Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Texas woman sentenced five years in prison for casting ballot while ineligible to vote
CBS News ^ | 6/15/2018 | Staff

Posted on 06/15/2018 5:12:11 PM PDT by simpson96

A Texas woman plans to challenge a judge's decision to deny her a new trial after sentencing her to five years in prison for voter fraud. Crystal Mason was convicted in March of voting illegally in the 2016 presidential election. Texas law makes the 43-year-old ineligible to vote because she was on probation for tax fraud. Mason says she didn't know about that law.

When Mason showed up to vote last November, her name wasn't on the voter roll, so she was asked to fill out and sign a provisional ballot. That's when elections workers discovered she was a convicted felon, reports CBS News correspondent Michelle Miller.

"I'm wishing that I never voted. That's how I'm wishing. I'm wishing that I never ever went up there to vote," Mason said.

Mason said she hadn't even planned on voting in the 2016 election until her mother convinced her.

The former tax preparer was sentenced to five years in federal prison in August 2011 and discharged in August 2016. She was then was put on three years supervised release. She said no one ever told her she was not allowed to vote under Texas law.

"Right now, I'm very overwhelmed with all this. Everything is a shock, you know? Everything," Mason said.

Mason was arrested in February this year and sentenced to another five years in prison, this time for illegal voting.

"Voting is something that people should be scared of. That's the message, pure and simple. And it certainly worked on Crystal," Mason's defense attorney Alison Grinter said.

(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat
KEYWORDS: elections; taxfraud; texas; votefraud
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-34 last
To: simpson96

She might want to give her mother a swift kick in the a$$ for convincing her to vote after she serves he next 5 year felony conviction.


21 posted on 06/15/2018 6:00:17 PM PDT by RetiredTexasVet (Start using cash and checks or the elite class and bankers will make "cashless" the norm.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: packrat35

If she honestly knew she wasn’t eligible and voted anyway, then that certainly deserves harsh punishment. I’d want to see the ballot itself or something else that proves intent to knowingly cast a fraudulent ballot.

Five years is a very serious punishment. I daresay there are many thousands of illegal aliens doing the same thing and walking away scot free. That doesn’t make it right, but if we’re going to seriously prosecute voter fraud, the law needs to be equally applied.


22 posted on 06/15/2018 6:02:21 PM PDT by CitizenUSA (Proverbs 14:34 Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.a)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: simpson96
My head is spinning.

A Rat judge did this?

The Rats' stock-in-trade is voter fraud.

They love it, live it, breathe it. It is a Democrat institution. A pillar.

So I don't get this at all. Maybe the voter was GOP. Very strange because the Rat line on felons' voting is all this 'you're disenfranchising a human being, one of God's children...'

Rats are trying to get the felon vote here in Florida. Felons are their core believers.

23 posted on 06/15/2018 6:10:15 PM PDT by caddie (Tagline: Tag, you're it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: simpson96

Good. Finally enforcing voter laws. Why have them otherwise than just to be a political running point, but then do nothing with it?

I seriusly doubt she didnt know she couldnt vote. Anyway with her past she should have done due diligence to make sure she was still able to vote. People have personal responsibility to know what they can and cannot do, legally.


24 posted on 06/15/2018 6:17:55 PM PDT by Secret Agent Man ( Gone Galt; Not averse to Going Bronson.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: simpson96

What felon doesnt know they lose their voting rights, forever or for a period of time? SERIOUSLY. IN THIS DAY AND AGE. FFS.


25 posted on 06/15/2018 6:18:53 PM PDT by Secret Agent Man ( Gone Galt; Not averse to Going Bronson.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: CitizenUSA

Voter fraud is a serious matter, with sweeping effects. Five years sounds appropriate.


26 posted on 06/15/2018 6:21:56 PM PDT by dinodino
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: precisionshootist

it must be that “the governed” cares less and less about “consent.”


27 posted on 06/15/2018 6:43:55 PM PDT by Theodore R.
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: CitizenUSA
Five years for attempting to vote with a provisional ballot? That seems wildly excessive.....

Consider:
- The woman is a citizen albeit on parole.
- The woman claims she was unaware of the prohibition.
- Those offering/processing her provisional ballot saw she was not on the voter roles - what responsibility should they have had in 'clearing' those given a provisional ballot?

Yes, ignorance of the law is no excuse, however there can be circumstances that dictate mercy and leniency. Unless there was proof that this woman knew she was breaking the law, I would consider the sentence unnecessarily harsh.

28 posted on 06/15/2018 6:44:21 PM PDT by JesusIsLord
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: CitizenUSA

If she honestly knew she wasn’t eligible and voted anyway, then
that certainly deserves harsh punishment.

*************

I can’t speak to all the details but she had spent 5 years in federal prison and
was discharged in August 2016. She was then was put on three years supervised
release. Being on supervised release means she was still under the cloud of
conviction. Once the supervised release was served then she would be able
to register and vote.


29 posted on 06/15/2018 7:17:01 PM PDT by deport
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: simpson96

But the Democrats told us there is no voter fraud, not even one single instance.


30 posted on 06/15/2018 11:36:19 PM PDT by Freedom_Is_Not_Free (End the Mueller Gestapo now. Free the Donald.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: simpson96

And what do you think would have happened. Nothing.


31 posted on 06/16/2018 6:19:17 AM PDT by ExpatCanuck
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: simpson96

Winning! Imprison all illegal voters.

JoMa


32 posted on 06/16/2018 12:04:42 PM PDT by joma89
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: CitizenUSA

The fact that she got five years is telling you that there is more to this story than the media is saying.


33 posted on 06/18/2018 11:05:32 AM PDT by packrat35 (Pelosi is only on loan to the world from Satan. Hopefully he will soon want his baby killer back)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: PCPOET7

IGNORANCE OF THE LAW IS NO DEFENSE!


34 posted on 06/18/2018 11:09:33 AM PDT by SgtHooper (If you remember the 60's, YOU WEREN'T THERE!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-34 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson