The US citizen's right to vote: You don't know what you've got until it's gone . . .
4
Can a felon run for national office in a state he cannot vote? I know Sadler received a pardon but Blakenship in West Virginia did not. It is so wrong that someone who has paid their debt still cannot vote. This is the only time I will say I wish I lived in Alabama so I could vote for Sadler.
9
Do you really need to mention that he's attractive ("handsome")?
3
Stand tall and stay strong Mr Sadler. Open a website a/o facebook page for your Congressional run so people can support you and donate your campaign.
2
You've really gotta like this guy.
3
Very inspiring man. Certainly these Jim Crow laws must be repealed. Once you've served your time, you've, well, served your time! I hope he wins.
6
I think people who live in Alabama have a greater interest in the quality and truthfulness of our Democratic Party candidates than those outside of the state who are sitting in the peanut gallery offering encouragement to a man who has not told the same story twice. He told the NYT one version of his background and told another version to another media organization. He is not truthful in how he depicts his criminal conviction and that is a disqualifer for public office.
2
How can I contribute to Mr. Sadler's campaign?
2
Iwas shocked to learn that convicted felons can lose their voting rights. This is criminal.
The Florida penal system needs to be thoroughly investigated by the Congress. Among many red flags, a man died in the shower from scalding hot water last year.
1
As inspirational as Mr. Sadler is, many other ex-offenders don't make it and become repeat offenders because they don't have 16 years to wait for some strangers to tell them they can get their record erased and start over.
Families need to be provided for adequately NOW.
Don't force people to make money from crime because they will and many times it costs innocent lives.
Frankly, there should be laws in place to automatically pardon someone after a few years from coming out of prison.
Leaving it up to some racist board of pardons who considers them all the same is just indignant.
How would they know how it feels without walking in their shoes?
How do they expect this human to fully integrate and contribute to society when they basically have one arm tied behind his/her back and are stuck living in hellholes because they can't afford to live somewhere better thus creating another generation of statistics?
The board of pardons is arrogant and denies their right to start over in this ONE life and ignores a resume, a clean record since the offense, a family to take care of, clean and reputable references and most of all, a heart willing to fight for what they want and a will to win. All to punish the applicant even further which counts as cruel and unusual punishment in my book.
Then why say they're qualified to apply for a pardon? SMH
Just because you say they owe society doesn't mean that they feel the same way. People do anything to survive when desperate.
Pardons=less crime
Mr. Sadler, I wish you success in your efforts. You are an inspiring human being.
1
Convicted criminals disenfranchise themselves by demonstrating poor decision making.
Claiming that individuals so dangerous and irresponsible that they require incarceration, deserve to vote in a democracy is absurd nonsense.
3
Felons who tell you they did nothing wrong are not high on my candidate list. Like the WV mine owner, I wouldn’t want them representing me.
5
More punishment equals less respect for society.
Wow, I wish I lived in David Sadler's district so I could vote for him!
2
And he seems like a great dad, too. Good luck, Mr. Sadler.
1
I wish for Mr. Sadler the exactly what he should have, the right to pursue his American Dream, unencumbered by the onerous stigma of “social death”.
The U.S. needs to fix how it addresses criminal “justice”.
2
Rooting for this gentleman from California! I have never understood a couple of items in our criminal justice system: a) I think it is "criminal" for defense lawyers to suggest a plea, when they know full well the result will be a criminal record. ABA-- where are they on this? AND b) nothing in our criminal justice system or constitution encodes that you are guilty forever, and yet we have customs and/or statutes that do exactly this. One example of this is of course not being able to vote. Tragic as this man proves. Another example is a person who engaged in what he thought was consensual sex, the girl changed her mind and called rape, a kangaroo court agreed, and now the guy is a registered sex offender...for life? Who is going to take up that politically incorrect problem?
3
When I google "David Sadler" or "David Sadler Democrat" or "David Sadler Alabama" I don't find a web page. One of the highest links is to this story. Why is that? What if I want to read more? Or see video of him talk? Or donate money?
1
Run, Mr. Sadler, run.
