"Many of us, when we come home from prison we work, pay our taxes, pay our fines and do whats possible to make our community better."

LOL....Many of you, when you come home from prison go back to the same lifestyle that put you in prison. You don't work, you don't pay taxes and you could care less about paying any sort of fines. Too bad you weren't trying to make your community a better place to live before you went to prison.

I certainly don't want convicted felons voting and deciding things about my life in a community. I work, I pay taxes and I've never been arrested or convicted of any crime!!!! I'm earning my right to vote!

[doodad]

The ban, they said, discriminates against blacks and Hispanics and poses an unfair hurdle to felons' rehabilitation.

So they are admitting that minorities commit most of the crimes.

[Pern]

Sorry, Liz, but I have to agree with this (gasp!). With the powers that be making every crime a felony (felony cruelty to animals, felony possession of marijuana, felony for failure to report campaign contrubitions, felony this, felony that...), I think that once the felon has completed their parole, they should get all their Constutional rights back, including the right to bear arms (unless their original felony included a gun in their crime).

A person cannot be punished twice for the same crime, but our public servants and even the Conservatives on FR don't seem to understand that. People make mistakes, and I challenge anyone on FR who says that 'I've never committed a crime, so I'm special'. Truth is, they never got caught!

[jmaroneps37]

Why is it that the very same people - rats aclu - who cry and wring their hands about prisons having no rehabilitative features, want the same felons that, they themselves tell us are not changed people, to sit at our communial table when we make decisions?
The reason the aclu/rat cabal want this is because they have sent how useful having a cushion of felon votes can be. The reason we will never again see Ill. as a Republican state is that they have a system of allowing felons the vote the second they are released from prison. The rats bus felons up from Jolliet back to Cook county, and there you go. By their crimes, felons have declared themselves to be enemies of our society and way of life. Why CAN'T felons be forced to prove that they have changed? Why can't there be a waiting period before these people who were prison inmates yesterday, can vote and change the out come of our elections? Life time bans are probably too harsh but; immediate voting rights are ridiculous. Voting is a Right that you earn and re earn by continued good conduct.

[vt_crosscut]

I'm with you. A prison sentence is supposed to be a punishment for a crime. When the sentence (I include parole/probation as part of the sentence) is over, the punishment is over. If the person cannot be trusted with the return of their rights then they should not be released from prison.

[boris]

"I'm with you. A prison sentence is supposed to be a punishment for a crime. When the sentence (I include parole/probation as part of the sentence) is over, the punishment is over. If the person cannot be trusted with the return of their rights then they should not be released from prison."

Loss of the franchise is part of the punishment for violating the social compact. Once the felon is released, the "time" he did does not constitute the sole form of punishment; loss of franchise is only one element of the punishment.

This is clear, obvious, and utterly sensible. Any other position is nonsense.

--Boris

[sinkspur]

People make mistakes, and I challenge anyone on FR who says that 'I've never committed a crime, so I'm special'. Truth is, they never got caught!

BULL!! I've never committed a felony. Ever.

Felonies are conscious acts, not "mistakes."

Loss of the franchise and the right to bear arms is PART of the punishment.

No crocodile tears from me for these cons.

[ken5050]

In fairness, it should be pointed out that the victims of murderers have been "permanently disenfranchised."

[Capt.YankeeMike]

Sorry guys, I have to agree with Pern. Some, i repeat, SOME pay their fines, fees, and do go on to live a law abiding life after a felony conviction. Also, what it takes these days to have a felony is a LOT less than it used to be...everything is illegal nowadays it seems. Yes, the recidicism (sp?)rate is 65-70%, but that means that a third of them ARE making it...and i would suggest that say after a period of time once parole/probation is finished, they SHOULD be able to re-apply to vote.....
The Capt.

[Liz]

Victims of murderers "permanently disenfranchised?"

Honestly, you conservatives are so intolerant and uncompassionate of criminals.

[Liz]

Sorry, Liz, but I have to agree with this (gasp!).

(Gag).

[ken5050]

LOL..however, there are some issues in the article that should be addressed...first, it's talking about folks still on probabtio or parole..IMHO..no restoration of voting rights should be considered until the sentence, or parole, ro probation has been successfully completed, and then only if the person has stayed out of the criminal justice system for 5 years AFTER that time...also, why not exclude viloent felons, murderers, rapists, and that ilk..from ever regaining the right to vote...