Donations From Michael Jordan, LeBron James To Help Felons Vote

CLEARWATER, FL — Following a federal court ruling, a statewide nonprofit has received a surge in donations to help convicted felons have their voting rights restored in Florida.

The Florida Rights Restoration Coalition is traveling by tour bus to 60 of Florida's 67 counties to distribute $25 million in donations to help pay fines owed by convicted felons, many of whom completed their sentences decades ago. Donors have included basketball superstars Michael Jordan and LeBron James, entertainers Ariana Grande and John Legend, and director Stephen Spielberg.

A recent federal court decision affirmed the Florida Legislature's requirement that convicted felons complete all terms of their sentences, including payment of all court fines, fees and restitution, before their voting rights can be restored.

On Monday, the final day to register to vote in the Nov. 3 general election, the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition tour bus stopped in Tampa to present a $1.5 million check to Hillsborough County Clerk of Circuit Courts Pat Frank.

“The mission of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition is to end the disenfranchisement, break down barriers,” Neil Volz, deputy director of the coalition, said.

In 2018, nearly two-thirds of Florida voters passed Amendment 4, allowing 1.4 million people in Florida who have been convicted of nonviolent crimes to resume voting after they served their sentence.

However, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Republican lawmakers blocked the implementation of the amendment, demanding that convicted felons first pay off all fines, court fees and restitution before registering to vote. An estimated 80 percent of people convicted of felonies still owe money.

Supporters of Amendment 4 filed legal action objecting to DeSantis's conditions and a lower court ruled against the requirement to pay fines. However, the U.S. Supreme Court and the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta upheld DeSantis's requirement.

This means that an estimated 85,000 convicted felons who eagerly registered to vote after Amendment 4 became law in January 2019 could be prosecuted if they try to vote.

A longtime Democrat and former state legislator, Frank is among the critics of DeSantis's efforts to block the resumption of voting rights by requiring the payment of all penalties.

“All we want to do is give them the right to be full, dignified full citizens," Frank said. "We have really had to struggle to help these people get their rights back."

To date, Frank said her office has helped 851 convicted felons register to vote by paying off $771,353 in fines and court costs. Monday's donation will pay off the fines of an additional 1,000 offenders.

But those seeking to have their voting rights restored complain that it's been difficult to get an accounting of the amount owed.

Pinellas County Clerk of Circuit Court Ken Burke said determining how much is owed is a complicated process that's required special training of his staff.

To date, 290 people with felony convictions in Pinellas County have paid $298,629 in assessed fines and fees to have their voting rights restored.

“The court’s dissenting opinion and some news stories have pointed out confusion when inquiring as to the amount due, and we have put training in place to minimize this," Burke said.

He said it's not simply a matter of looking up the name of a convicted felon on a computer and immediately obtaining a full accounting of what that person owes.

Clerks of circuit court aren't allowed to include statutory late fees and interest in the total. In some cases, the court has allowed community service hours to be used to offset fines and fees, and the value of those hours have to be calculated. In other cases, additional fees have been tacked on to the sentence of a convicted felon due to probation violations.

"Although somewhat complex, we have set up the procedures to comply with the statutes as passed by the Legislature and make this process as efficient as possible," Burke said.

See related stories:

• 30 Felons Get Early Christmas Gift: Voting Rights Restored
• Florida Links Voting Rights Restoration To Paying Criminal Debt
• 1 Million Floridians Convicted Of Felonies Now Have Right To Vote
• Amendment 4 Leader Not Granted Pardon But Can Still Vote; Announces Aid To Help Restore Other Voters