The Penalty for a Paper Crime
A man's attempt to exercise his right to vote leads to a felony conviction over his status as a former convict, testing the limits of the law.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
N.H. McLean was convicted in the superior court yesterday of illegal registration prior to the last city election. Under state law, no person convicted of an infamous crime is allowed to register to vote. McLean, having been previously convicted in federal court of perjury in connection with fraudulent timber entries, was technically disqualified. Despite the deputy city clerk telling McLean he could register if he took the required oath, McLean was arrested the following day. Judge Humes rejected the defense’s argument that McLean had acted on legal advice, and the jury returned a guilty verdict within ten minutes.
“Judge Humes ruled that it did not make any difference who advised him nor why he took the action that he did.”
This case mirrors the long-standing, often contentious debate over disenfranchisement of individuals with past criminal convictions—a civic struggle that continues to shape voting rights access in Washington and across the country today.
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