Amendment 4 won’t significantly reduce clemency caseload.
After Amendment 4 passed, which restored voting rights to ex-felons who have completed their sentences (other than those convicted of murder or a sex offense), you would think that the backlog of cases waiting to be reviewed by the Florida Clemency Commission would be drastically reduced. After all, the only people who should be waiting in line to have their applications considered are those two sub-groups.
Not so, says Kelly Corder, a commission spokeswoman.The board still has to review petitions from felons seeking to have all of their civil rights restored, she said. “Those applications remain in place, even with Amendment 4,” Corder said.
Governor DeSantis’ budget for 2019-2020 increased the funding for the clemency board by $750,000. Again, you would think with those kinds of resources the commission would be able to hire more people to get through the 24,000 pending applications faster. Again, not so. “It would be more than hundreds, but I can’t specify further than that.” said Corder.
We have to wonder how much of that money was allocated to the clemency commission with the intent of clearing the backlog of cases that have been in the queue for years vs. how much money was allocated to the commission to fight back against automatic restoration of rights for those in the non-omitted groups.
Currently, you can expect to wait years (if not over a decade) to be considered after filing an application for restoration of your voting rights. That’s ON TOP of the seven years we had to wait to qualify for the right to apply.
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Is this the article you got this information from?
https://www.news4jax.com/news/florida/clemency-cash-could-ease-backlog
So what Corder is saying is that Amendment 4 only restores ex-felons right to vote, but no other civil rights they lost:
“The board still has to review petitions from felons seeking to have all of their civil rights restored,” she said. “Those applications remain in place, even with Amendment 4,” Corder said. “Someone may still want to run for office or sit on a jury and we will review that.”
I guess the crafters must be blamed since all the amendment states is:
“This amendment restores the voting rights of Floridians with felony convictions after they complete all terms of their sentence including parole or probation.”
The fact that they may be adjudicating more cases is irrelevant if the unconstitutional, biased process is still in place.
What happened to the lawsuit???
Once you have finished your sentence regardless of the charges, then you get all of your rights restored – automatically. See how easy it can be ? ? With that system in play, the state can now focus on real problems.
Debbie, I have a friend in Virginia who served time with me many years ago. When he completed his time and probation, his voting rights were restored without his even having to ask for restoration. It should be the goal of every government entity to restore voting rights to all tax paying citizens just as soon as possible. Unfortunately in Florida the Republicans have curtailed voting rights for so many for so many years…by the way I am at least a quasi-Republican…that they , the Republicans, are afraid to restore voting rights out of fear of those restored voting Democrat. It’s just another example of politicians putting ‘party’ ahead of conscience and obligation to citizens.
I agree Captain. Seems like Virginia has that system of rights restoration that is most ideal. Why would a government have to create a clemency board to hear thousands of people applying for rights restoration when you can have an automated system in place that can do that for you once you have served their time and fully restore your rights. My goodness what a waste of time being on a clemency board, when I can be tackling other important matters concerning the state.
But as you said, the fear of voting democrat. They might as well just put on the application, ” if you’re a democrat, then don’t bother applying ” or have everybody applying to register themselves as republicans and make sure you say you’re a proud republican on the application. lol Wouldn’t that be something ? 😉
@ Capt If I ever get my voting rights back I will vote Democrate except for Ms. book I was republican but since they now wanna drag God into the state penal codes and punished me for the same behavior that Congress protects them from. You darn right I vote if I could
Capt,
Not to mention the clemency board probably wants a bloated caseload to keep and increase their budgets. Any desire they have to serve the citizens of Florida is a very distant second to their own job security.
The system doesn’t automatically give you back anything. I’m a prime example of that. I had my first and my last charge when I was 19 now that I’m 43 I still haven’t gotten my rights back for riding in a car with stolen property 😡
When does the clock start on the 7 year waiting period just to apply
Release from all sanctions
If it was a bill / law / amendment to take away more of our rights, we would not have to wait all those years, it would be enacted forth with and retroactively back to the days of Moses.
I have already put in my request to have my voting rights restored. I was released from probation in September 2018, eleven years early. My probation was not for my sex offense, which was scheduled to end in August 2010, but for a technical violation of probation. I await the restoration of voting rights…which I spent 29 years earning…rights I earned not by just being born in the US. I have been a Republican all my life but as long as the Republicans in Tallahassee insist on delaying the restoration of rights I will not and do not donate to the Republican Party.
In fact, I received notification from the Florida clemency board that my application to restore voting rights had been received. It was quite by surprise that I received the required paperwork/application. It came to me in the mail…I wandered why…and then two weeks later I was released from probation. Strange things do happen in this world.
