Connect with us

Mississippi

Supreme Court Asked to Restore Felon Voting Rights in Mississippi

Published

on

Supreme Court Asked to Restore Felon Voting Rights in Mississippi


A left-wing civil rights group is asking the Supreme Courtroom to evaluation the felon disfranchisement provision of the Mississippi Structure that completely prevents sure felons from voting, claiming the regulation is rooted in racial animus.

The enchantment shouldn’t be anticipated to have an effect on the approaching Nov. 8 elections.

The petition (pdf) within the case, Harness v. Watson, is anticipated to be docketed by the Supreme Courtroom within the coming days. The respondent, Michael Watson, is Mississippi’s Republican secretary of state.

The petitioners, Roy Harness and Kamal Karriem, are black Mississippi residents. Harness was convicted of forgery in 1986. Karriem, a former Columbus metropolis council member, was convicted of embezzlement in 2005. Each have accomplished their sentences.

Advertisement

Based on a abstract supplied by the Mississippi Middle for Justice, which is representing the boys, Part 241 of the Structure completely blocks anybody from voting who was convicted of sure crimes that the unique framers of the doc believed have been dedicated principally by black folks.

The state structure bars these convicted of homicide, rape, bribery, theft, arson, acquiring cash or items below false pretenses, perjury, forgery, embezzlement, or bigamy, from voting.

“It was one in every of a number of voting provisions within the 1890 Structure designed to take the vote away from Black residents who had obtained it throughout the Reconstruction interval after the abolition of slavery and the top of the Civil Struggle,” the abstract states. “The opposite discriminatory provisions, together with the ballot tax and the so-called understanding clause, have been eradicated within the Nineteen Sixties in response to federal courtroom orders and the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965.”

Rob McDuff is the legal professional for the plaintiffs and the director of the Affect Litigation Challenge on the Mississippi Middle for Justice.

“At a time when our state and nation are battling the vestiges of a historical past of racism, it will be important that the US Supreme Courtroom step in to deal with this remaining vestige of the malicious 1890 plan to stop a whole race of individuals from voting in Mississippi,” McDuff mentioned.

Advertisement

“Though the Supreme Courtroom has turn out to be extra conservative in recent times, we hope it’ll see that the continued implementation of this racist provision is an affront to the promise of the Equal Safety of the Regulation contained within the Fourteenth Modification to the U.S. Structure.”

A federal district courtroom upheld the ban, concluding it was certain by the 1998 ruling of the U.S. Courtroom of Appeals for the fifth Circuit in Cotton v. Fordice, which held that the “discriminatory taint related to the unique model” had been erased when housebreaking was faraway from Part 241 in 1950 and rape and homicide have been added as disenfranchising crimes in 1968.

As a result of a majority of voters authorized these racially impartial amendments to the supply in 1950 and 1968 and discriminatory animus was not an element at these occasions, Part 241 was “redeem[ed] … from its unconstitutional provenance.”

The district courtroom ruling was affirmed by a three-judge panel of the U.S. Courtroom of Appeals for the fifth Circuit. In August all 17 judges on the fifth Circuit reviewed the ruling and voted 10–7 to uphold the ban.

The ten-member majority acknowledged (pdf) the state’s 1890 constitutional conference was “steeped in racism,” that the “state was motivated by a need to discriminate towards blacks,” and that Part 241 was a “system that the conference exploited to disclaim the franchise to blacks.”

Advertisement

However any discriminatory intent was “cured” by the later constitutional amendments, the bulk acknowledged.

The Epoch Instances reached out to Watson for remark however his workplace didn’t instantly reply.

Comply with

Matthew Vadum is an award-winning investigative journalist and a acknowledged professional in left-wing activism.

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Mississippi

Mississippi doctors encourage people to avoid heat-related illnesses

Published

on

Mississippi doctors encourage people to avoid heat-related illnesses


HATTIESBURG, Miss. (WHLT) – Temperatures are soaring across Mississippi.

“It’s really bad. I am melting. I mean, the humanity just swamps over you quickly,” said Vickie Barfield, who lives in Hattiesburg.

The high humidity and a heat index of 110 made it feel even hotter. Logan Bryant, who works in construction, said the heat makes for a hard day on the job.

“Well, being that I work outside, it makes you sweat a lot worse. So whenever it’s humid outside, it’s just uncomfortable,” he said.

Advertisement

During the high temperatures, doctors said people should stay indoors between the hours of noon and 2:00 p.m., limiting activity to the evening and morning. If you have to be outside for an extended period, you should take precautions.

