1. This case presents a substantial and novel question of federal law affecting 70-100 million people, plus their families involving over 44,000 state and federal statutes. The question will be presented as a capital case, a "civil death" as defined by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.

2. The question presented is whether punishment disability statutes—without time limits—violate the Eighth Amendment's Cruel and Unusual Clause.

Whether civil punishment statutes that permanently restrict an individual's right to hold public office without time limits violate the Eighth Amendment's Cruel and Unusual Punishment Clause