Tarra Simmons Looks To Become 1st Former Inmate Elected To Washington Legislature
I know this is somewhat off-topic, but for those who are feeling hopeless, you should never say never.
A Washington attorney and criminal justice reform advocate who previously served time in prison is seeking to become the first formerly incarcerated person elected to the Washington Legislature, at least in modern times.
Tarra Simmons, of Bremerton, who in 2017 won a Supreme Court fight to sit for the state bar exam, despite her prior criminal conviction, plans to formally announce her candidacy for the state House on Monday.
“I’d like to break this concrete ceiling,” Simmons said in an exclusive interview with the public radio Northwest News Network. “I think we would all fare better if we have diverse people with lived experiences running for all kinds of offices.”
Simmons will run in 2020 as a Democrat for an open House seat in the 23rd Legislative District, which includes parts of the Kitsap Peninsula and Bainbridge Island. She is the first candidate to announce for the position.
The seat is currently held by state Rep. Sherry Appleton, an eight-term Democrat who recently announced she will retire at the end of her current two-year term in January 2021. Appleton recruited Simmons to run for her seat and has endorsed Simmons’ candidacy.
“I have been mentoring her all along,” Appleton said. “I think she really is a very dynamic person … and she has a lot to offer in criminal justice reform and health care. I think she’s the perfect person to run in my place.”
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Does anyone know the exact count of the stipulations we all have to follow in Florida that are “crimes” if we don’t?
What do you mean by “exact count of the stipulations?” Number of requirements? Are you talking about registration requirements or probation conditions?
What a joke…we ALL know how honest lawyers are right! They are all criminals who just haven’t been caught. Mine sure was at least. Florida is a great place for corrupt politicians and corrupt lawyers.
Leave Florida if you can – I did!
Now I want Florida to let me GO! I had not stepped foot in that sh^thole for over 15 years now and I think it’s time that they remove people who no longer reside there instead of padding their joke of a registry with over half the people NOT in Florida – such as myself!
Twilight Zone, I greatly respect your opinion but disagree that all attorneys are criminals. Even though I cannot defend all attorneys, I have family members and acquaintances who are attorneys that live by the highest moral and ethical standards. Knowing the law has helped make them the people that they are today.
I do understand your frustration, though. There are some dishonest, sleezy attorneys out there that give the whole bunch a bad name. It seems that so many state legislators and congress people have law degrees, and I do wish that other professions were better represented in our legislative process. But right now, I do not know what I would do without help from an attorney.
Well, when I went to an attorney for help this (now disbarred in Florida) lawyer took my $7000 cash payment up front and then I never had a face to face meeting again.
I was innocent but scared sh^tless never having dealt with the legal “system” before so I was an easy mark. Now 18 years later I am still paying the price for my attorney’s mishandling of my case!
Good luck with yours. If I only knew then what I know now I would certainly NOT be involved in this useless crap 18 years later!
You had a bad one for sure.
Would be a cold day in hell before that happened in Floriduh. Or anywhere in the south for that matter. Good ole boy system would make sure that didn’t materialize
The south is full of bible thumping Christians. Use their own religion of “forgiveness” against them. Then watch as they try to justify their UNforgiveness.
Maestro, the Bibles these “Christians” are thumping state that we are not to judge. These people are wrong in what they are doing. If we can all be patient, we will see the results down the road some day for these people. Just as I told Twilight Zone, there are always some in a group that make the whole group look bad, when not everyone in the group is truly a “bad apple”. The “Christians” you are referring to do not know God, so are they really Christians — that would be debatable by some.
I love stories like these. Good for her and anyone else like her with the courage and strength to work in what they want to do and against the odds.
Although registered citizens would need to restore their civil rights and voting rights before they can run for office it seems.
From the article.
“According to the Washington secretary of state’s office, a felony conviction does not disqualify someone from running for public office, so long as they’re no longer under DOC custody and are registered to vote.”