Johnson v. Bush
Court Cases
Johnson v. Bush
Voting After Criminal Conviction
Case Summary
The Center, representing more than 600,000 Florida citizens in a class action suit, challenged Florida’s permanent disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Together with co-counsel, the Center argued that, because of its discriminatory intent and effect, Florida’s voting ban violated both the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Case History
- On September 21, 2000, Plaintiffs filed a complaint.
- On July 18, 2002, the federal district court for the Southern District of Florida granted summary judgment to the State.
- On August 9, 2002, Plaintiffs appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, which heard oral arguments during the week of March 17, 2003.
- On December 19, 2003, a three-judge panel of the 11th Circuit reversed the summary judgment ruling in a decision available here.
- On July 20, 2004, the 11th Circuit granted a request by the state to rehear the case, and on October 26, 2004, the 11th Circuit sitting “en banc,” (as a whole) heard oral arguments.
- On April 11, 2005, the 11th Circuit en banc upheld Florida’s 137-year-old voting ban against people with felony convictions in a decision available here.
- On August 10, 2005, Plaintiffs filed a petition for a writ of certiorari to the United States Supreme Court. The cert petition is available here.
- On October 14, 2005, two amicus briefs were filed in support of the Petitioners’ request for certiorari - one on behalf of the League of Women Voters of Florida (available here) and one on behalf of current and former Law Enforcement officials (available here).
- On October 14, 2005, the State filed its brief in opposition to certiorari.
- On October 26, the Brennan Center filed a reply brief in response to the State’s opposition brief.
- On November 14, 2005, the Supreme Court denied the Plaintiffs’ cert petition. The Court did not specify why it declined to review the case.
Rulings & Filings
- Complaint
- Order Granting Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment
- Plaintiffs’ Brief on Appeal
- Defendants’ Brief on Appeal
- 11th Circuit Panel Opinion
- 11th Circuit En Banc Questions
- 11th Circuit En Banc Opinion
- Plaintiffs’ petition for a writ of certiorari to the US Supreme Court
- Amicus brief filed on behalf of League of Women Voters
- Amicus brief filed on behalf of Law Enforcement officials
- State’s brief in opposition to certiorari
- Plaintiffs’ reply brief in response to State’s Opp. Brief
- Press Release - Supreme Court Turns Down Historic Voting Rights Case - November 14, 2005
- Press Release - Brennan Center Response to 11th Circuit Ruling in Florida Felony Disenfranchisement Case - April 12, 2005
- Press Release - Decision Today in Johnson v. Bush, Florida Voting Rights Case - December 19, 2003
- Media Alert - Appeal Hearing Set for April 9 - March 27, 2003
- Reaction to Decision in Johnson v. Bush - July 17, 2002
- Media Alert - Florida Law Denying Vote to Ex-Felons Faces Critical Court Date April 5th Hearing - March 27, 2002
- Media Alert - Florida Law Denying Vote to Ex-Felons Faces Critical Court Date March 25th Hearing - March 25, 2002
- Press Release - Brennan Center Challenges Florida Law that Denies Ex-Felons’ Right to Vote - Sept. 21, 2000
Op-Eds & Commentary
- Let Florida Felons Vote by Deborah Goldberg - New York Times, February 14, 2005
- Floridians Who Can’t Vote by Jessie Allen - New York Times, April 4, 2004
- Locking Out the Vote by Jessie Allen - American Lawyer, April 2003
- Felons Have Allies in Vote-Ban Case by Elizabeth Amon - National Law Journal, January 14, 2003
- Editorial Memorandum: An “Unhealthy Democracy” Florida Court Case Highlights Felon Disenfranchisement Crisis in U.S.; National Effort to Restore Voting Rights to Ex-Felons Grows - July 2, 2002
- Votes That Will Never Be Counted by Nancy Northup - Chicago Tribune, November 12, 2000
Press Releases & News
Other Materials
- The case is featured in a documentary, ”Trouble in Paradise.”
Related Court Documents
- Johnson v. Bush - Plaintiffs’ Brief in Reply to State’s Brief in Opposition to Cert (10/26/05)
- Johnson v. Bush - State’s Brief in Opposition to Certiorari (10/14/05)
- Johnson v. Bush - Law Enforcement Amicus Brief in Support of Cert (10/14/05)
- Johnson v. Bush - League of Women Voters Amicus Brief in Support of Cert (10/14/05)
- Johnson v. Bush - Plaintiffs’ Cert Petition to the US Supreme Court (08/10/05)
- Johnson v. Bush - 11th Cir. En Banc Opinion (04/11/05)
- Johnson v. Bush - 11th Cir. En Banc Questions (07/30/04)
- Johnson v. Bush - Brief of Defendants-Appellees (11/19/02)
- Johnson v. Bush - Brief of Plaintiffs-Appellants (10/08/02)
- Johnson v. Bush - District Court Opinion (07/18/02)
- Showing 10 related court documents, show all
- Johnson v. Bush - Order Denying Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss (01/30/01)
- Johnson v. Bush - Complaint (09/21/00)