Texas man who waited seven hours at polls is charged with voting illegally

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

A Texas man who became a national hero after he waited seven hours in line to vote in last year’s presidential primary has been arrested and charged with voting illegally.

Hervis Rogers, who is Black, became a symbol of a determination to have one’s voice heard.

“I wanted to get my vote in, voice my opinion,” he told a local ABC affiliate after his long wait to cast his ballot in the 2020 election. “I wasn’t going to let anything stop me, so I waited it out.”

But on Wednesday, according to Houston Public Media, he was arrested and charged with two counts of illegal voting.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/texas-man-who-waited-seven-hours-at-polls-is-charged-with-voting-illegally/ar-AALYAAb

Texas is run by banana Republicans.

[PortTack]

1. I hope he beats it! Ya know that's ridiculous

[jimfields33]

6. He's not allowed to vote legally. Even California would arrest this individual

[lostnfound]

12. For voting while on parole for a 1995 burglary charge set to expire in June 2020?

Wonder if he thought it expired in 2020 but it didn’t expire until June.

[Lovie777]

2. And they just found out he voting illegally? . . .

Something smells.

[PortTack]

4. It does!! This is a deliberate attempt to disenfranchise POC and discourage them from voting

[Phoenix61]

3. $100,000 for bail!?!! WTAF! nt

[maxsolomon]

5. Felons can't vote.

Doesn't matter that he was only months away from finishing probation.

If a Republican can put a black man in jail and reinforce a political narrative, that's a win/win right there.

This is one of the great side benefits of the War on Drugs for the GQP; 1,000s and 1,000s of black men taken off the voting rolls for decades.

[Trailrider1951]

9. This right here.

[lostnfound]

13. Not true in texas. If you read the article.

They can vote after they’ve served their sentence including parole and probation, according to the article.

[maxsolomon]

16. which is why they arrested him. he hadn't completed his sentence.

I did read it.

[Shrike47]

20. In Oregon they can vote once out of prison.

[maxsolomon]

21. This was Texas. The Cruelty is the Point.

I have an acquaintance, husband of a childhood friend, who was the getaway driver in a bank robbery in Texas when he was 19. 30 years ago and he still can't vote.

Which is fine with me; he's a Trumper.

[tulipsandroses]

7. Its time to get rid of this stupid rule.

If you've paid your debt to society then that should be it. Why do you have to pay a life long debt?
Having said that, he should get the same punishment that Bruce Bartman got who intentionally voted for his dead mother. Probation.
But Bruce Bartman is white.....

[Ms. Toad]

14. For this individual, it wasn't a life long debt -

Just until he completed his debt to society (which ends when he is no longer on probation or parole).

That said - I completely agree that lifetime bans on voting for felony convictions should go - AND - that the Republican fools who intentionally violated voting laws by pretending to be their dead parents/spouses/children need to be punished more harshly than someone who would have been entitled to vote but for conviction of a felony.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

15. + 2 nt

[blogslug]

8. Ken Paxton brought that charge because of course he did

Fuck him. Fuck that precinct chair who singled out Rogers and fuck whatever judge set his bail that high.

[Hoyt]

10. Texas law allows felons to vote AFTER sentence, including probation, is over.

I can’t see putting this man in prison for it, unless there is evidence he knew it was wrong.

However, can’t see totally ignoring it either. There are going to be a lot of convicted insurrectionists in same boat with their votes. A reasonable fine , maybe. Better checks for voter registration against criminal databases would seem in order.

[stillcool]

11. Not a single day passes

without me being reminded about the country I live in.

Rogers cannot afford $100,000 bail and is being held in jail, said Thomas Buser-Clancy, an attorney with the Texas chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, which is helping represent Rogers.
==========================
Christopher Downey, a criminal defense attorney, told KPRC 2 Rogers’ two felony convictions meant he could face a more severe prison sentence on the illegal voting charges – potentially 25 years to life on each count.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

17. So the Texas Dept. of Criminal Justice ALREADY...

... had a record that he couldn't vote until after June 13th, but they allowed him to register and vote anyway?

Funny how the BMV around here automatically knows if someone is ineligible for a driver's license, and when they're eligible again, but that kind of system is somehow impossible for Texas regarding elections?!

[a kennedy]

18. RACHEL IS TALKING ABOUT THIS RIGHT NOW.........

[George II]

19. Unbelievable. I hope President Biden makes an example of this case when he pushes....

....for expanded voting rights.

I'm not going to read the msn article (they put a right-spin on their articles), but he only voted once. TWO counts?

[LetMyPeopleVote]

22. We're so relieved that Hervis Rogers is no longer in jail.

Link to tweet

[herding cats]

23. This is why I donate to the ACLU of Texas. nt

[LetMyPeopleVote]

24. Rogers was just released on 100K bail

Link to tweet