Ignorance to the law does not make you immune to the law.
It certainly doesn't. It's also sad that it's a law but that's an other discussion.
Texas woman sentenced to 5 years in prison for voting while on probation
51–60 of 157 posts
Re: Texas woman sentenced to 5 years in prison for voting while on probation
#52Why in the world is this a felony ? If it's "mere" disenfranchisement you're going for, why not simply… don't count the vote ?
The vote wasn't even counted in the end.
Re: Texas woman sentenced to 5 years in prison for voting while on probation
#53I never quite understood voter disenfranchisement. Some quick googling tells me that 6 million people are disenfranchised in the US, which out of 235 million voting-aged population means 2.5% of the US voting-aged population is disenfranchised. It is also majority targeted towards black voters (despite 18% of voting population, 34% of disenfranchised are black) Putting it together for me it's clear that police brutal…
Sounds like it should be categorized as cruel and unusual punishment, even if it's currently the status quo and therefore very usual.
Re: Texas woman sentenced to 5 years in prison for voting while on probation
#54Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Not even having a "probation" time after people have been released from prison; they did their time, they are free again I think you're mistaken about what probation is. Probation is part of your time. You're sentenced for a given period of time, and at some point you may be released to serve the rest of that time in the community, on probation. Their sentence isn't over, and they aren't 'free' while they are on pr…
Many people feel that probation is inherently unethical. X years of probation seems less harsh than X years in prison but often amount to the same thing. Without the option of probation prison time is not going to increase 1:1 and depending on the ratio total time in prison may actually decrease.
Who are these people? How many of them are ex-convicts?
Re: Texas woman sentenced to 5 years in prison for voting while on probation
#55How does such an attorney and judge feel after such a trial? Do they feel satisfied, fulfilled? Taking away 5 years of someone's life over a little mistake that didn't hurt anyone? I don't get it: why does a free people like the Americans allow for that kind of sinister figures to be their prosecutors and judges?
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Re: Texas woman sentenced to 5 years in prison for voting while on probation
#56Earlier quoted context omitted.
> 5 years seems too long though Are you being sarcastic? 5 years for voting while on probation is "too long"?? How about: 1. Not preventing people who are in prison from voting 2. Not even having a "probation" time after people have been released from prison; they did their time, they are free again
> Not even having a "probation" time after people have been released from prison; they did their time, they are free again I think you're mistaken about what probation is. Probation is part of your time. You're sentenced for a given period of time, and at some point you may be released to serve the rest of that time in the community, on probation. Their sentence isn't over, and they aren't 'free' while they are on pr…
I think you're mistaken about how probation is used in practice.
Many small offenses will get you put on probation for ten years. Parole and work release are more often used as alternatives to incarceration.
The main issue here is whether or not people on probation should be allowed to vote. I don't see why they shouldn't and I can't see any justification for putting them in jail if they do. It's absolutely absurd.
Re: Texas woman sentenced to 5 years in prison for voting while on probation
#57Earlier quoted context omitted.
I find five years a bit surprising, but what do you think the proper penalty would be for a felon committing voter fraud should be? Edit: I'm utterly amazed that this comment has been downvoted to silence. Disenfranchising felons — i.e., those who have committed extremely serious crimes — is while somewhat controversial a long-standing practice. The woman in question committed voter fraud by voting without being lega…
I would prefer 0 days in prison because I don't think voting while a felon should be a crime. But, if we still want to call this situation voter fraud, how about we sentence them to community service? This person is not a danger to society, so I see no reason to put them in prison. More prion just messes up their life further and costs everybody a lot of precious tax dollars.
While I agree that what this woman did shouldn't be voter fraud, community service isn't sufficient deterrent for actual voter fraud. People put in lots of volunteer hours to help get their preferred candidate elected, so they'd probably be willing to risk community service too. Voter fraud is very dangerous to society, as society depends on our trust in institutions.
Re: Texas woman sentenced to 5 years in prison for voting while on probation
#58I never quite understood voter disenfranchisement. Some quick googling tells me that 6 million people are disenfranchised in the US, which out of 235 million voting-aged population means 2.5% of the US voting-aged population is disenfranchised. It is also majority targeted towards black voters (despite 18% of voting population, 34% of disenfranchised are black) Putting it together for me it's clear that police brutal…
Sounds like it should be categorized as cruel and unusual punishment, even if it's currently the status quo and therefore very usual.
Well, the only reason I can think of that voting while disenfranchised would be a felony would be to extend the total period of disenfranchisement.
Surely voting by itself doesn't warrant a 5 year jail sentence
Re: Texas woman sentenced to 5 years in prison for voting while on probation
#59How does such an attorney and judge feel after such a trial? Do they feel satisfied, fulfilled? Taking away 5 years of someone's life over a little mistake that didn't hurt anyone? I don't get it: why does a free people like the Americans allow for that kind of sinister figures to be their prosecutors and judges?
It may also be worth noting that judges in Texas are elected, not appointed, the same way as any other politician.
Re: Texas woman sentenced to 5 years in prison for voting while on probation
#60Can't you just hear those white Texans: "We'll show her". I don't think any comment on that site sums it up more than that one.
Well, as a white guy in Texas , "not all white Texans" isn't the most helpful response. Regardless of the last name of the judge in this case, your comment more or less meets with my experiences. This conviction is a pretty fucking vile turn of events, and it is fundamentally tied to the racist fears about voter fraud that are, themselves, sublated attempts to prevent "illegitimate" populations from voting: "It's ver…
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