Florida Attorney General Bondi Against Automatic Restoration of Felons’ Rights

Florida’s Attorney General Pam Bondi thinks that felons should have to wait up to five years before they can seek clemency because it is presently too easy for felons to get restoration of their civil rights.  Bondi says there should not be any automatic restoration; rather, the felon needs to ask and wait an appropriate time. 

Bondi’s proposal will be discussed at a Cabinet meeting on March 9. If accepted, it would reverse changes by Governor Charlie Crist back in April 2007, when Crist argued that the civil rights restoration procedure was too unfair to many ex-offenders and too cumbersome.  Crist’s changes resulted thousands of felons being allowed to vote, obtain state licenses, and sit on jurys without a long review process. 

Governor Rick Scoot and CEO Jeff Atwater support Bondi’s position.