1
Poor version of American dream. Odds stacked against him, he keeps trying against a system that is not about fairness, justice or helping citizens live their potential and contribute.
Thank you you Mr. Sadler, and thank you the NYTimes. These are among the stories for which I'm happy to pay my subscription :-)
Another recent NYT article described the disproportionate prosecution of black and Hispanic Americans for drug offenses. Whites have similar rates of drug use but are much less often prosecuted.
This leads to thousands, or perhaps millions, of minority citizens who are barred from voting, while similar numbers of whites are just as guilty but still able to vote. Perhaps this is one more tool, or dirty trick, used by Republicans to hold onto power by keeping minorities from voting.
2
Mr. Sadler is an inspiring man. While he is not alone in his quest, he has more going for him than most in his position. He got a pardon. He has an education. He built a business. He has a family . He persisted in each of these endeavors.
Many ex-felons are not as well off. I met one a few months ago. He lives in a rural county about an hour from Myrtle Beach. He is partially blind and unable to drive. I doubt he has much education. But what he does have is spunk.
He started an after-school study program in an old community center. He has scrounged computers (including one of mine without a hard drive) and other supplies to help the children who live near him. He has children of his own.
If we truly want felons to rehabilitate themselves, we need to encourage them to be complete citizens, including voting at every opportunity. It's clear that stigma has not worked. I believe that inclusion has a better shot.
2
Some board of pardons allow you to apply for an expungement of your criminal record after 3 years for a misdemeanor and after 5 for a felony.
If criminal records hinder people from truly rehabilitating and starting over then why tease them by applying for what should already be theirs?
These men and women are in society anyways.
Why leave them hopeless and desperate enough to commit crime again?
Why a pardon after 16 years when one can be given a lot sooner so he can retire at a normal age?
Of course, some of the most serious offenses might not qualify but we do need a new criminal justice system that employs new ideas including greater mercy and eraser of criminal record after a few short years to get ex-offenders engaged in life and society again. When most of them stay on tax-payer funded welfare because they don't qualify for jobs/careers that pay enough, it's time to get generous and think of the burden on society that includes crime and welfare dependence by repeat offenders due to limited life options because of a criminal records in the way.
Raise prison time for serious offenders but don't release them without the ability to truly start over. That's just cruel. Employ a criminal justice system that focuses on rehabilitation over punishment and save the government 60k a year per inmate due to repeat offenders. Make society safer and more vibrant by turning that part of society that has no hope into a optimistic and society-contributing people who now respect it.
11
It's a good question. At the time of his application, Mr. Sadler was told that Pennsylvania law did not permit expungement of convictions resulting from guilty pleas. So a pardon was his only option.
3
I know. Real second chances bring real change.
Yea, after 16 years.
Not acceptable.
What does Mr. Sadler want to do for 99% of the people in Alabama? Who is funding his campaign?
Those are the questions that need to be asked. He is now a business man.
What does he offer the women and men of Alabama - and OUR United States? The fact that the "pollster" changed his mind means that Mr. Sadler is a grandstander like The Con Don.
What else does he have?
2
Determination, hard work, grit, kindness, courage. Do I need to keep going? How is anything going to change for the better if people just sit back and criticize? Or carp? He's graduated from the school of hard knocks with a positive attitude and a burning desire to help create a better world. Which side are you on, njglea?
3
Bravo to Mr. Sadler. Voter registration (and the ability to vote) are crucial to a functional democracy. If I lived in Alabama, he would have my vote.
12
Yes, this is just what we need. Not.
5
I’d vote for him in a heartbeat if I lived in Alabama.
Way to go! Good luck!
9
The writing here seems to imply he was a small child being coerced into signing a confession but also states he was college age at the time—so which is it?
Something isn’t adding up.
6
To the contrary-- it says he was "young". Many people start college at 17 or 18. A year later that might be young, at least for me. More important is the overwhelming power of DAs to coerce innocent people without money into pleading guilty.
2
You are naive to believe that the ”criminal justice system” is not stacked against and intimidating to anyone but especially the Blacks.
America incarcerates more young Black and Hispanic men than any other nation in the world. We have also privatized the prison system to make money for it's investors. What could possibly go wrong with the scenario?
