ORLANDO, Fla. – A local attorney is representing two Orange County residents who were wrapped up in voter fraud allegations lodged by Gov. Ron DeSantis back in August.
Orlando attorney Roger Weeden said he plans to file a court motion this weekend on behalf of his clients, hoping to get their charges dropped.
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This comes after one of the 20 people arrested under the election voter fraud program launched by DeSantis had his case dismissed by a Miami judge Friday.
Following the first legal challenge to the voter fraud arrests made by the governor’s Office of Election Crimes and Security, Weeden plans to put up another fight.
“They’ve alleged that my clients committed crimes in two different counties—that would be Leon County and Orange County,” Weeden said. “Immediately my position was that they didn’t have the authority to bring this case.”
Miami man Robert Lee Wood, 56, was part of that bunch. He was convicted of second-degree murder in 1991, making him ineligible to vote.
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody claimed Wood committed crimes in both Leon county, where his voter application was processed, and in Miami-Dade County, where he cast a ballot.
On Friday, the Miami Dade County Circuit Judge Milton Hirsch dismissed his charges, ruling the Office of Statewide Prosecutor didn’t have the jurisdiction to take on his case.
Now, Weeden is hoping to get the same results for his clients, one of them being Peter Washington.
He first shared his story with News 6 back in August after he faced charges for being an unqualified voter.
“It’s been a very traumatic experience for them,” Weeden said.
Weeden added he drafted a motion two weeks ago.
“Knowing Judge Hirsch’s reputation, we felt very confident it was going to be a favorable opinion and it was and so we had that to give more clout to my motion up here,” Weeden said.
He now plans to modify the motion by adding the language Hirsch used in his order and then submit it online.
“Mr. Washington... he registered to vote in Orange County, and he voted in Orange County. He didn’t take any steps in Leon County,” Weeden said. “So that was an administerial act between those two agencies not involving Mr. Washington.”
Therefore, Weeden said the charges need to be dropped.
If the charges are not dropped and his clients go to trial, Weeden said the state will have to prove they willfully violated the law.
“We believe this was an incorrect analysis of jurisdiction and OSP will appeal,” statewide prosecutor Nick Cox said.
Bryan Griffin, DeSantis’ press secretary, also responded with the following statement:
“We disagree with the court’s jurisdictional ruling and intend to appeal. Given that elections violations of this nature impact all Florida voters, elections officials, state government, and the integrity of our republic, we continue to view the Florida Office of Statewide Prosecution as the appropriate agency to prosecute these crimes.
The state will continue to enforce the law and ensure that murderers and rapists who are not permitted to vote do not unlawfully do so. Florida will not be a state in which elections are left vulnerable or cheaters unaccountable.”
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