Desmond Meade deserves the respect that Florida denies him
The Chicago-based MacArthur Foundation last week awarded Desmond Meade one of its 2021 Genius Grants. Three years ago, Meade led the successful statewide ballot initiative for a constitutional amendment to modernize Florida’s 19th century system for restoring the civil rights of ex-felons.
In choosing this year’s class, the foundation especially focused on climate and race — after the murder of George Floyd and subsequent protests. Meade is a worthy recipient of the $625,000 award.
While serving in the Army, Meade became a cocaine addict. After serving time in Florida on drug charges, Meade got his undergraduate degree from MiamiDade College and graduated from Florida International University Law School in 2014.
As a convicted felon, however, Meade couldn’t take the Bar exam to actually practice. He couldn’t vote. Three years earlier, then-Gov. Rick Scott and Attorney General Pam Bondi had reversed the policy enacted under Gov. Charlie Crist that made it much easier for ex-felons to regain their civil rights, returning Florida to a policy that began in the Jim Crow era.
Amendment 4 makes history
So Meade formed the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition. The group got enough signatures to get Amendment 4 on the 2018 ballot. Sixty-four percent of voters approved the amendment, which automatically restored the rights of ex-felons “after they complete all terms of their service, including parole or probation.” Those convicted of murder or sexual offenses are excluded.
As the MacArthur Foundation noted, Meade “and collaborators enabled formerly incarcerated people to speak on their own behalf and to meet with policymakers, academics and community leaders … Meade’s campaign received a groundswell of support from diverse stakeholders across racial, socioeconomic, religious and political divides.”
That support ended with newly elected Gov. Ron DeSantis and Republicans in the Legislature. In writing the implementing legislation for the amendment, they defined “all terms” of a sentence to include fines, court costs and victim restitution.
Eighty percent of Florida’s estimated 700,000 to 800,000 ex-felons owe money in at least one of those three categories. The legislation thus gutted the intent of the amendment.
DeSantis and GOP leaders claimed they were defending the integrity of the system and crime victims. In fact, their motives were partisan.
Many Republicans believed that because ex-felons are disproportionately African American, any surge in voter registrations would benefit Democrats, who get most of
Florida’s African American votes.
The first election for those newly enfranchised voters was for president last November in the nation’s largest swing state, but the results don’t support that belief. Like other Republicans outside Florida, GOP mega-donors Charles and David Koch supported Amendment 4. Meade said often that the amendment was “apolitical.” It won large margins in traditionally Republican counties, outperforming DeSantis. In Sarasota County, the margin of approval was almost 2 to 1.
A pro-DeSantis court
Civil-rights groups challenged the financial restrictions and won at trial but lost 6-4 at the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Two of six appellate court judges who voted to overturn the lower court’s decision had been appointed by DeSantis to the Florida Supreme Court before former President Donald Trump promoted them to the federal bench. Since DeSantis was part of the lawsuit, they should have recused themselves. Had they done so, the GOP’s appeal would have failed and Amendment 4 would be in effect as Meade and the voters intended.
You might think that DeSantis would be content to claim this shabby victory over Meade and move on. Wrong.
In March, for a second time, Meade appeared before the state Board of Clemency, which includes the governor and all three elected members of the Cabinet. Although Meade’s voting rights had been restored, he still needed a pardon to practice law and validate his redemption.
DeSantis refused. The governor, a Navy veteran, cited Meade’s dishonorable discharge, which stemmed from the time he spent in a brig for stealing to support his drug habit. Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis cited a domestic violence accusation by Meade’s first wife.
Neither was a revelation. Meade has discussed in detail the life he overcame to become the person he is. Advocates for Meade say his ex-wife didn’t oppose the pardon. The man who resisted the urge to kill himself, got sober and remade himself looked much bigger on that day than the petty DeSantis.
The MacArthur Foundation said of Meade: “Despite setbacks, his bold vision for empowering returning citizens through mobilization and education serves as a blueprint for other states to follow. Meade is pushing the nation closer to democracy that represents the full extent of its citizens.”
Florida should share that vision.