THE PUBLIC INTEREST LAW CENTER OF PHILADELPHIA

     Building equality for all. Building it to last. 

Lawsuit Filed to Challenge Vote-Suppressing ID Bill 

The Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia, in conjunction with the ACLU of Pennsylvania, Advancement Project, and Arnold & Porter LLP, has filed a lawsuit in Pennsylvania's Commonwealth Court challenging the egregious Photo ID bill recently signed into law in Pennsylvania.

The lawsuit alleges that the law burdens the fundamental right to vote under the Pennsylvania constitution.  

Our clients are people like Viviette Applewhite, a 92-year-old African American woman who worked as a welder during World War II and marched with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., during the civil rights movement. Ms. Applewhite has voted in nearly every election since at least 1960, but she cannot obtain identification that complies with the new voter ID law.   

If the law stays in place, Ms. Applewhite will not vote in November --- the first time in more than 50 years that she missed an election.  

The plaintiffs in this lawsuit are senior citizens whose records have been lost or destroyed over the years; veterans whose military ID cards are inadequate under the new law; and others with disabilities or with limited resources for whom the law's requirements will be unacceptably difficult to meet.  

Major organizations which advocate on behalf of the disenfranchised voters have also joined as plaintiffs: the League of Women Voters, the NAACP, and the Homeless Advocacy Project.

With the complaint, we filed a Motion for Preliminary Injunction to prevent the law from going into effect. The motion also asks the court to set an expedited trial schedule to allow the case to be tried well in advance of the November elections. 

Read the complaint

Read the Motion for Preliminary Injunction and Expedited Trial

Plaintiff Videos:

Viviette Applewhite

Gloria Cuttino 

Wilola Lee 

H.J. is a seven-year-old student with autism, whose family came to the Law Center last October. His family had moved to a new elementary school in January 2011, but the school refused to let him enroll. As a result, he was out of school from January through October of 2011 -- nearly a full year. So early in his education, and especially considering his autism, such a break in H.J.'s education could be extremely detrimental to his future.  

Days after the Law Center began to represent the family, the District allowed H.J. to return to school. It then evaluated H.J., created an Individualized Education Program for him, and found a new placement for him. After further discussion, the family and the District reached an agreement to settle the matter. In addition to the compensatory services for H.J., the District paid attorneys' fees to the Law Center.