Fighting for rights restoration: CSI v. Moore
- September 21, 2021
In November 2019, Protect Democracy, Forward Justice, and Arnold & Porter initiated a lawsuit on behalf of six individuals and several nonprofit organizations to restore voting rights for those with prior felony convictions. These organizations — Community Success Initiative, Justice Served NC, Inc., the North Carolina State Conference of the NAACP, and Wash Away Unemployment — work to re-enfranchise citizens denied the right to vote under North Carolina’s felony disenfranchisement law.
The right to vote is fundamental to our democracy, but for too long people with prior felony convictions have been denied that right. North Carolinians who are convicted of a felony lose their right to vote not only during any period of incarceration, but also throughout the duration of their probation and post-release supervision periods — stripping away their right to fully participate in our democracy, including their ability to have a voice in policy decisions that affect their daily lives.
On March 28, 2022, a three-judge panel ruled in our favor, unlocking the right to vote for over 55,000 North Carolinians who are on probation, parole, and post-release supervision. The panel majority held that the State’s felony disenfranchisement law violates the state Constitution’s Equal Protection and Free Elections Clauses.
On April 28th, 2023, the North Carolina Supreme Court reversed the three-judge panel decision and stripped voting rights away from thousands of North Carolinians with prior convictions, disproportionately impacting African Americans who had their right to cast a ballot restored for approximately 276 days. Writing in the dissent, Justice Anita Earls explained that “[t]he majority’s decision in this case will one day be repudiated on two grounds. First, because it seeks to justify the denial of a basic human right to citizens and thereby perpetuates a vestige of slavery, and second, because the majority violates a basic tenant of appellate review by ignoring the facts as found by the trial court and substituting its own.”
Case documents
Amicus Brief of CATO Institute and Due Process Institute Before the NC Supreme Court – CSI v. Moore Aug. 17, 2022 Amicus Brief of CATO Institute and Due Process Institute Before the NC Supreme Court – CSI v. Moore
Amicus Brief of The Sentencing Project, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, and the SPLC for NC Supreme Court – CSI v. Moore Aug. 17, 2022 Amicus Brief of The Sentencing Project, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, and the SPLC for NC Supreme Court – CSI v. Moore
Amicus Brief of North Carolina Justice Center and Down Home NC Before the NC Supreme Court – CSI v. Moore Aug. 17, 2022 Amicus Brief of North Carolina Justice Center and Down Home NC Before the NC Supreme Court – CSI v. Moore
Amicus Brief of Attorneys General of 15 States Before the NC Supreme Court – CSI v. Moore Aug. 17, 2022 Amicus Brief of Attorneys General of 15 States Before the NC Supreme Court – CSI v. Moore
Plaintiffs-Appellees Brief Before the NC Supreme Court – CSI v. Moore Aug. 17, 2022 Plaintiffs-Appellees Brief Before the NC Supreme Court – CSI v. Moore
Final Judgment and Order – CSI v. Moore Mar. 28, 2022 Final Judgment and Order – CSI v. Moore
NC Supreme Court Ruling on the Stay – CSI v. Moore Sept. 10, 2021 NC Supreme Court Ruling on the Stay – CSI v. Moore
Court of Appeals Order on Amended Injunction – CSI v. Moore Sept. 3, 2021 Court of Appeals Order on Amended Injunction – CSI v. Moore
Legislative Defendants' Motion for a Leave to File a Reply and Reply – CSI v. Moore Sept. 3, 2021 Legislative Defendants' Motion for a Leave to File a Reply and Reply – CSI v. Moore
Plaintiffs’ Opposition to Legislative Defendants' Petition for Writ of Supersedeas, Petition for Writ of Certiorari, and Motion for Temporary Stay
Sept. 3, 2021
No URL or file provided.
