Ex-convict fights to vote

Ex-convict fights to cast ballots in Florida

Ángel Sánchez considers voting in elections a “sacred right” — even if this Cuban-American resident of Miami may not achieve that blessing in the Tuesday primary.

Sánchez was sentenced to 30 years in prison when he was 16 years old. He dedicated himself to studying in prison — earning his high school diploma, and reading hundreds of law books in the library — and that work made him realize that his sentences were wrong. He fought, appealed, and was released in 2010 after 12 years behind bars.

Once released, he obtained two associate degrees from Valencia College and two bachelor’s degrees (law and political science) from the University of Central Florida, graduating with triple honors. He graduated from law school at the University of Miami, also with the highest marks. He finish his studies thanks to a scholarship from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, which supports exceptionally promising students in financial need.

Sánchez, 38, now works for the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition promoting the vote of ex-convicts in a crucial election year.

“In a democracy, voting should not be mixed with fundamental things such as punishments, and much less with financial impact, because there are too many poor people,” Sánchez said from his home in Little Havana.

“In a democracy, the vote is sacred, it should not be touched,” said Sánchez, who sent a letter Monday to the Florida Division of Elections asking for help.

Sánchez says he completed his sentence and probation and was told he paid all his pending legal debts, but he just discovered the clerk’s office shows that he had an outstanding balance. He also uncovered another unwelcome surprise, a Florida Department of Law Enforcement fee of $298 that Sanchez believes was erroneously imposed.

“Unless that is corrected, I am not voting because I am afraid of doing so. I am trying by all means to correct those errors in the system. Now I either pay twice using my credit card or I don’t vote,” Sánchez said.

With many positions at stake in Tuesday’s primary, Sánchez asks that all people who may be in a situation similar to his to contact the coalition. “Don’t let debt deprive you of the vote and allow your voice to be heard, especially in Florida, where elections are de

fined by a small margin,” he said.

The winding path of Amendment 4

Florida voters passed Amendment 4 in 2018 restoring voting rights to Floridians with felony convictions, excluding those who had committed murder or sex crimes, provided they “complete all terms of their sentence, including the parole or probation.“

But in March 2019, a state law was passed limiting Amendment 4 by requiring ex-felons to pay all court debts, fines and restitution in order to register to vote. In May 2020, a Florida federal judge ruled that the state law was partly unconstitutional. In the ruling, the judge affirmed that the law discriminates against those who cannot pay and amounts to an unconstitutional tax. The state appealed to the 11th Court of Appeals, which temporarily stayed the district court’s ruling.

The suspension was appealed in the Supreme

Court of the United States, which declined to hear the case, maintaining the suspension. Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Ruth Bader Ginsberg and Elena Kagan joined in a written dissent, saying the superior court order “prevents thousands of otherwise eligible voters from participating in the Florida primary simply because they are poor.”

After those many twists and turns, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta is poised to hear arguments Tuesday — primary day in Florida — in Gov. Ron DeSantis’ appeal of the federal judge’s ruling that found the law unconstitutional.

The legal wrangling and incomplete or contradictory court records have erected at-times insurmountable barriers for Florida felons such as Sánchez who want to participate in one of the bedrock elements of democracy: voting.

“It has caused tremendous confusion among the lawyers and pro bono lawyers that have been trying to assist people for over a year. So you can only imagine the confusion of the people that are applying,” said MiamiDade County Public Defender Carlos Martinez.

“You cannot deprive people of the right to vote just because of their poverty,” Sánchez said. “We want the public to know that we have created a fund, and we want all the people who have debts to know that we are trying to pay those fines, taxes and other expenses.”

The Florida Rights Restoration Coalition has collected more than $2 million in donations to help clear up felons’ court-ordered debt, with celebrities and high-profile athletes such as Michael Jordan, LeBron James and John Legend kicking in up to $1 million more, according to Desmond Meade of Orlando, the organization’s president and executive director.

Dozens of lawyers throughout the state are working with organizations such as the FRRC, the Alliance for Safety and Justice, and the League of Women Voters of Florida to help felons determine whether they have outstanding financial obligations and to clear up the debts so they can register to vote. Floridians have until Oct. 5 to register to vote in the November general election.

Attorney Carin Levine said she’s helped about 100 people apply for the modifications, and none was denied.

“I would understand that anyone with or without a law degree would be completely confused,” Levine said.

A pardon

While he continues to fight for the rights of people with a record, Sánchez is asking for a pardon from the governor, a measure that, if obtained, would restore his voting rights — which is a requirement in Florida for someone with a record to take the Florida Bar exam.

“Ángel has been a boy for whom life has brought many mishaps, and he has known how to get up despite living in a system that is designed so that people like him are not successful. He has triumphed … A person like him is a miracle and part of that miracle is his faith,“said Puerto Rican Agustín Quiles, president and founder of the Mission

Talk religious group, a network of young leaders from Florida that supports social causes and groups like the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition.

Gone are the times when he carried a gun and the memories of the first time he was handcuffed (at age 9). In his spare time, Sánchez helps others, reading, researching and writing, like the article, titled “Despite Prison,” which was published in April 2019 in the Harvard Law Review. And step by step, he hopes his story inspires others.

“I wish I could be an inspiration to other people. So that with my example they can see that if you study and work and help others, you will become great in this country,“he said.

To contact the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, visit floridarrc.com or text “fines” or “fees” to 82623 for donation assistance.

CARLINE JEAN/SOUTH FLORIDA SUN SENTINEL Angel Sánchez spent several years in prison for a gang-related problem when he was 16 years old. He got his high school diploma in jail. Upon his release, he graduated from UCF and studied law at the University of Miami.

CARLINE JEAN/SOUTH FLORIDA SUN SENTINEL Ángel Sánchez was sentenced to 30 years in prison when he was 16 years old. Today he is a law graduate from the University of Miami and is pushing for the right of ex-felons to vote in the state of Florida.