Why not allow this man to reach for the stars?
I bet a lot of things don't add up for you. Watch "13th" from Ava Duvernay to fill in the missing pieces or even widen your reading in the NYT. Turns out, statistically, young, black, men fare particularly badly with the criminal justice system, regardless of level of guilt or comparative severity of crime.
I have a strong feeling that your math challenge is more willful than by chance. Feel free to prove me wrong.
2
Mr Sadler brings goodness to a hurting America and offers hope and sanity. Thank you so much Mr Sadler. Keep up the good fight.
12
I would 100% vote for this guy if I lived in his district of Alabama. What an inspiration.
11
It is shameful that such a talented man as Mr. Sadler should have difficulty finding legitimate work, even though his past felony was bogus. If he does not win the election in Alabama, perhaps he might apply for a job at the White House where suspected and actual felons are welcomed with open arms.
10
The Nytimes chooses to write a pieces intentionally meant to pull at heart strings illustrating the stories of some people who have been in the criminal justice system. What they fail consistently to ever consider is the consequence of crime, the direct and indirect victims of not only the crime that people are convicted for but in the vast majority of cases the repeated crimes that have preceded and will follow a conviction. In a study of 405,000 prisoners released in 30 states, 77% were arrested within 5 years of release, 82% of property offenders, 77% of drug offenders, 71% of violent offenders. More striking is that repeat offenders account for disproportionate amount of crime with offenders accounting for upwards of 40x times the rate of the general public. Put of course these are just numbers. For every pro-criminal story that illustrates the impact on that individual's life, I would challenge the Nytimes to write an in-depth similarly emotional filled story on the effects of crime on a person, on a family, on their friends, on their life following the crime, on their life years from the crime and multiply those articles by the number of unreported crimes conducted by the average criminal. Repeat Rapist average 5.8 victims. 1.8 M adolescents in the US have been victims of sexual assault. Are there criminals who deserve a second chance, yes. Any debate on lowering the bar to restoring voting rights must 1st and foremost take into account the victims and society
8
Our country has a disproportionately high rate of reoffence because we fail to reintegrate convicts into society.
Places that automatically restore voting rights have lower levels of recidivism than those that permanently bar convicts from the rights and duties of citizenship.
Crimes like theft and drug dealing are often tied to lack of economic opportunity. To exclude convicts from economic opportunity like education and licensing pushes them back to the underground market.
By the way, how did you get from an article about a man who, other than a single drug conviction that he disputes, has lived an exemplary life to repeat rapists and career thieves?
4
If you want a story about " in-depth similarly emotional filled story on the effects of crime on a person" look no further than at another top story in today's NYT for the story of a woman who has been brutally beaten and raped by her husband in Salvador claiming refugee status is your country and you A.G, Jeff Sessions intervening against a ruling by the Immigration Appeals Board.
2
Too bad you haven't done equal work on the prevalence of law enforcement tactics used to ensnare young, black, men. Your strategy is right out of the DW Griffith playbook. Minstrelsy will never die.
1
The major lesson here: if you're accused of a crime and know you're innocent, never plead guilty. Even if execution is on the table (easier said than done). And never, ever believe prosecutors', policemens' or judges' promises if you know that you are innocent.
10
This is terrible advice. Jails are full of people who swore up and down that they weren’t anywhere near the scene of the crime but through police “testilying” ended up getting convicted anyway.
When it’s your word against the word of a lying cop, the system is going to believe the lying cop. If the prosecutor has the power to send you away for 10 years, but offers 1 if you plead, take the 1 year.
What we really need is to decriminalize drugs and focus on bringing convicts back into society through access to jobs and education. Branding someone for life with a felony is an injustice.
1
But you are saying, basically, that it's this guy's fault for not navigating the legal system correctly? Not the fault of the system itself?
2
I believe in the justice system mostly, but it's problems are depressing and overwhelming. There's a feeling like we're doomed, lol.
Not being able to vote owing to a former criminal record is the antithesis of democracy. It is simply wrong.
15
Be careful of your wishes, Mr. Sadler. You may be elected.
4
Enfranchisement.
What a beautiful word it is when people aren't dissing it!
9
What is wrong with a criminal justice system in a nation that has imprisoned 25% of the Planet Earth's incarcerated with 5% of humanity?
There are too many people in prison for non-violent property crimes particularly the possession, sale and use of drugs who are marked for life as beyond redemption and rehabilitation. Particularly if they are black. There are too many mentally ill people in prison.
Drugs should be treated as a potential health abuse problem akin to alcohol and tobacco. Non-violent offenders should be forgiven. Mental illness should be treated by medical professionals in medical facilities. Career organized violent criminals should be imprisoned no matter their color education and wealth. More Wall Street types instead of Main Street.
14
Yes! Props to Mr. Sadler for working to taking down voting barriers. Disenfranchisement must end.
9
When you have payed your dues to society, in the harshest terms, incarceration, then it is only right to be allowed the privileges of citizenship, to simply vote!
14
What an inspirational story about turning a challenge into an opportunity. Committing a crime doesn't negate your citizenship. All Americans should be required to vote like they are required to do in Australia. Doing so would encourage bipartisanship. We need to restore and expand the voting rights act that was gutted by our supreme court. Racism will never die if we continue to disenfranchise black people by finding new and creative ways to deny that they are full and equal citizens of our country.
33
Bravo, Mr. Sadler! The world needs more like you. Best wishes for your election; I hope you win.
11
Yes, he can (win), however slim the chances for now, But, unless he runs, he cannot. And Mr. Sadler seems a determined man to make a difference, politically speaking (the art of what's possible). Good for him. Now comes the hard part, maintain his courage, hard work and doggone determination, stamina and perseverance, to see things through. At the end, even if he were to lose at the voting booth, he'll be a winner to us.
22
Many thanks for bringing this important issue to the fore. As the editorial states, laws vary greatly; from Maine and Vermont where inmates may vote to states like Florida where a convicted felon loses the right to vote forever. We need to do something about this gross disparity not only by passing a Federal law that covers Federal elections but stressing the need for Civics classes in all schools, all GED classes and all prisons so that the importance of citizen participation is clear to all.
19
I never got why convicted citizens can't vote in the US. What has voting to do with the commited crime? Isn't the whole idea of a lawful state that you get punished and after punishment are a normal citizen again? Americans are all the time complaining about governement taking their freedoms but favor a justice systems that imprisons millions of (mostly poor) people. I can't unterstand this. It seems to aim to stop poor people from voting. Loic Wacquant pointed out (in his book 'punishing the poor') that historically the imprisonment rate went up after the decline of the welfare state and around the same number of people which can't benefit anymore are now in prison (which is far more expensive than welfare). Creating social conditions which leave people no other choice than crime, than punish them with ridiculous high sentences and taking their right to vote smells like an attempt (probably not even conscious) to restrict the voting power of the poor. (Sorry for my english, I am obviously not a native speaker).
36
Americans have had a fear of blacks and "the other" embedded in us, and our 2nd Amendment was 100% due to a fear of slave rebellions. Mix this with a biblical sense of PUNISHMENT that overrides a lot of our laws and customs. Our Founders made the separation of church and state the FIRST thing they put in the Bill of Rights, but the commercialization of politics has worked hand in glove with Christian churches for a long, long time. The fascinating thing is that these so-called Christians take their playbook straight from the Old Testament -- the one Jesus supposedly came here to replace with a simple law of Love One Another.
8
Because stopping people convicted of crimes to vote is an approximate way to stop people of color voting. It's that simple.
Sorry to say, the loss of voting rights for convictions is completely conscious and intentional. For giggles, do a state by state survey and compare it to slave states.
3
Mr. Sadler sounds like a man who could make a tremendous positive difference in the world--he's already doing it--given an inkling of a chance. I absolutely love this story and hope he goes on to forge victory after victory. Tremendously heartening and hopeful with wit, conviction and compassion.
36
Thank you for introducing me to Mr. Sadler. He is inspiring. And I suspect we will be seeing and hearing a lot more about him. Hopefully in the Alabama statehouse! And beyond.
43
As I perused this story, I reread certain paragraphs in an attempt to understand Mr. Sadler's background.
