Of course it's Texas

OK libs. Should Hervis Rogers be able to buy a gun? Should he be charged for attempting to buy a gun.

Inquiring minds want to know.

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Of course it was performative.

He could have gone home without voting, but that would have defeated the point.

Sure.

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That’s true. I’ll concede the point - it’s still going to be a circus.

From the article:

In the 1960s, federal law was changed to allow felons who have served their time to petition the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to restore their permission to own guns. But after revelations that high numbers of freshly armed felons were committing new crimes, Congress in 1992 cut funding for the petition process, effectively ending the program.

So it appears that they give it a shot (pun intended) and it didn’t work. And because of that I don’t see the law being changed anytime soon.

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While 25 years to life is unreasonable, did this individual not grasp that felons serving sentences may be ineligible to vote?

OP Title is misleading.

Look midway through the article. Other states require felons to complete sentences before restoring voting rights—not just Texas.

OP was trying to get into a gotcha moment…and tripped over his own feet. :wink:

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In Texas, it is illegal for anyone convicted of a felony to vote until they complete their sentence, including probation and parole. Rogers’ parole began in 2004 and was set to expire in June 2020. The Texas primaries were held in March.

Although Paxton is technically correct…the extent of the punishment does not fit the crime.

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I wonder did Hervis Rogers’ parole officer fully explain to him the conditions of his parole, since according to the linked article in the O P, it isn’t specified id documents given to parolees they can’t vote.

It’s an officer’s job to explain to their clients conditions and restrictions imposed on them while serving their sentences.

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In the article.

keep studying… you’ll get there

This question is answered towards the end of the article re Crystal Mason:

“Probation officials conceded they never told Mason she couldn’t vote.”

Why are probation and parole officers not fully explaining to their clients conditions of and restrictions on their probation/parole?

I’m acquainted with a probation office employee. Some of these officers don’t even tell their charges where they can do community service and a clerk gives them a list of agencies they can call to set up this part of their sentence.

Isn’t it an officer’s job to fully inform their clients?

The document he got did not tell him he couldn’t vote. From the OP article

Hooper provided a copy of Rogers’ certificate of parole, from May 2004. The document contains a lengthy description of instructions for people on parole but does not say they cannot vote.

Yes he technically broke the law, but $100,000 bail and then a potential sentnce of 25 years to life is ridiculous.

Especially if it wasn’t explained to him by anyone that he had to wait until parole was completed.

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I think being last was intentional and performative.

Of course. If someone violates state law, he is subject to charges.

Allan

As he did when he voted.

Nobody HAS TO WAIT that long. So yes, it’s stupid that he did.

If his parole is in Montgomery County, that is where the violation would be filed, even if the offense took place in El Paso. I’ve not seen where his parole is out of. His parole certificate indicates that he was originally paroled to Harris Co. It is not unusual to have them relocate over time.

It is only in recent years that bail was allowed in parole violation cases. The bond and sentence are based on his original conviction, not his current offense. That’s how parole works.