GOOD MORNING, IF YOU ARE
JUST JOINING US WE ARE
CONTINUING OUR LIVE ONE HOUR
SPECIAL EDITION OF FACING SOUTH
FLORIDA.
DURING OUR FIRST HALF-HOUR THE
TWO CANDIDATES FOR AG
COMMISSIONER DEBATED LIVE ON
OUR SET.
WE POSTED IT ONLINE AT
CBSMIAMI.COM.
AND CAN YOU HEAR FOR
YOURSELVES REPUBLICAN MATT
CALDWELL AND DEMOCRAT FRIED
HAVE TO SAY, IT WAS A LIVE
DEBATE.
BUT FIRST, WE TURN TO AMENDMENT
4.
THIS IS A BOARD OF CLEMENCY.
OKAY.
THERE IS NO LAW WE ARE
FOLLOWING.
THE LAW HAVE BEEN FOLLOWED BY
THE JUDGES.
SO WE GET TO MAKE OUR
DECISIONS.
ON HBO'S LAST WEEK TONIGHT.
THE FACT IS FLORIDA IS THE
DISENFRANCHISED CAPITAL OF
AMERICA.
JOHN OLIVER HIGHLIGHTED THE
PROCESS FELONS GO THROUGH TO
GET THEIR CIVIL RIGHTS RESTORED
AFTER COMPLETING
THEIR SENTENCES.
THERE IS NO STANDARDS.
EACH OF US HAVE THE RIGHT
OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A DECISION
BASED ON WHAT WE BELIEVE.
THIS IS A COURT OF MERCY, IT'S
NOT A -- THERE IS NO -- IF YOU
WALK UP AND SAY I DESERVE
SOMETHING, THAT IS NOT HOW THIS
WORKS.
WE -- THERE IS NO -- THERE IS
NO STANDARDS.
SO WE CAN MAKE ANY DECISIONS WE
WANT.
FLORIDA IS ONE OF ONLY FOUR
STATES IN THE COUNTRY THAT DO
NOT RESTORE A PERSON'S CIVIL
RIGHTS AFTER THEY
COMPLETE THEIR SENTENCE.
THEY HAVE TO APPEAR BEFORE THE
STATE'S FOUR MEMBER CANDIDATE.
THERE IS ONE QUESTION HE
ASKS A LOT.
DO YOU GO TO CHURCH.
DO YOU GO TO CHURCH TOGETHER.
DO YOU GO TO CHURCH.
THE PROCESS IS SO SLOW AND
CONVOLUTED THERE IS A BACKLOG
OF TENS OF THOUSANDS OF
APPEALS.
AS A RESULT, 1.4 MILLION
FLORIDIANS ARE BEING DENIED THE
RIGHT TO VOTE.
AMENDMENT 4 WOULD CHANGE THAT
BY AUTOMATICALLY RESTORING A
PERSON'S CIVIL RIGHTS AFTER
THEY HAVE COMPLETED
THEIR SENTENCE AND PAID
WHATEVER FINES OR RESTITUTION
THE COURT REQUIRED.
THE EXCEPTIONS WOULD BE FOR
FELONS CONVICTED OF MURDER OR
SEX RELATED CRIMES.
AND JOINING ME TO SUSPECTED
THE AMENDMENT OF THE CHAIR OF
THE FLORIDIANS, DESMOND THANK
YOU FOR COMING IN.
TALK TO ME ABOUT YOUR OWN
INVOLVEMENT IN THIS.
YOU HAVE BEEN FIGHTING THIS
FIGHT FOR A LONG TIME.
TALK TO ME ABOUT THAT.
YES, YOU KNOW I THINK -- I
KIND OF STRAY AWAY FROM THE
WORDS FIGHT BECAUSE A LOT OF
PEOPLE THINK THAT WE ARE IN THE
BATTLE RIGHT NOW AND WE ARE
REALLY NOT.
WHAT WE ARE SEEING ACROSS THE
STATE IS THAT THERE IS
OVERWHELMING CONSENSUS ON WHAT
WE ARE DOG.
I DON'T -- I DON'T RELATE THAT
TO A BATTLE, HE I RELATE IT TO
A GROWING GRASSROOTS MOVEMENT
THAT IS TAKING
OVER THE STATE.
BUT MY INVOLVEMENT STARTED
BECAUSE I AM PERSONALLY
IMPACTED BECAUSE OF DRUG
ADDICTION, I ENDED UP ON
STREETS
HOMELESS AND IN JAIL.
AND EVENTUALLY WANTING TO END
MY OWN LIFE RIGHT HERE ON THE
STREETS OF SOUTH FLORIDA.
GOD HAD OTHER PLANS FOR ME AND
I WAS WAITING FOR A TRAIN TO
COME, BUT HE HELD A TRAIN UP
AND I ENDED UP
CROSSING THE TRACKS AND
CHECKING MYSELF INTO DRUG
TREATMENT.
AFTER THAT MOVING IN AND LIVING
IN PARTNERSHIP.
WHILE AS A RESIDENT I DECIDED
TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL AND I
ENROLLED IN MIAMI-DADE COLLEGE.
