The Florida activist who led a movement to allow most former felons to vote now has had more civil rights restored under a new state process.
Desmond Meade is the head of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition who had spent time in prison on convictions including drug possession and illegally possessing a firearm.
He announced in a Twitter video Saturday that he can now run for office, serve on a jury and even take the bar exam to become a lawyer.
Desmond Meade Civil Rights Restored "Surprise" https://t.co/eADpy7Jjvv
— Desmond Meade (@desmondmeade) October 9, 2021
Meade led the successful 2018 effort to enact Amendment 4, a voter-approved constitutional amendment restoring felon voting rights after their sentences are complete.
The Republican-led Legislature later required all financial obligations such as fines to also be completed.
Critics said this primarily disenfranchises minorities and poor people.
