Alaska drops voter misconduct cases against American Samoans who checked ‘US citizen’ box
Prosecutors said they could not prove the residents knowingly broke the law after the court said voter misconduct requires proof of wrongdoing.
- On Friday, Alaska prosecutors dropped voter misconduct cases against 11 residents born in American Samoa after an appeals court overturned felony charges against Tupe Smith for claiming U.S. citizenship.
- A three-judge Court of Appeals panel ruled the State must prove a defendant acted with "consciousness of wrongdoing," citing flaws in the state trooper's questioning of Smith during her investigation.
- Residents from Whittier, about 50 miles southeast of Anchorage, faced charges after relying on erroneous information, with Smith claiming city representatives told her marking herself as a citizen was appropriate.
- Acting Alaska Attorney General Cori Mills stated prosecutors could not prove the cases beyond a reasonable doubt, while defense attorney Whitney Brown heralded the ruling as a safeguard against imposing felony liability for honest mistakes.
- American Samoans are U.S. nationals but not automatically citizens, meaning they cannot participate in most U.S. elections; paths to citizenship exist but can be expensive and cumbersome.
98 Articles
98 Articles
American Samoa is the only U.S. territory where residents don't have birthright citizenship. They're U.S. nationals instead, and it complicates voting
A state appeals court in Alaska threw out felony charges against a woman who checked a box saying she was a U.S. citizen.
Alaska drops voter misconduct cases against American Samoans who checked ‘U.S. Citizen’ box
Alaska prosecutors are dropping voter misconduct cases against 11 residents born in American Samoa after a state appeals court ruled that prosecutors must prove defendants knowingly intended to break the law.
Alaska Drops Voter Misconduct Cases Over a Checked Box
Alaska prosecutors are dropping vote misconduct cases against a group of residents born in American Samoa after a state appeal court three out felony charges against a woman who wrongly checked a box Saying she was a US citizen, per the AP. The state's Department of Law announced the decision...
The Tribune-Democrat
Washington TimesAlaska drops voter misconduct cases against American Samoans who wrongly checked 'U.S. citizen' box
Alaska prosecutors are dropping voter misconduct cases against a group of residents born in American Samoa after a state appeals court threw out felony charges against a woman who wrongly checked a box saying she was a U.S. citizen.
Alaska drops voter misconduct cases against American Samoans who wrongly checked ‘U.S. citizen’ box
An appeals court ruled that state law requires proof that defendants who erroneously filled out voter registration forms had a “consciousness of wrongdoing” and intended to break the law.
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