Filed Date: Sept. 26, 2017
Closed Date: Feb. 27, 2018
Clearinghouse coding complete
This is a case about the alleged violations of the Maryland Election Law Article, Maryland Constitution, and United States Constitution.
Plaintiffs were unregistered but eligible voters and residents of the County of Prince George’s, State of Maryland, and citizens of the United States who were being detained in the Prince George’s County Department of Corrections. Plaintiffs brought this case against defendants Prince George’s County Board of Elections, the Maryland State Board of Elections and the State Administrator of Elections. Plaintiffs claimed they were denied the right to register, access the ballot and vote in the November 8, 2016 General Election by the City and State Board of Elections.
In 2016, Maryland enacted Election law 3-102(a) and (b), et seq., to restore voting rights to all ex-offenders upon re-entry into the community after serving a court-ordered sentence for the felony conviction, even if they are on active parole or probation. This law coupled with other Maryland election laws and regulations give individuals in custody awaiting trial or serving time on a misdemeanor conviction(s) the right to vote. Plaintiffs claimed a lack of State strategy governing inmate voter registration and voting during the 2016 General Election which infringed upon their fundamental right to vote.
On November 21, 2016, plaintiffs filed this action against the State Board and the Prince George’s County Board of Elections. On December 9, 2016, plaintiffs filed an amended complaint against the State and Prince George’s County Boards. On December 14, plaintiffs filed a second amended complaint and demand for a jury trial, where they added the State Administrator of the State Board as a defendant. On August 24, all claims against the Prince George's County Board of Elections were dismissed. On September 1, defendant State Board filed a motion to dismiss plaintiffs' second amended complaint in state court, and plaintiffs filed a response in opposition. On September 26, 2017, a notice of removal was filed removing the action from the Circuit Court for Prince George's County, Maryland, to the United States District Court for the District of Maryland. Defendant State Administrator then filed a motion to dismiss plaintiffs' second amended complaint on October 11, 2017, claiming that (1) plaintiffs failed to comply with the Maryland Tort Claims Act and thus their claims are barred by sovereign immunity; (2) plaintiffs lacked standing; (3) plaintiffs failed to state a claim upon which relief may be granted; and (4) plaintiffs failed to state a claim for punitive damages.
On October 26, 2017, plaintiffs filed an opposition to the motion to dismiss the second amended complaint, arguing that Lamone’s failure or refusal to comply with her statutory duties discriminated against plaintiffs on the basis of their pretrial detention status, and denied them the basic right to participate in the election process by, inter alia, registering and voting.
On February 27, 2018, the District Court of Maryland filed a memorandum opinion and order granting in part the motions to dismiss by defendants Lamone and Maryland State Board of Elections by dismissing plaintiffs’ federal claims under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 (including declaratory relief) because plaintiffs lacked standing and had failed to state a claim. Plaintiffs' state law claims, however, were remanded to the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County.
This District of Maryland case is closed.
On March 30, 2018, the case was reopened in the Circuit Court for Prince George's County – Civil. The details of the reopened case are unavailable to the Clearinghouse at this time.
The case was ultimately dismissed on December 10, 2021.
Summary Authors
(5/7/2024)
For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/6317832/parties/johnson-v-prince-georges-county-board-of-elections/
Chasanow, Deborah K. (Maryland)
Abdullah, Raouf Muhammad (Maryland)
Francis-Williams, Latoya Andrea (Maryland)
Gordon, J Wyndal (Maryland)
Kuchno, John Joseph (Maryland)
See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/6317832/johnson-v-prince-georges-county-board-of-elections/
Last updated Jan. 12, 2026, 4:13 a.m.
State / Territory:
Case Type(s):
Special Collection(s):
Law Firm Antiracism Alliance (LFAA) project
Key Dates
Filing Date: Sept. 26, 2017
Closing Date: Feb. 27, 2018
Case Ongoing: No
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
Private individuals
Plaintiff Type(s):
Public Interest Lawyer: Yes
Filed Pro Se: No
Class Action Sought: Unknown
Class Action Outcome: Unknown
Defendants
Maryland State Board of Elections and the State Administrator of Elections (Prince George's), State
Defendant Type(s):
Facility Type(s):
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Other Dockets:
District of Maryland 8:17-cv-02867
Available Documents:
Outcome
Prevailing Party: Defendant
Relief Granted:
Source of Relief:
Order Duration: 2018 - 2018
Issues
Voting: