A Broward County School Board candidate has filed a challenging her opponent鈥檚 eligibility to hold elected office because of a felony conviction 鈥� urging a judge to step in to ensure that the voters鈥� representative is legally able to carry out his duties.
In a petition filed on Nov. 14, Marie Murray Martin asked a judge to prevent certifying the election results of her opponent Rod Velez and to bar him from taking office 鈥� unless he can demonstrate his eligibility.
鈥淸Velez鈥檚] disregard for the law deceived voters and usurped the election process,鈥� Martin wrote in her petition. 鈥淓lections should be transparent, accountable and have fair processes. If [he] is able to move forward as though nothing illegal occurred, future elections throughout the state of Florida will be inundated with ineligible candidates at great cost to the voters, taxpayers, courts and local communities.鈥�
Velez 鈥� a property manager and a father of two school-age kids 鈥� won of the vote in the race to represent District 1, according to unofficial results.
Martin 鈥� a teacher in the district who ran to take the seat that had been held by her mother, former Board Member Ann Murray 鈥� carried of the vote.
But if Velez can legally be sworn into office next week because he was convicted of a felony.
In 1995, Velez to aggravated battery, a that revoked his right to vote and hold elected office. That is, until Amendment 4 was passed in 2018, restoring for Floridians convicted of most felonies, so long as they served their time and paid any associated fines and fees.
But in order to regain , returning citizens must submit an application to the state . As of 1:30 pm on Thursday, the shows no record that Velez鈥檚 civil rights have been restored. The website does not show the status of pending cases.
Velez did not respond to questions from 港澳天下彩by the deadline for this story. According to reporting by the , Velez is fighting to regain his civil rights, but hasn't fully restored them yet.
鈥淯ntil Mr. Velez produces his clemency, it is not over,鈥� Martin told 港澳天下彩before filing the lawsuit challenging Velez鈥檚 eligibility.
鈥淗e has to produce a clemency affidavit or some type of civil rights restoration document,鈥� she said. 鈥淗e has got to show us that he has his civil rights and his clemency.鈥�
As of 1:30 pm on Thursday, an online court docket did not show any hearings scheduled in the case. No attorney was listed for Velez; Martin is representing herself in the matter.
The Broward Supervisor of Elections is scheduled to certify the election results at a on Friday, Nov. 18, at 3 p.m. Velez and the other new board members are expected to be sworn in next Tuesday, Nov. 22.