EVENTUALLY I GOT ACCEPTED INTO
LAW SCHOOL.
NOW, CAN I -- I AM GOING TO
BREAK THE 4th WALL A LITTLE BIT
AND LET THE VIEWER AT HOME KNOW
ABOUT THE
INSIDE WORKINGS HOW WE DO THIS
SHOW.
I WILL BE HONEST WITH YOU, WHEN
I WAS TALKING TO A NUMBER OF
DIFFERENT PEOPLE ABOUT WHO TO
BOOK ON THIS SHOW,
THERE WERE SOME PEOPLE WHO DID
NOT NECESSARILY WANT ME TO BOOK
YOU IN PART BECAUSE THEY WERE
AFRAID, WELL, PEOPLE ARE GOING
TO THINK THAT THIS IS AN
AFRICAN AMERICAN ISSUE.
YOU KNOW, I HAVE YOU AS A
GUEST.
THAT IS THE FURTHER THING FROM
THE TRUTH.
A AFRICAN AMERICANS ARE
DISPROPORTIONATE LEAH TEXTED BY
THIS LAW.
OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF PEOPLE
WHO HAD THEIR RIGHTS DENIED TO
THEM AFTER COMPLETING THEIR
SENTENCE ARE WHITES AND
HISPANICS.
LOOK MORE LIKE YOU, JIM.
A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE UNAWARE,
APPROXIMATELY EACH YEAR THE
STATE OF FLORIDA CONVICTS
APPROXIMATELY 170,000
INDIVIDUALS OF FELONY OFFENSES.
THESE ARE 170,000 PEOPLE THAT
APPEAR BEFORE A JUDGE AND THE
PROSECUTOR WHO THOROUGHLY
EXAMINED THEIR CHARGES.
AND AT THE END, THE JUDGE AND
THE PROSECUTOR DETERMINED OVER
75% OF THEM DO NOT EVEN WARRANT
BEING EVEN SENT TO PRISON.
NOW, THERE IS NO ORGANIZED
OPPOSITION TO THIS AMENDMENT.
WE LOOKED AROUND, I KNOW THAT
THE BROWARD GOP, THE BROWARD
COUNTY GOP IS OPPOSING IT.
THERE IS A GROUP UP AT PALM
BEACH, THE TRUMP CLUB PALM
BEACH COUNTY.
THE PRESIDENT OF THAT GROUP
SENT ME A STATEMENT.
I WANT TO PUT IT UP ON SCREEN
NOW AND WE CAN SORT OF -- WE
ARE GOING TO GET -- THERE IT
IS.
WE ARE NO ON AMENDMENT 4.
WE LIKE THE FELONY REST -- WE
-- SORRY, MY EYES ARE GONE.
CAN YOU READ IT FOR YOURSELF.
APPEARING BEFORE PAROLE BOARD
TO DETERMINE IF SOMEONE IS
READY FOR EARLY RELEASE.
UP HERE AND BEFORE THE PANEL,
ALLOWS FOR INDIVIDUALS TO --
SORRY, YOU CAN SEE IT FOR
YOURSELF.
YOU GOT IT RIGHT THERE.
BUT THE BASIC LINE HE SAID AT
THE END THAT I FOUND JUST
FASCINATING WAS MY BROTHER-IN-
LAW HAS HAD HIS VOTING
RIGHTS RESTORED, HE STATES IT
TOOK SOME TIME BUT WASN'T
DIFFICULT.
THAT'S NOT THE TYPICAL
RESPONSE.
WELL, YOU KNOW AT THE
BEGINNING I CAN TELL YOU, JIM,
WHEN I STARTED THIS YEARS AGO,
YOU KNOW, I FOUND THAT
SAME SENTIMENT ACROSS THE
BOARD.
AND REALLY REALLY BOILS DOWN TO
WHETHER OR NOT PEOPLE ARE
REALLY INFORMED OF HOW THIS
SYSTEM REALLY OPERATING.
THERE IS A NATURAL ASSUMPTION
THAT A SYSTEM IS IN PLACE AND
IT WORKS PROPERLY.
THE REALITY IT DOESN'T.
WHEN YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT
PEOPLE, HOW I A GUY WHO PUT HIS
LIFE ON THE LINE FOR THIS
COUNTRY, WROTE A BAD
CHECK AND HAVE TO WAIT 30 YEARS
TO GET HIS RIGHTS RESTORED.
THAT IS NOT RIGHT WITH THIS
PICTURE.
HOME TOWN HERO, LEROY JONES HE
HAD TO WAIT 18 YEARS TO GET HIS
RIGHTS RESTORED.
YOU HAVE GROUPS WHO ARE
SUPPORTING AND INCLUDING THE
CONSERVATIVE COKE BROTHERS,
THEY THINK THIS IS A NECESSARY
STEP.
HAVE YOU VETERANS GROUPS.
THE FLORIDA CONFERENCE OF
CATHOLIC BISHOPS HAVE COME OUT
IN SUPPORT OF IT.
A NUMBER OF CHURCH GROUPS ON
THE RIGHT AND THE LEFT HAVE
COME OUT IN SUPPORT OF IT.
