9th Circuit says imprisoned WA felons can vote

FoxNews.com ^ | 01/05/2010 | Associated Press

[Robwin]

OLYMPIA, Wash. -- A federal appeals court has ruled that imprisoned felons should be allowed to vote in Washington state to ensure that racial minorities are protected under the Voting Rights Act.

Tuesday's 2-1 ruling by a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the 2000 ruling of a district judge in Spokane. That judge had ruled that state law did not violate the act, and dismissed a lawsuit filed by a former prison inmate from Bellevue.

The two appellate judges ruled that disparities in the state's justice system "cannot be explained in race-neutral ways."

[Robwin]

The 9th Circuit rides again, or at least 2 of its ditzier members. Minorities are overly represented in WA penal institutions so denying imprisoned felons the right to vote is discriminatory. But not all minorities. Hispanics and Asians are under represented and, horror of horrors, women make up only 2% of WA's prison population.

This country gets nuttier and nuttier day by day.

[Robwin]

ping

[blueplum]

I wonder what would happen if the people of trhe state of Washington insisted the feds remove all federal prisons and federal felons from their state forthwith?

[edcoil]

Isn’t voting covered under the Constitution as a STATE issue?

If I was Governor of WA I’d tell the fed’s to pack sand.

[Myrddin]

What's next? Are we going to see another case in another circuit to force this issue to the SCOTUS? Does the ruling apply to felons in every state in the 9th circuit? I can see an equal protection argument coming in another state inside the 9th.

[EGPWS]

A federal appeals court has ruled that imprisoned felons should be allowed to vote in Washington state to ensure that racial minorities are protected under the Voting Rights Act.

That's the way it's done back home on Mars states two members of the appeals court panel.

[EGPWS]

This country gets nuttier and nuttier day by day.

There has to be a limit, right?

[thecabal]

Solution: send more “underrepresented” races to the slammer and release a bunch of the “overrepresented” ones.

[pissant]

W......T........Bloody........F??????

[goodnesswins]

a 3 Judge Panel decides this...

[Liberty Ship]

Let ‘em vote all they want. Does this mean the state has to count the votes?

[ColdOne]

There has to be a limit, right?//.I sure in the $%%# hope so, cause I reached mine some time ago!

[CharlesWayneCT]

The two appellate judges ruled that disparities in the state's justice system "cannot be explained in race-neutral ways."

Two judges just said that black people are naturally criminals. They are racist.

[Dan Middleton]

Satire has become impossible.

[Ex-Democrat Dean]

How much longer do the Feds expect that the People and the States will put up with their bs?

[ColdOne]

Two judges just said that black people are naturally criminals. They are racist//// That is the way I read it.

[Publius6961]

The 9th Circus Court?

Ummmm.
OK.

[Clintonfatigued]

The 9th. Circus Court of Appeals strikes again!

[bmwcyle]

The DEMS are building their voting block.

[KoRn]

Hell, there will probably be some areas where a few prisons could make up their own congressional district. lol