Brooklyn’s Family Court celebrates Law Day
A Reminder that Every Vote Matters
Members of Brooklyn’s legal community gathered at the borough’s Family Courthouse to recognize the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. While the event was a part of a national Law Day celebration, the theme could not have been more opportune.
“This is the 50th anniversary of what’s left of the Voting Rights Act,” said Hon. Alan Beckoff, chair of the 2014 Family Court Law Day celebration. Beckoff was referring to last year’s United States Supreme Court decision, Shelby County v. Holder, which struck down a critical portion of the Voting Rights Act. In the Shelby decision, the high court ruled that primary functions of the act that made states subject to federal approval—or preclearance—before making changes to their voting laws cannot be enforced unless Congress comes up with an up to date formula for deciding which states still need federal monitoring. The justices said in 5-4 vote that the law Congress most recently renewed in 2006 relies on 40-year-old data that does not reflect racial progress and changes in U.S. society.
“The United States Supreme Court severely weakened the Voting Rights Act,” Beckoff noted, citing examples as recent as 2010 in which New York City and state were complacent in restricting voters.