I attempted to apply for my rights back last year, When I called the Clemency Office to have a “Packet” sent to me, So I could apply for “Clemency” I was told that I had to wait “EXTRA LONG” to apply !! The 7 or 10 year wait, DIDN’T APPLY to me (A Ex-Sex Offender) !!! I had to wait 12 YEAR’S before I was “ALLOWED” to apply to have all my Civil Rights restored !! And that if I sent a application in “Early” it would be “Thrown Away” and not even considered… I was extremely Heart Broken, And just wanted to end our conversation ASAP, And I didn’t get the lady’s name that told me this information, And I sure wish I would have !!!. Now that I’m “Pee,d Off”, I want to file a Lawsuit against “The Clemency Board”, Or Whoever is giving out this information (if it’s not true) !!!. All these “EXTRA LAWS AND RULES” have got to be ILLEGAL AND AGAINST THE CONSTITUTION !!!!. I’m wanting to “Restart My Life”, And attempt to “Move On”, Now that I’ve PAID MY DEBT TO SOCIETY !! Next march will be 10 YEAR’S that I’ve been COMPLETELY DONE WITH ANY FORM OF SUPERVISION !!!. And I haven’t even gotten a Parking Ticket !!. I have NOTHING against me before this Charge !! My Record is CLEAN except for this Charge !! I held 5 different “Professional Licenses issued from The State of Florida before catching this charge !! I held a Concealed weapons Permit, A Recovery Agency License, A Recovery Agent license, A Security Agency License, A ARMED Security Agent License, All that were “Temporary Suspended” while I served out my sentence of PROBATION !! My conviction was ADJUICATION WITHELD !!. And I was PROMISED that after I finished my Probation, I would be able to get ALL MY LICENSES BACK !!!. So, I agreed to this, And stopped pressing for a Trial !!. Well, Guess what !?!?!?!?, While I was serving my Probation The “Jessica Lunsford Act” became law !!!!, So, that ended the agreement I had with the Judge/St of Florida !!!!!. This should be ILLEGAL AS H-LL !!!!!!!!. And to top everything off, When I went to “EARLY TERMINATE” my Probation, I was told that I was now a CONVICTED FELON, And no longer ADJUICATION WITHELD !!!. And I had a choice to “Stay on Probation” and let the state figure out HOW, WHEN, WHY I was now considered a “,Convicted Felon”, OR Get off probation that day (2 year’s early), And pay an Attorney to figure out and Fix the issue !!!!. Well I wanted OFF PROBATION that day !!!. And after getting off, I went to 10 different Lawyers to get my record “Fixed”, And every one of them wanted $25K + to challenge my case !!! My case had SO MANY ISSUES that nobody wanted to take it on !!! So, My 2 year’s passed, And now I’m stuck ad a “CONVICTED FELON SEX OFFENDER” And all the “Paperwork” I have Proving that IM NOT, Doesn’t mean a Thing !! It not worth the paper it’s written on !!!. And I’ve lived a “Perfectly legal life” everyday since my EOS(End of sentence), And it doesn’t even matter !!. Everyone still looks at me like a Molested a Baby !!. My “victim” was a 15yr old (10 days shy of 16 !!) Girl that was pretending to be “Over 18” and had a FAKE ID, And was going to Clubs/Bars, Driving a vehicle everyday, Buying cigarettes at stores, Buying Alcohol at Clubs/Bars !!!. And telling EVERYONE that she was 21 !!!!. She was 6’0 tall and “Looked” ALOT older than she was !! The FLORIDA PROSECUTOR even admitted that !! AND He also admitted that he didn’t believe that I “Committed a Crime” intentionally, And that he WASNT WORRIED ABOUT ME EVER REOFFENDING AGAIN !!!!. I didn’t have ANY restrictions while on Probation !! And NONE OF THIS MATTERS TO ANYONE !!. I’m “The Worst Of The Worst” !!! And I get treated as such EVERYDAY !!. And even though I want to “Do RIGHT” And get my “Rights Back” and “Move On” from this “PAST LIFE”, I CAN’T !! SOCIETY AND THE GOVERNMENT WON’T LET ME !!!!. It’s SERIOUSLY TIME for a CHANGE in this Country !!!!. We need the “Original” Constitution Back !!! The one that says that , After a Person “PAYS THEIR DEBT TO SOCIETY”, That they retain ALL of their Rights back !!!!!. ALL OF THEM !!! Because the truth is, All a Law does, Is Keep a HONEST FELON from Breaking It !!!!!!!!!. Criminals have GUNS if they want them !!! They DON’T CARE about a Law !!!!. That one thing, Proves that WE ALL deserve a 2nd Chance !!!. We DESERVE our Rights back !!!!!.
its 7 years.
I applied after 7 years and got an acknowledgement that it was received and being processed, the process taking years.