James Barry Wright, Petitioner v. City of Miami Gardens

Summary

The Court held that the statute unambiguously required disqualification when Wright's qualifying-fee check was returned by the bank, even though the return resulted from a banking error and Wright learned of it after qualifying ended. It nevertheless held that applying the statute to disqualify an otherwise qualified candidate under these circumstances was irrational, unreasonable, and unnecessary, severed the 2011 amendment, and ordered relief allowing Wright's candidacy to proceed. Justice Canady, concurring in result only, would have allowed the candidacy based on statutory interpretation without reaching constitutionality, while Justice Polston, dissenting, would have enforced the statute and rejected the constitutional ruling.