Florida Ballot ‘Racketeering’ Felony Halted by Federal Court (1)

A new criminal penalty targeting Florida ballot measure groups has been blocked by a federal judge over concerns the law violates the US Constitution’s free speech protections.

The recently-enacted Florida HB 1205, which restricts ballot measure circulator eligibility and increases fines on ballot measure groups, includes a “vague” expansion of state felony racketeering crime sweeping in unknown aspects of ballot measure work, violating the First Amendment, US District Court for the Northern District of Florida Judge Mark E. Walker said in his opinion Wednesday.

“Given that the challenged provision regulates in the heartland of First Amendment freedoms—namely, core political ...