As an Alabama Democrat I have a keen interest in our candidates who are running throughout our state.
Here are some aspects of David Sadler's story that puzzle me. Since he was from a family of drug dealers he knew the consequences for dealing drugs. Also, when he plead guilty to a felony he was an adult, allegedly in college, and was no innocent doe-eyed kid as this article implies.
His alibi that the felony charge was based upon a case of "mistaken identity" requires an examination of the evidence to determine the plausibility of his statement.
Fast forward to his allegedly applying to a graduate program and only then discovering his felony conviction. Is he wanting us to believe that he did not disclose his felony conviction to any school where he was an undergraduate student?
Mr. Sadler may be handsome and/or charming as this article implies, but what matters to Alabama voters is whether he is truthful and parts of his story don't add up.
18
Why don't you send an email to him or his campaign manage and find out for yourself?
64
It is an inspiring story, but we readers are owed something more this hagiographic account of Mr Sadler's background. We can forgive mistakes but first they have to be acknowledged.
1
“As I perused” your comment I noted how judgmental you were. Mr. Sandler was surely not an adult shortly after he started college; most kids aren't throughout college. Also there is no requirement to disclose a conviction unless you are in some special programs or are asked formally.
"I didn't do it"and "you have the wrong man" doesn't mean a thing when a cop wants to make an arrest; cops often grab the wrong man. There won't be evidence beyond the cop's accusation because the overworked lawyer just can't handle that.
So often people are persuaded, indeed pressured, to plead guilty to avoid jail time by harried appointed defense attorneys without having the consequences explained. It’s so common that it is said the courts would collapse without it from the heavy case load. At the very least court appointed attorneys should work to plead a non-violent, first arrest down to a misdemeanor and explain the consequences of any proposed plea. Private lawyers surely would. Very different results for rich and poor.
As a former resident of Alabama and a graduate of U of Alabama Law School I’ve known a lot of politicians there. Of course most have flipped Blue to Red. But flawless they are not. And honest? 100%? Sorry, no.
16
Thank you to Mr. Sadler and to Mr. Gray. This is the American way.
22
Thank you for writing this story.
It is an uplifting report. I wish Mr. Sadler all the luck.
45
That is a very inspiring story. A "feel good" story that made me feel good. Thank you.
After jailing millions of young men for making small mistakes (or being blamed for them inappropriately) we finally seem to be engaged in a new effort to help them re-enter society...where they belong!
There are many sins to be placed at the doorstep of the Trump administration. The DOJ's attempt to reverse this trend is among the most egregious.
VOTE now and forever to help us heal our sick society. Thanks for this hopeful story. We need them to encourage our efforts.
52
Thank you for NOT keeping quiet!
If I were able to vote for you I would but I live in South Dakota.
Will you please run for President and restore some honor to the office?
You have already earned my vote.
54
Politicians and courts shouldn’t decide who elects them. That’s corruptocracy, not democracy.
America needs a Constitutional guaranteed right to vote for all citizens.
37
A chance to prove Doug Jones is more than just a fluke. Good luck, Sadler! What a tremendous bio!
42
It might help to use 'The Two-Street Policy' where for the Right and Privilege to Vote, you are given a stipend and work to rebuild roads and bridges. After WWII what was known as 'Pedestrian Traffic Jam', soldiers on their way back to civilian life, on the losing side, were given this option in France. Help to restore 'Public Works', and regain your Right to Vote.
3
Some states do automatically restore voting rights once a person has completed his sentence, but a number require the former inmate to file a request with the government, a request frequently denied. As Funkyirishman notes, this system violates the American principle that, once a felon has paid his debt to society, he should regain his rights.
Mr. Sadler's experience with the justice system, moreover, is quite common. A number of scholars have described the methods used by prosecutors to coerce poor defendants to plead guilty, even when the state lacks adequate evidence to ensure a conviction. Prosecutors want to clear as many cases as quickly as possible, and a plea bargain represents the best way to do that. Most defendants lack the means to hire a good attorney, so they have to rely on the over-burdened public defender system.
