criminal justice

Florida felons don’t have to repay fines, fees, and restitution before registering to vote. That’s according to a ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Robert Hinkle. He issued his decision Sunday after hearing arguments earlier in the month over a 2019 law that implemented a 2018 constitutional amendment to restore voting rights to most felons in Florida.

The Florida Department of Corrections is facing a lawsuit for failing to release information on how it’s handling the COVID-19 outbreak in prisons. More than 1,000 Florida inmates have tested positive for the coronavirus, seven have died.

The number of coronavirus cases reported in Liberty County jumped from just 8 to 60 overnight between Sunday and Monday. The majority of those cases stem from staff and prisoners at the Liberty Correctional Institution.

Amid rebukes from a federal judge, a top Florida elections official laid out the state’s process for determining whether felons are eligible to vote under a law that is the subject of a closely watched voting-rights trial that entered its second week Monday.

Attorneys representing Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration turned to a man who garnered international acclaim for his advocacy of a 2018 constitutional amendment designed to restore felons’ voting rights. Lawyers for DeSantis played a video deposition of Desmond Meade, who said he stands behind the disputed law, which the Republican-controlled Legislature passed last year to carry out the constitutional amendment.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has suspended a second North Florida public official from office over fraud. Liberty County Supervisor of Elections Gina McDowell has been removed from office over accusations of fraud and misconduct.

Florida lags far behind other states in reforming its criminal justice laws. But the fight continues for prison advocacy groups and their allies in the Legislature. Now, the new coronavirus pandemic has intensified concerns about an aging inmate population.

A state investigative panel is alleging wrongdoing by a Leon County circuit judge who acted as her son’s attorney after he was arrested in a shooting incident. Judge Barbara Hobbs faces a series of allegations that she violated judicial canons.

Large parts of the state’s court system are closed as part of an effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus, but Florida officials want people to know…

U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle ruled that testimony and expert statements for the trial over a 2018 state law regarding felon voting will be conducted…