TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The constitutionality of Florida’s clemency process is pending review from a federal appeals court after being ruled unconstitutional by a lower court.
On Tuesday morning, the Florida Board of Executive Clemency, made up of Gov. Rick Scott and Cabinet members, met for the last time ahead of a vote on a proposed constitutional amendment that could dramatically change the state's process.
Takesha Tyler's case was one of 90 that went before the clemency board.
Tyler, who's from Miami, told the board she's grown up since she was arrested and charged with domestic violence in 1998.
The board granted her restoration of civil rights -- something that Tyler said she had waited three years for, since applying for clemency.
“We did it," Tyler said. "I have one more stage. I'm actually going to try for a pardon.”
Michael William, of Tampa, waited 11 years before having his rights restored.
“It's been a road that's just been unbelievable to go down," he said.
On Tuesday, the board was particularly generous, granting clemency to most who showed up in person.
The board hasn’t been so generous in recent years. Many credit the criticism from a federal judge and "Last Week Tonight" host John Oliver’s scathing review of the process for the change of heart.
Introducing his report that aired Sunday night on HBO, Oliver said, “The worst state of all concerning this and, arguably, everything else is Florida."
Oliver's report took aim at the arbitrary nature of the state’s process. As an example, it included multiple clips in which Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis asked felons if they went to church.
No questions of faith were asked in the meeting Tuesday.
Richard Greenberg, president of the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, represents clients in clemency meetings on a regular basis.
"John Oliver will probably take most of the credit," Greenberg said. "If you watched his show the other night, it was an expose on how the clemency process has been handled in the state of Florida the last few years. I think it's a good step forward to be granting more of these applications."
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam stood by the current process for certain felons.
“When you have someone who is a child molester, they ought to be in front of us and explain," he said.
The proposed constitutional amendment, which will appear on the November ballot as Amendment 4, would automatically restore voting rights for all nonviolent felons who have served their sentences, completed parole or probation and paid restitution. Felons convicted of murder and sexual offenses would not be eligible.
When Putnam was asked if he supported Amendment 4, he said, "No."
Many who had their right to voted restored Tuesday said Amendment 4 has their support.
Money pumped into ads for felons' rights initiative
A political committee backing the proposed constitutional amendment on felons’ rights spent nearly $3.6 million in late August, with almost all of the money going to advertising-related expenses, according to a newly filed finance report.
The committee Floridians for a Fair Democracy spent $3.579 million from Aug. 25 to Aug. 31, with $3.557 million of that amount listed as going to a “media buy” and digital advertising.
The report also showed that the committee had about $4.88 million in remaining cash on hand as of Aug. 31.
The proposal, which would require approval from 60 percent of voters to pass, comes after years of political and legal fights about restoring the rights of felons who have served their sentences.