Minnesota Attorney General intervenes in two cases after judge declares non-incarcerated felons cannot vote

(St. Paul, MN) -- Minnesota's Attorney General is intervening in two cases after a Mille Lacs County District Court Judge declared a new state law unconstitutional that grants voting rights to non-incarcerated felons.

The intervention comes as a new Minnesota law which allows felons to vote if they currently are not in jail was declared unconstitutional in an order issued by Judge Matthew Quinn, who has barred two people with felony convictions from voting until they complete probation. The AG's Office filed memorandums in support of a writ of prohibition against Judge Quinn, which say the judge abused his authority to rule the law unconstitutional.

Judicial restraint and respect for the separation of powers are essential principles of our justice system. When either of those principles is violated, Minnesotans lose trust in the system — and Judge Quinn has violated both principles,” Minnesota Attorney General Ellison said. “I support a writ of prohibition as the best option for quickly keeping Judge Quinn from further violating our justice system and Minnesotans’ trust.”  

The judge argues the act goes against the Minnesota constitution because the state could write laws that simply ignore what is written in the founding documents.