Florida Ex-Felons Win Partial Victory In Voting Rights Case

TALLAHASSEE, FL — A group of former felons in Florida looking to get their voting rights restored won a victory in court on Friday when a federal judge blocked a state law making it harder for ex-felons to vote. The ruling only blocked the law from being implemented for the 17 people who challenged it.

The suit challenges the law, which was passed earlier this year by the state's Republican-controlled legislature, requiring former felons to pay all court fees and fines that had been imposed on them as well as money owed to victims or their relatives before being able to once again vote.

The law undercut a ballot measure passed overwhelmingly by votes last year restoring the ability to vote to people who had been released from prison and completed their sentences.

Supporters of the law said that as many as 1.4 million people would be able to once again vote. Many of those people don't have the money to completely pay off those debts and lawyers for those suing saying denying them the right to vote is unconstitutional.

Judge Robert Hinkle agrees.

'The state of Florida cannot deny restoration of a felon’s right to vote solely because the felon does not have the financial resources necessary to pay restitution," Hinkle wrote."Florida also cannot deny restoration of a felon’s right to vote solely because the felon does not have the financial resources to pay the other financial obligations."

Hinkle's ruling came in response to the state's attempt to get the lawsuit turned out.

The case is expexted to go to trial in April.