theroot--2020-11-21--NAACP LDF Sues Trump on Behalf of Black Detroit Residents, Allege Voting Rights Act Violation for At

NAACP LDF Sues Trump on Behalf of Black Detroit Residents, Allege Voting Rights Act Violation for Attempts to Block Michigan's Vote Certification

After a week of foolery in the process of certifying Michigan ’ s election results , which show the state going for decisively for President-elect Joe Biden over incumbent President Trump , Black Detroiters are fighting back against what they see as an attempt to disenfranchise them .
On Friday , the NAACP Legal Defence Fund ( LDF ) filed a lawsuit on behalf of three Black women from Detroit who voted in this year ’ s election and the Michigan Welfare Rights Organization , accusing Trump and his campaign of violating the Voting Rights Act by trying to interfere @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state .
The suit pinpoints this week ’ s attempt by two Republican members of the Wayne County Board of Canvassers to block the certification of votes from Detroit on the basis that there were discrepancies on the poll books from those precincts , despite being willing to certify votes from other precincts in the county that are majority white and showed similar discrepancies .
Michigan ’ s Secretary of State has said that unbalanced precinct numbers are common , especially when turnout is high .
After being called out for racism and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wayne County , the two recalcitrant Republican canvassers said the next day that they wanted to rescind their decision to certify—with one admitting that she had received a call from Trump , notes the NAACP LDF ’ s suit .
The complaint also outlines that on Friday , Trump called a meeting of Republican lawmakers from Michigan to meet with him and his campaign lawyer Rudy Giuliani , who has also spent the past week lambasting votes from Detroit as illegitimate .
“ For two weeks , the president and his campaign have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of voting irregularities in cities with large concentrations of Black voters who participated in record numbers in this election , ” said NAACP LDF ’ s President and Director-Counsel Sherrilyn Ifill in a release announcing the lawsuit against Trump and his campaign .
“ Equally alarming have been the president ’ s attempts to pressure state and local officials in Michigan—first with a demand that votes in Detroit not be counted and now , more recently , urging officials to refuse to certify votes from Wayne County.
” Trump has made no effort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Detroit specifically should be discounted , tweeting this week with absolutely no evidence that “ voter fraud in Detroit is rampant , and has been for many years !
” The city has a majority-Black population .
The NAACP LDF ’ s lawsuit claims the president and his campaign are violating the section of the Voting Rights Act which prohibits the intimidation , threatening , or coercion of any person for voting or attempting to vote , in this case by exerting pressure on state and local officials to not count or certify @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who met with Trump on Friday said that they “ have not yet been made aware of any information that would change the outcome of the election in Michigan , ” the Washington Post reports that the state ’ s Attorney General Dana Nessel is exploring whether they could be charged with a crime if they participated in the president ’ s attempt to interfere in the state ’ s electoral process , a violation of state law .
Michigan ’ s State Board of Canvassers will meet on Monday to certify the @ @ @ @ @ @

After a week of foolery in the process of certifying Michigan’s election results, which show the state going for decisively for President-elect Joe Biden over incumbent President Trump, Black Detroiters are fighting back against what they see as an attempt to disenfranchise them.
On Friday, the NAACP Legal Defence Fund (LDF) filed a lawsuit on behalf of three Black women from Detroit who voted in this year’s election and the Michigan Welfare Rights Organization, accusing Trump and his campaign of violating the Voting Rights Act by trying to interfere in the certification of votes from the state.
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The suit pinpoints this week’s attempt by two Republican members of the Wayne County Board of Canvassers to block the certification of votes from Detroit on the basis that there were discrepancies on the poll books from those precincts, despite being willing to certify votes from other precincts in the county that are majority white and showed similar discrepancies. Michigan’s Secretary of State has said that unbalanced precinct numbers are common, especially when turnout is high.
After being called out for racism and agreeing to certify all the votes from Wayne County, the two recalcitrant Republican canvassers said the next day that they wanted to rescind their decision to certify—with one admitting that she had received a call from Trump, notes the NAACP LDF’s suit. The complaint also outlines that on Friday, Trump called a meeting of Republican lawmakers from Michigan to meet with him and his campaign lawyer Rudy Giuliani, who has also spent the past week lambasting votes from Detroit as illegitimate.
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“For two weeks, the president and his campaign have been spreading misinformation and making baseless accusations of voting irregularities in cities with large concentrations of Black voters who participated in record numbers in this election,” said NAACP LDF’s President and Director-Counsel Sherrilyn Ifill in a release announcing the lawsuit against Trump and his campaign.
“Equally alarming have been the president’s attempts to pressure state and local officials in Michigan—first with a demand that votes in Detroit not be counted and now, more recently, urging officials to refuse to certify votes from Wayne County.”
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Trump has made no effort to hide that he believes votes from Detroit specifically should be discounted, tweeting this week with absolutely no evidence that “voter fraud in Detroit is rampant, and has been for many years!” The city has a majority-Black population.
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The NAACP LDF’s lawsuit claims the president and his campaign are violating the section of the Voting Rights Act which prohibits the intimidation, threatening, or coercion of any person for voting or attempting to vote, in this case by exerting pressure on state and local officials to not count or certify certain voters.
Though the Michigan lawmakers who met with Trump on Friday said that they “have not yet been made aware of any information that would change the outcome of the election in Michigan,” the Washington Post reports that the state’s Attorney General Dana Nessel is exploring whether they could be charged with a crime if they participated in the president’s attempt to interfere in the state’s electoral process, a violation of state law.
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Michigan’s State Board of Canvassers will meet on Monday to certify the state’s election results.


