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Home Front: Politix
Rulings stop Ga. from requiring voter IDs
2006-07-14
ROME, Ga. - The same federal judge who threw out Georgia's voter ID law last year has blocked the state from enforcing its revised law in this year's elections. The Wednesday ruling came less than two hours after the Georgia Supreme Court denied the state's request to overrule a state court order that blocked enforcement of the new photo ID law during next week's primary elections and any runoffs.

U.S. District Judge Harold Murphy's ruling, which he delivered verbally from the bench, was much broader, also including the Nov. 7 general elections and any runoffs. If the rulings stand, Georgia voters will not have to show a government-issued photo ID to cast a ballot this year. The state's primary election is scheduled for Tuesday.
That means they can bus ringers in from all over the country, vote half a dozen times in a half dozen districts, or, if they're Dem districts, a half dozen times in the same district. Hizzoner seems to like his politix dirty in the traditional manner.
Posted by:Fred

#7  Harold Murphy's a Clinton appointee. Another gift that keeps on giving.
Posted by: Zhang Fei   2006-07-14 15:06  

#6  Very true, RC. In fact, the GA State Supreme Court threw out a case just last week (or earlier this week) brought by our Former Govrnor (Donk) Roy Barnes on behalf of 2 GA citizens who would supposedly NOT be allowed to vote. Ended up both of those citizens already had one of the forms of ID required by the law, so the judges correctly threw it out for lack of "standing."

How they can turn around and not overrule the lower court is beyond me. The Federal judge is another issue. He's been against this law from the get-go, but the Federal Dept. of Justice has ALREADY approved this law. Basically, all laws changing how voting has to take place in Jim Crow States has to be "approved" by DOJ. This has already happened in this case (basically the DOJ agrees it passes the Constitutionality test), so how can a Fed. judge overrule that?

Now, for the basics of the law (Neal Boortz has been all over this). The law allows for something like SEVENTEEN different forms of ID to be used. The 2 citizens mentioned above already had these (one of them was an out of state College ID). PLUS, you have the "free" State-issued IDs, as well as allowing you to vote absentee WITHOUT an ID! How in the world is this harming anyone? When I can use an (old) out of state college ID to vote (or any of the other 16 forms of ID), this ruling has cow-towing to the amigos written ALL over it!
Posted by: BA   2006-07-14 11:09  

#5  How can a judge make the law?

In theory he's not making the law, but rather reviewing it to ensure it's compatible with more basic laws, namely the Constitution.

In reality, we've had rule by judges pretty much my entire life. The best anyone's figured out how to get around them is by amending the constitution they're citing (state or federal), but that's difficult and, frankly, the judges have started citing foreign and imaginary laws in an effort to maintain their power.
Posted by: Rob Crawford   2006-07-14 06:54  

#4  As someone looking to flee Blairistan this is very worrying.

How can a judge make the law?

Don't Americans have The Common Law and The Constitution?

This shouldn't be possbile surely?
Posted by: Bright Pebbles   2006-07-14 05:33  

#3  Oops, my bad:
Murphy, 78, obtained his law degree from he University of Georgia in 1949. A highly regarded trial lawyer, Murphy also served in the state Legislature from 1951 to 1961 as a Democrat.
Posted by: Frank G   2006-07-14 00:46  

#2  let me guess where Judge Murphy's patriotism lies? Oh yeah, with his so-called "American" political party. Not with American citizens (especially the living), that's for sure. But, of course, I'm sure he's apolitical
Posted by: Frank G   2006-07-14 00:36  

#1  Mexicans need voter ID to vote. So free ID's in GA are 'scriminatory James Crow problem? Recalling the learned judge would be imposible?
Posted by: Inspector Clueso   2006-07-14 00:13  

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