I WANT TO PLAY ONE CLIP THAT WE
HAVE A FEW WEEKS AGO, I I ASKED
HER ABOUT AMENDMENT 4 AND LET'S
PLAY THAT
CONVERSATION AND THEN YOU CAN
RESPOND TO IT.
I SUPPORT STREAMLINING THAT
PROCESS, THERE IS AN ENORMOUS
BACKLOG I HAVE BEEN ON RECORD
AND TALKED ABOUT
THE FACT THAT WE AS STARS AS OF
THE -- STU WARDS OF THE STATE,
TO SO I WOULD WORK TO
STREAMLINE THAT PROCESS,
WOULD ALSO SUPPORT AUTOMATIC
RESTORATION FOR LESS VIOLENT.
WHEN IT COMES TO AMENDMENT 4
YOU WILL BE VOTING NO?
AMENDMENT 4 ALLOWS CRIMES TO
BE -- THE RIGHTS FOR FELONS TO
BE AUTOMATICALLY RESTORED
INCLUDING ARMED
ROBBERY, KIDNAPPING, AGGRAVATED
ASSAULT, THERE ARE SOME CRIMES
I THINK THAT ARE -- THAT WILL
BE AUTOMATICALLY RESTORED THAT
I BELIEVE SHOULD INCLUDE A MORE
THOROUGH HEARING.
YOUR RESPONSE.
WELL, FIRST OF ALL, LIKE I
SAID BEFORE, YOU KNOW, A VAST
AMOUNT OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE LOST
CIVIL RIGHTS HAVE NEVER SPENT A
DAY IN PRISON.
THAT'S NUMBER ONE.
I THINK NUMBER TWO IS THAT WE
-- OUR CAMPAIGN HAS HAD THE
ADVANTAGE OF REALLY BEING ON
THE GROUNDS FOR YEARS
SPEAKING TO VOTERS FROM THE
PANHANDLE ALL THE WAY TO THE
KEYS.
AND WHAT THE VOTERS HAVE TOLD
US THROUGH FOCUS GROUPS HAS
BEEN THAT, LISTEN, THEY ARE 'EM
X-RAYING THE LANGUAGE AS IT IS,
AND ON TOP OF THAT WE HAD OVER
A MILLION VOTERS THAT SIGNED A
PETITION AND THAT IS WHAT
THEY ARE SAYING, WE BELIEVE IN
SECOND CHANCES, RIGHT?
BUT WE WANT TO RESPECT THE --
PEOPLE CONVICTED OF MID AND
PEOPLE CONVICTED OF FELONY SEX
OFFENSES.
WE BELIEVE ONCE A PERSON HAS
SERVED THEIR TIME, ONCE THE
DEBT IS PAID, GUESS WHAT, JIM,
IT'S PAID.
THE ABSOLUTELY CLEAR, NOT
ONLY DO YOU HAVE TO COMPLETE
YOUR SENTENCE, COMPLETE
PROBATION, COMPLETE ALL
FINES, YOU HAVE TO PAY ALL
FINES, PAY ALL RESTITUTION, YOU
HAVE -- IN OTHER WORDS, HAVE
YOU -- YOUR DEBT HAS
TO BE COMPLETELY PAID.
EVERYTHING THAT A JUDGE,
THAT JUDGE WHO PRESIDED OVER
THAT CASE NO KNOW YOUR CASE
BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE SAY
THAT THIS IS WHAT YOU MUST DO
IN ORDER TO EARN YOUR WAY BACK
INTO SOCIETY, ONCE YOU HAVE
COMPLETED
EVERYTHING THAT A JUDGE ORDERED
GUESS, WHAT IT'S TIME.
WHAT WOULD IT SAY ABOUT
FLORIDA IF THIS DOES NOT PASS,
DO YOU THINK?
THAT'S A HARD PILL TO
SWALLOW, JIM.
I THINK WHAT IT WILL REALLY SAY
PROBABLY SOME FOLKS ARE NOT
READY.
I DOUBT IT.
BECAUSE WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN OUR
POLLS, WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN OUR
DAY TO DAY CONVERSATIONS IS
THAT PEOPLE FROM ALL
WALKS OF LIFE ACROSS THE BOARD,
ACROSS THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM,
ACROSS THE RACIAL SPECTRUM ARE
OVERWHELMINGLY
IN SUPPORT OF THIS AND ACROSS
EVERY PART OF THE STATE.
SO THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT'S
POPULAR IN SOUTH FLORIDA OR
NORTH FLORIDA.
HAVE YOU CONSERVATIVE --
I'VE SEEN CONSERVATIVE MEMBERS
OF CONGRESS COME OUT IN SUPPORT
OF THIS.
WHEN YOU HAVE STATES LIKE
TEXAS, SOUTH FLORIDA AND
GEORGIA, RESTORING AMERICAN
CITIZENS RIGHTS.
WE ALL KNOW TEXAS, GEORGIA,
BAST I DON'T KNOWS ARE
LIBERALISM -- BASTIONS ARE
LIBERAL IFILL.
READ THROUGH THE ENTIRE
ABOUT LOT.