Two Florida Democratic members of Congress, Orlando-area freshman Maxwell Frost and Miami-Dade Rep. Frederica Wilson, are calling on President Joe Biden to issue a pardon to voting-rights activist Desmond Meade.
Meade is leader of the Florida Restoration Rights Coalition (FRRC) and, along with the ACLU and other groups, led the successful 2018 campaign to pass a state constitutional amendment automatically restoring voting rights to citizens with felony convictions who had completed their sentences (with the exception of those who were found guilty of murder or sex offenses).
As the face of the 2018 amendment, Meade earned national recognition, particularly in light of his earlier legal troubles.
Frost and Wilson sent a letter to Biden requesting the pardon for Meade last month.
“One of the greatest honors of my life was organizing to help pass Amendment 4, a movement that Desmond Meade started,” Frost said in a written statement on Wednesday.
“Desmond’s life’s work is a powerful reminder of the importance of forgiveness and second chances. A civil rights leader, Desmond has created a movement powered by love and compassion. That leaders like Ron DeSantis have chosen to continue to support his disenfranchisement proves that our justice system isn’t centered on rehabilitation but on incarceration,” Frost added.
“Desmond Meade’s life is a testament to the incredible power of second chances,” added Wilson in a statement.
“As a veteran, civil rights leader, and Nobel Peace Prize nominee, Mr. Meade has devoted his life to restoring the rights of who were once incarcerated. His journey and commitment to service are embodied through his advocacy to others and serves as an inspiration and role model, particularly for young men of color who find hope in his story and see Mr. Meade as an example that it is possible to turn their lives around.”
The members of congress are calling on the president to pardon Meade specifically for his 1985 court-martial conviction and reverse his dishonorable discharge.
Meade was restored his civil rights in Florida in 2021, allowing him to run for office, serve on a jury, and take the bar exam. He previously had his voting rights restored. The restoration of his civil rights in Florida came a year after the majority of the Florida Cabinet denied him a pardon, with some members referencing his dishonorable discharge from the Army.
Criminal record
While serving in the U.S. Army in the 1980s, Meade developed a drug habit and, after being caught stealing liquor and electronics on a military base in Hawaii, was dishonorably discharged and received a three-year sentence, according to The New York Times.
He was later convicted of aggravated battery and went to jail for felony cocaine possession. In 2001, Meade was convicted of possession of a firearm as a felon. In 2004, however, an appeals court reversed his conviction and he was released, also according to the Times.
Meade turned his life around in the aughts, which culminated in his role in passage of Amendment 4 in 2018. That earned him recognition in 2019 by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the country. He received a MacArthur genius award in 2021 and the FRRC was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize earlier this year.
Meade and the FRRC continue to fight for the voting rights of Floridians with felony convictions. The Legislature passed a law enacting Amendment 4 in 2019 but requiring that all “returning citizens” have paid all fines, fees, and other legal financial obligations before getting their full voting rights restored. That change has significantly reduced the number of eligible voters from what was originally touted by its supporters.
Since becoming president, Biden has pardoned nine people, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
This article originally appeared in florida phoenix