These attorneys rarely have the time or resources to investigate fully the charges against their clients. A guilty plea frequently results in probation or little jail time, but it saddles the defendant with a criminal record, which has lifetime consequences, only one of which is the loss of the right to vote.
Even people like Brian Beasley, who clearly has little empathy for young men (mostly black and latino) accused of crime, should want our system to deliver justice. Only individuals as blind as Lady Justice could claim that it does on a regular basis.
51
Not really sure I see why I should care if felons can vote. Seems it would be pretty easy to not commit a a felony. I wound go further to state that the gentleman in the article should not be allowed to run for office either.
17
1. In some jurisdictions, it's not so easy to avoid being accused and convicted of a felony if you are the wrong color; it was even worse in the past and some of the supposed felonies may be decades old.
2. One who has committed and convicted of a felony, and completed the sentence has paid his/her debt to society. Permanent disenfranchisement is not part of the sentence and I doubt if it would even be found to be constitutional if tested in the courts.
103
I respectfully disagree with your viewpoint and here’s why: the justice system is overreaching its authority when the person has already completed his/her sentence but is nevertheless forbidden to vote forever.
It runs counter to the notion that the punishment should fit the crime.
In my view, a felon has a unique perspective, both as a resident in a facility paid for by taxpayers as well as in the courtroom, another venue made possible by taxpayer funds. As a result, his/her opinion regarding the experience inside the walls of these places should be heard clearly at the ballot box.
40
When one has served the required time as your debt to society, that should allow you to resume your place in society, and then be able to again fully participate as a voter or even a candidate.
Placing another burden on a convicted criminal, who has served their full sentence, by then refusing to allow them the right to vote, is double jeopardy. It is anti democracy.
In the US there are many occasions where one can be convicted of a felony, as fighting a dubious charge could result in spending decades in jail. Accepting a plea to a lesser charge, even if you are innocent , is sometimes seen as the only viable option. You would be aware of innocent people being executed, so please don’t assume it is pretty easy to not commit a felony.
27
A man had his ability to participate in our democracy taken from him and, rather than becoming embittered and withdrawing he chose to work to effect change. This is exactly the kind of person I want to shape the direction of the country.
182
Let's put aside that the failed war on drugs continues unabated, while certain drugs become legal, while those convicted of possession, use or dealing those drugs are locked up still in astounding numbers.
Let's put aside that the justice system is systematically geared against the poor ( through the plea system ) and against minorities swept up by the above and because they are poor as well.
Let's put aside that once into the system, the system is geared to make those convicted outcasts by denying them their rights once they get out of the system.
Once you have paid your ''debt'' to society, then it is society's obligation to welcome into the fold these individuals with open arms. Furthermore it is society's obligation to give these individuals all the tools to be a successful and contributing member of society.
A little investment in them will return back to us.
124
The "largely unnoticed impact on American politics" is really a largely *ignored* impact. The un-notice is not accidental, I believe. Times, play it up. It's one reason we have Bully Trump.
58
In my multiple decades of working to assure all Americans of their civil rights and help create the foundations for entrepreneurship for folks with backgrounds similar to Mr. Sadler's, I could never imagine that I'd compliment Alabama for its greater commitment than Pennsylvania's to creating those opportunities.
Most of all, congratulations to the Gray-Sadler team for making the recovered voting rights happen. And, then particular congratulations to Mr. Sadler's demonstration of how to make the opportunity all really work by stirring his insights into his customers values with sweat and creativity into entrepreneurial success.
74
Fantastic article. Really inspiring person. Restoring the right to vote is such an important priority and one that should cut across party lines. David, how can we help?
97
Petition Congress for a law making it illegal to deny people the right to vote for any reason including criminal behavior.
3
It's stories like this that give this oldtimer hope for our Democracy. Mr. Sadler is an inspiration to all of us who believe in our Constitution and the freedom it offers us.
Best to you and your family Mr. Sadler.
146
You are absolutely right. At a time when many if not most Americans are disgusted or disappointed in our politics and culture along comes Mr Sadler with a simple and powerful message. He exemplifies the notion that yes one person can make a difference in his life, community and nation. His personal and moral resurrection is an inspiration.
20