| Wilkie D. Ferguson, Jr. Bar AssociationCultivating Excellence & Inclusion in the Legal Profession |
JOIN WILKIE D. IN RESTORING
THE RIGHTS OF RETURNING CITIZENS IN FLORIDA
- Interested in Volunteering? Email us at info@wdfjba.org!
- Want to Learn How to Help? Watch these Quick Videos Here.(Members-Only Page)
- Need Help? Click Here for Additional Materials (Members-Only Page)
The Wilkie D. Ferguson, Jr. Bar Association, the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition (FRRC), and Community Legal Services (CLS) are partnering up to help assist returning citizens in Miami-Dade and Orange Counties.
Volunteer attorneys will be provided with FREE CLE training and pre-drafted sample pleadings, as well as detailed written instructions so that they feel secure when they represent Returning Citizens, who are eager to regain their right to vote! Returning Citizens are people who have been convicted of a crime and have completed their prison sentence, if any.
Through the FRRC's efforts, Amendment 4 passed in 2018 that ended Florida's lifetime voting ban for people with past convictions. A year later, in 2019, the Florida State Legislature passed Senate Bill 7066, which required that the Returning Citizens pay back all fees and fines resulting from their convictions before being able to register to vote. This requirement disqualifies people that don’t have the financial means to pay their fees.
However, under Florida Statutes, section 98.0751, qualifying returning citizens do have the option of filing a motion to have these fees and fines converted to community service hours. The Circuit Court in and for the Eleventh Judicial Circuit has created a mechanism to seek restoration of rights through one designated judge. Volunteers will assist by submitting a motion and typically having one hearing before a Miami judge. For cases out of Orange County, all petitions are heard through motions only without a hearing.