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Judge Mark Walker Touts His Mind-Reading Skills
Does anyone remember when Leftist partisan judges at least made an effort to disguise their efforts to legislate from the bench? It’s clear that in Florida, one judge feels free to state his Leftist bias and his certainty that the election law recently passed in Florida attacks Democrat voters, black voters in particular. He is certain that in spite of the Republican intentions to secure the vote, Republicans are trying to disenfranchise Florida’s citizens:
Ruling that the Legislature intentionally discriminated against Black voters, a federal judge in Tallahassee struck down most of Florida’s controversial 2021 election law and ordered the state not to make any future changes to those provisions without court approval.
In his decision issued Thursday, Judge Mark Walker ruled that the sections of the law restricting drop boxes, creating new requirements for voter applications including vote-by-mail, and banning interactions with voters in line were unconstitutional and could not be enforced by the state. The law was a top priority of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Walker also put Florida under the ‘preclearance’ provisions of the federal Voting Rights Act, a measure first used on mostly Southern states in the 1960s to prevent them from discriminating against minorities in the voting booth. Under it, the state would need his court’s approval to make any revisions to those provisions of its election laws for the next 10 years.
The most shocking element of his decision is that he believes that Republicans intentionally created barriers to Florida elections. The fact that election law had been modified supposedly to help those who might have had difficulties voting during the pandemic (and many assumed was temporary) was irrelevant. Walker also ignored the importance of securing the vote by tightening up requirements; voters still had several opportunities and means to vote in elections.
Walker didn’t care.
Fortunately, Gov. DeSantis has already filed an appeal.
Walker didn’t hesitate to accuse Republicans of racism in their enacting the legislation:
‘For the past 20 years, the majority in the Florida Legislature has attacked the voting rights of its Black constituents,’ Walker wrote. ‘They have done so not as, in the words of Dr. King, ‘vicious racists, with [the] governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification,’ but as part of a cynical effort to suppress turnout among their opponents’ supporters. That, the law does not permit.’
So, what part of the legislation was so discriminatory? Drop boxes were only available from 10 am to 6 pm, and needed to be monitored by employees. For the voter mail-in process, voters had to sign up every two years, to provide a driver’s license number, or a Florida I.D. number, or the last four digits of their social security number. And people waiting in line to vote were not to be approached by anyone.
Four lawsuits were filed to challenge the new law. Walker responded in this way:
The challengers alleged that the law ‘runs roughshod over the right to vote, unnecessarily making voting harder for all eligible Floridians, unduly burdening disabled voters, and intentionally targeting minority voters—all to improve the electoral prospects of the party in power,’ Judge Walker wrote. He added, ‘Having reviewed all the evidence, this Court finds that, for the most part, Plaintiffs are right.’
The judge’s ruling is disgraceful on so many levels.
His attack on the law is blatantly partisan.
He is misusing the Federal Voting Rights Act by requiring any changes to the election laws must go through the courts.
He is unconcerned about the potential for fraud in the voting process.
He assumes that voters are stupid or inept and unable to adjust to the changes in the law.
He assumes that voters also don’t care about the potential for fraud, whereas many voters nationally have approved the requirements for presenting identification.
And, of course, he assumes that the changes made to the election laws were made to pacify Donald Trump.
This uphill battle against the judiciary can become so discouraging. I’m so glad that we have Gov. DeSantis fighting the good fight.
Published in Politics
It is pretty stunning that this is all based on a fiercely racist presumption that African-Americans are incapable of complying with very minimal registration and voting requirements.
I keep wondering when black voters will realize that they are held in such disdain by Democrats. I have to believe that they are beginning to realize that the Democrats are using them, OB
Why should they? As long as they get privileges from the Democrats then it makes sense to keep putting them in office. From Blacks point of view they are just GOP voted in away from being slaves again.
I’m not so sure, John. What have blacks gotten from the Dems lately except outrageous promises for goodies that they can’t deliver and possible tax increases that will hit them like everyone else? On top of those facts, there’s inflation, shortages, gas prices, border invasion and other disasters. And I wonder if most blacks really fear that they could be put back into slavery; that assumes they are as foolish as the Dems think they are.
