Texas court ends case against woman sentenced to five years over voting error
Summary
A Texas court ended the legal case against Crystal Mason, a Black woman who was sentenced to five years in prison for casting a provisional ballot while on supervised release for a federal felony. The state’s highest criminal court decided not to hear further appeals, affirming Mason’s acquittal after nearly a decade of legal battles.Key Facts
- Crystal Mason was convicted in 2018 for illegally voting by casting a provisional ballot in the 2016 presidential election.
- She was on supervised release for a federal tax felony at the time and was not on the voter registration list.
- Mason was offered a provisional ballot because federal law requires a safeguard for voters not on the list.
- Texas law prohibits people with felony convictions on probation from voting.
- Mason said she did not know she was ineligible to vote and disputed testimony from poll workers.
- The case sparked controversy due to the five-year prison sentence and concerns about voter intimidation.
- The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals declined to hear further appeal, letting her acquittal stand.
- Mason spent 10 months in federal prison after her conviction before being acquitted.
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