theroot--2020-11-21--Police Who Pepper Sprayed Rally to the Polls in Alamance County, N.C. to File Felony Assault Charges

Police Who Pepper Sprayed Rally to the Polls in Alamance County, N.C. to File Felony Assault Charges Against Reverend Organizer

Stop me if you ’ ve heard this one before .
After officers from the Alamance County Sheriff ’ s Office in Graham , North Carolina deployed pepper spray on men , women , and children marching to the polls during early voting last month , the sheriff ’ s office now says it will be charging the organizer of the march with felony assault and obstruction of justice .
The Washington Post reported news of the impending charges against Rev .
Greg Drumwright on Friday , which are apparently based on the sheriff office ’ s claims that they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in an “ altercation ” in which one of their cops was injured .
If you ’ ll remember , scores of people were left coughing and vomiting after Alamance County officers indiscriminately sprayed pepper spray into a crowd of people gathered to practise their constitutional right to assembly and vote .
A woman present at the march in a wheelchair was also captured on video going into a seizure after the brutal police action .
Rev .
Drumwright ’ s lawyers told the Washington Post that the pending charges from the sheriff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him suing them for their actions during the rally .
Drumwright , founder of the anti-racist coalition Justice 4 the Next Generation , brought two recent lawsuits against Alamance County Sheriff Terry S. Johnson and other local officials .
His attorneys say the felony charges were designed to silence him .
“ These charges are retaliatory in our view , ” said Elizabeth Haddix , an attorney with the Lawyers ’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law , which represents Drumwright in the two lawsuits .
“ We ’ re looking forward to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The videos we have seen dispute his statement.
” Drumwright ’ s lawsuit accuses the police of violating federal law that prohibits violence against Black voters by using intimidating force and ending their march to the polls on the last day of early voting in Graham .
The threat of felony charges has been employed this year , particularly in the South , to punish Black leaders involved in rallies and other civic actions supposedly protected under the U.S. constitution .
In September Rep. Attica Scott ( D-Ky. ) was charged with felony @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death , charges that were later dismissed by a judge in Kentucky .
Legislators in Tennessee and Florida are also considering legislation that would effectively chill citizens ’ ability to protest for fear of losing their voting rights or worse .

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. After officers from the Alamance County Sheriff’s Office in Graham, North Carolina deployed pepper spray on men, women, and children marching to the polls during early voting last month, the sheriff’s office now says it will be charging the organizer of the march with felony assault and obstruction of justice.
The Washington Post reported news of the impending charges against Rev. Greg Drumwright on Friday, which are apparently based on the sheriff office’s claims that they have video footage showing he was involved in an “altercation” in which one of their cops was injured.
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If you’ll remember, scores of people were left coughing and vomiting after Alamance County officers indiscriminately sprayed pepper spray into a crowd of people gathered to practise their constitutional right to assembly and vote. A woman present at the march in a wheelchair was also captured on video going into a seizure after the brutal police action.
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Rev. Drumwright’s lawyers told the Washington Post that the pending charges from the sheriff’s office are likely payback for him suing them for their actions during the rally.
From WaPo:
Drumwright, founder of the anti-racist coalition Justice 4 the Next Generation, brought two recent lawsuits against Alamance County Sheriff Terry S. Johnson and other local officials. His attorneys say the felony charges were designed to silence him. “These charges are retaliatory in our view,” said Elizabeth Haddix, an attorney with the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, which represents Drumwright in the two lawsuits. “We’re looking forward to seeing the video the sheriff referenced. The videos we have seen dispute his statement.”
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Drumwright’s lawsuit accuses the police of violating federal law that prohibits violence against Black voters by using intimidating force and ending their march to the polls on the last day of early voting in Graham.
The threat of felony charges has been employed this year, particularly in the South, to punish Black leaders involved in rallies and other civic actions supposedly protected under the U.S. constitution.
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In September Rep. Attica Scott (D-Ky.) was charged with felony rioting for protesting Breonna Taylor’s death, charges that were later dismissed by a judge in Kentucky. Legislators in Tennessee and Florida are also considering legislation that would effectively chill citizens’ ability to protest for fear of losing their voting rights or worse.