I like how the media declared that the law was “controversial” without actually describing any controversy. It’s a common media trick: call something “controversial” that isn’t, and voila! it suddenly is.
This tactic is sometimes referred to as “controversializing.” Watch for it. Once you start seeing it, you’ll see it everywhere. You can’t not see it.
I hadn’t heard the term before, Drew! Yes, we saw this with the “gay” bill that said nothing about gays. The willingness to be deceptive and misleading is ubiquitous with the Left. I know, I know, it’s nothing new. What I hope will be new is that some people, somewhere will begin to catch on. Thanks.
Been seeing more and more of this. Thinks described as racist or sexist or anti gay but nothing ever done to describe what it was and if you bother to dig into it most people do not see the problem. But then most people do not dig or even read past the headlines.
Maybe, but I have been hearing about the great minority awaking since Reagan. Just have not seen much of it so I have my doubts I ever will. I suspect that as minorities take control of the country we will see a lot more racist anti white laws. For whatever white means at that time.
At some point I sort of hope that some of these Governors start asking the judges “So how many divisions do you have”. Perhaps it is time for legislators to start actively impeaching judges until they can at least maintain a fig leaf of impartiality in their rulings.
Love it. What do you mean by “divisions”?
Since this is a Federal judge, I think Congress would have to act and I doubt the House is so inclined.
I suspect the Democrat government would love the opportunity to step on an uppity GOP state. I suspect it will eventually get to that if the GOP does not just collapse under its own.
I couldn’t help being just a little amused that the Orlando Sentinel headline reported that “most” of the law was struck down, and the WSJ headline reported “parts” of the law were struck down.
It is a reference to a comment made by Stalin when told that the Pope was not going to be please with some action he was preparing to take.
Nowhere in the law does it say “These terms apply only to black voters.” This is what happens when partisan hacks become judges. A pox on any Republican who voted to confirm . . .
“Court approval” means one man’s approval – Judge Walker’s. Again, we have a duly elected legislature bypassed by a single individual who sets himself up as if he has the divine right of kings . . .
G.r.r.r.r.rrrrrrrrrrr! So very true. Next he’ll ask attorneys to kiss his ring in court…
He should wield a scepter instead of a gavel . . .
It’s right up there with “some say”. Usually the “some” are three randos on twitter.
The Left has corrupted all of our institutions. It is rich that a judge who gained power over voting rights because of the outrages of Democrats, is projecting Democrat thinking on Republicans.
Projection is repeatedly part of the Democrat strategy. And they don’t ever see what they are doing; their mission is to destroy the enemy.
The ruling is available here (288 page pdf). From a quick skim there is not even a pretense of impartiality.
Impartiality. The Progressives are the Humpty Dumpty Party:
I keep hoping/praying that some day, some day blacks will wake up to the racist condescension of their white Democrat saviors.
And just to be sure we’re looking at white savior complex in the person of Mark Walker, I looked up an image:
You don’t get much whiter than that without being albino.
Florida has three Federal Court districts he only has power over the North District. Watch Republicans will continue to be cowards and implement judicial tyranny across the whole state when at best this just applies to the Panhandle and Gainesville, Ocala, Aka the North District.
So this does not apply to almost any of the Democratic Population centers. So if Republicans are smart they will ignore the decision and state the Judge has no jurisdiction over the whole state. Only the Florida & US Supreme Court, along with the 11th Federal Appellant court have any judicial authority over the whole state. Even then constitutionally unless it is a blatant violation of the 14 amendment only the Florida Supreme court really has any say on this.
He was confirmed 94-0. So I agree, all of the Republicans who have served for 10 years or more should be condemned.
BTW, this is the judge that has been assigned the Trump civil suit against Hillary, the DNC and the rest of the cabal.
He was appointed by Obama just four short year ago. Too bad.
Ah, just we needed; more good news. ;-)
All you need to know about Mark Walker is that he got an appointment to West Point and bailed after summer indoctrination. You take an appointment from someone who would have probably made a fine officer and bail?