Via Concurring Opinions:

Columbia Law Review’s Sidebar is pleased to announce the publication of  “Disregarding the Results: Examining the Ninth Circuit’s Heightened Section 2 ‘Intentional Discrimination’ Standard in Farrakhan v. Gregoire” by Ryan P. Haygood of the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, Inc.

In his article, Haygood discusses the implications of the Ninth Circuit’s opinion in Farrakhan v. Gregoire, a case challenging Washington State’s felon disfranchisement law under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.  Haygood argues that the “court’s ruling improperly applied an intent standard in disregard of section 2’s statutory language, legislative history, and longstanding precedent.”  This ruling is important because it “effectively foreclosed any realistic possibility of relief for plaintiffs bringing felon disfranchisement challenges” and “allowed the racism permeating Washington’s criminal justice system to continue to contaminate and fundamentally undermine the state’s democratic processes.”