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In the earlier ruling in Farrakhan v. Gregoire, a three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit found “compelling evidence” that
Inexplicably, the State did not contest this evidence, thereby conceding that its criminal justice system is infected with racial discrimination at all levels.
Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, enacted to stamp out racial discrimination in voting, prohibits states from using any voting qualification that results in a denial of the right to vote on account of race or color.
“Plaintiffs’ evidence showed that the rate at which Blacks, Latinos and Native Americans are convicted of felony offenses and then disqualified from voting is not reflective of their actual participation in criminal behavior,” said Ryan P. Haygood, Co-Director of LDF’s Political Participation Group. “Our democracy cannot be eroded by compounding the serious injury occurring in
The Plaintiffs are represented by the University Legal Assistance law clinic at
Nationally, more than 5.3 million Americans are denied access to the fundamental right that is preservative of all other rights. An estimated 2 million of the disfranchised, roughly 38%, are African Americans.