Legislative Defendants' Petition for Writ of Supersedeas, Petition for Writ of Certiorari, and Motion for Temporary Stay – CSI v. Moore Sept. 3, 2021 Legislative Defendants' Petition for Writ of Supersedeas, Petition for Writ of Certiorari, and Motion for Temporary Stay – CSI v. Moore
Order on Amended Preliminary Injunction – CSI v. Moore Aug. 27, 2021 Order on Amended Preliminary Injunction – CSI v. Moore
Order Denying Legislative Defendants' Motion for a Stay Pending Appeal – CSI v. Moore Aug. 27, 2021 Order Denying Legislative Defendants' Motion for a Stay Pending Appeal – CSI v. Moore
The State Board's Response to Legislative Defendants' Motion for a Stay Pending Appeal – CSI v. Moore Aug. 25, 2021 The State Board's Response to Legislative Defendants' Motion for a Stay Pending Appeal – CSI v. Moore
Plaintiffs’ Opposition to Legislative Defendants' Motion for a Stay Pending Appeal – CSI v. Moore Aug. 25, 2021 Plaintiffs’ Opposition to Legislative Defendants' Motion for a Stay Pending Appeal – CSI v. Moore
Legislative Defendants' Motion for a Stay Pending Appeal – CSI v. Moore Aug. 24, 2021 Legislative Defendants' Motion for a Stay Pending Appeal – CSI v. Moore
Order on Plaintiffs' Motion for Summary Judgment – CSI v. Moore Sept. 4, 2020 Order on Plaintiffs' Motion for Summary Judgment – CSI v. Moore
Order on Plaintiffs' Motion for Preliminary Injunction – CSI v. Moore Sept. 4, 2020 Order on Plaintiffs' Motion for Preliminary Injunction – CSI v. Moore
Plaintiffs' Reply Brief in Support of Motion for Summary Judgment – CSI v. Moore Aug. 26, 2020 Plaintiffs' Reply Brief in Support of Motion for Summary Judgment – CSI v. Moore
Amicus Brief of the Institute for Innovation in Prosecution at John Jay College – CSI v. Moore July 24, 2020 Amicus Brief of the Institute for Innovation in Prosecution at John Jay College – CSI v. Moore
Amicus Brief of the North Carolina Justice Center and Down Home North Carolina – CSI v. Moore July 24, 2020 Amicus Brief of the North Carolina Justice Center and Down Home North Carolina – CSI v. Moore
Amicus Brief of the Sentencing Project, the Lawyers Committee for Civil Liberties Under Law, and Southern Poverty Law Center – CSI v. Moore July 24, 2020 Amicus Brief of the Sentencing Project, the Lawyers Committee for Civil Liberties Under Law, and Southern Poverty Law Center – CSI v. Moore
Amicus Brief of CATO Institute, R Street Institute, and Due Process Institute – CSI v. Moore June 24, 2020 Amicus Brief of CATO Institute, R Street Institute, and Due Process Institute – CSI v. Moore
Motion for Three-Judge Panel – CSI v. Moore June 5, 2020 Motion for Three-Judge Panel – CSI v. Moore
Amicus Brief of the District of Columbia, California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, and Nevada – CSI v. Moore May 22, 2020 Amicus Brief of the District of Columbia, California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, and Nevada – CSI v. Moore
Motion for Summary Judgment – CSI v. Moore May 11, 2020 Motion for Summary Judgment – CSI v. Moore
Exhibits to Summary Judgment Motion – CSI v. Moore May 11, 2020 Exhibits to Summary Judgment Motion – CSI v. Moore
Expert Report of Dr. Traci Burch – CSI v. Moore May 8, 2020 Expert Report of Dr. Traci Burch – CSI v. Moore
Expert Report of Frank R. Baumgartner – CSI v. Moore May 8, 2020 Expert Report of Frank R. Baumgartner – CSI v. Moore
Expert Report of Orville Vernon Burton – CSI v. Moore May 8, 2020 Expert Report of Orville Vernon Burton – CSI v. Moore
Amended Complaint – CSI v. Moore Dec. 3, 2019 Amended Complaint – CSI v. Moore
Complaint – CSI v. Moore Nov. 20, 2019 Complaint – CSI v. Moore
Letter Requesting Three Judge Panel – CSI v. Moore Nov. 20, 2019 Letter Requesting Three Judge Panel – CSI v. Moore
Featured Press
Thousands of felons in North Carolina can now register and vote
CBS News, July 27, 2022
Legislative Defendants' Motion for a Leave to File a Reply and Reply – CSI v. Moore Legislative Defendants' Motion for a Leave to File a Reply and Reply – CSI v. Moore
Plaintiffs’ Opposition to Legislative Defendants' Petition for Writ of Supersedeas, Petition for Writ of Certiorari, and Motion for Temporary Stay Plaintiffs’ Opposition to Legislative Defendants' Petition for Writ of Supersedeas, Petition for Writ of Certiorari, and Motion for Temporary Stay
Legislative Defendants' Petition for Writ of Supersedeas, Petition for Writ of Certiorari, and Motion for Temporary Stay – CSI v. Moore Legislative Defendants' Petition for Writ of Supersedeas, Petition for Writ of Certiorari, and Motion for Temporary Stay – CSI v. Moore
Order on Amended Preliminary Injunction – CSI v. Moore Order on Amended Preliminary Injunction – CSI v. Moore
Order Denying Legislative Defendants' Motion for a Stay Pending Appeal – CSI v. Moore Order Denying Legislative Defendants' Motion for a Stay Pending Appeal – CSI v. Moore
The State Board's Response to Legislative Defendants' Motion for a Stay Pending Appeal – CSI v. Moore The State Board's Response to Legislative Defendants' Motion for a Stay Pending Appeal – CSI v. Moore
Plaintiffs’ Opposition to Legislative Defendants' Motion for a Stay Pending Appeal – CSI v. Moore Plaintiffs’ Opposition to Legislative Defendants' Motion for a Stay Pending Appeal – CSI v. Moore
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