“We want to make sure before we ever go outside that we’re already hydrated, already taking care of ourselves and being prepared. When we are planning on going outside with sunscreen, with bottled water, to make sure that we’re not letting ourselves get too hot,” said Dr. Grace Gable with Forrest General Hospital.

Gable said not taking preventative measures during a heat wave can cause serious medical conditions, including heat exhaustion.

“The signs of that include being really confused, feeling really hot. If you check a temperature, it might be as high as 104 degrees. Your pulse may be really fast. You might feel your heart racing and feel really dizzy. When that happens, we definitely want you to move into some AC if possible. If you are not able to make it inside the AC, make sure to get in the shade,” she said.

If you begin to feel dizzy and disoriented, call 911. Heat exhaustion can be fatal if left untreated.

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading

Mississippi

Crews rescue woman from Mississippi River

Published

on

Crews rescue woman from Mississippi River


FOUNTAIN CITY, Wis. (WEAU) – Late yesterday afternoon crews responded to calls about a woman in the Mississippi River.

According to a news release from the Buffalo County Sheriff’s Office, on June 24 around 4:15 p.m., dispatch received calls about a woman impeding traffic on Highway 35 in Fountain City, Wis.

The release says that prior to deputies arriving, it appeared the 60-year-old woman entered the Mississippi River intentionally.

Fountain City Fire Department helped law enforcement with its rescue boat.

Advertisement

The woman was downstream about a half mile from where she entered the water. She was returned to shore and evaluated before being transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and further mental health evaluation.

The sheriff’s office urges the public not to swim in the Mississippi River until water levels and dangerous currents go down.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Mississippi

Who’s on the Mount Rushmore of Mississippi State football wide receivers?

Published

on

Who’s on the Mount Rushmore of Mississippi State football wide receivers?


To get through the offseason, we’re putting together the “Mount Rushmores” of Mississippi State football. We’ve set out backfields with the Mount Rushmores of both MSU quarterbacks and running backs.

Now, we move onto the pass-catchers. Here’s the Mount Rushmore of Mississippi State wide receivers…

There’s one receiving talent that stands out above the rest at Mississippi State, and that’s Eric Moulds. No other Bulldog pass-catcher has had the combination of size, speed, and dominant athleticism as Moulds.

As a freshman, Moulds caught 17 passes for 398 yards and four TDs. Those numbers would be upped to 39 catches for 845 yards and seven TDs in 1994. He’d close his college career with 62 for 779 and six TDs in 1995 before being a 1st round pick by the Buffalo Bills in the 1996 NFL Draft.

Advertisement

Eric Moulds would spend 12 seasons in the league, four times going for over 1000 yards and three times being named a Pro Bowler.

Mississippi State’s current WR coach happened to be one of the players responsible for turning around Bulldog football under Dan Mullen. A 4-star recruit out of Tupelo, Chad Bumphis proved to be a star in the making, leading the team in receiving as a true freshman in 2009.

In 2010 in became a true go-to target with 44 catches for 634 yards and five TDs. His numbers dipped in 2011, but he’d rebound better than ever the next year. As a senior, Bumphis caught 58 passes for 922 yards and a school-record 12 TDs.

Chad Bumphis is the all-time MSU leader in receiving TDs with 24 and is second in career yards at 2,270.

The first 1000-yard receiver in MSU history needs to make Mount Rushmore. In 1978, Mardye McDole caught 44 passes for 1,035 yards and seven TDs, earning All-SEC honors. That yardage total would stand as the single-season record at State all the way until 2021.

Advertisement

McDole pass-catching numbers would dip significantly as a junior and senior, but that’s because new HC Emory Bellard implemented his Wishbone attack. Within that offense, McDole frequently lined-up as a RB. He’d post 727 yards of total offense and six TDs in 1980, again being named All-SEC. Despite the change in usage, Mardye McDole still ranks third in all time receiving yards at State with 2,214.

You’d expect at least one WR from the greatest era of offense in Starkville to make Mount Rushmore. Fred Ross’ put together some of the best pass-catching seasons in State history during his career. After a quiet freshman season, Ross would make noise with five TDs during MSU’s incredible 2014 season.

As a junior, he’d become just the second 1000-yard receiver at State with a then school-record 88 catches for 1,007 yards and five TDs. Ross would go for another 917 yards as a senior and tie Chad Bumphis with 12 TD catches.

Fred Ross was named 1st Team All-SEC in both 2015 and 2016. He owns the career receiving record at MSU with 2,538 yards and is tied for second in career TDs with 22.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending