Texas DA Appeals Overturned Voting Fraud Conviction of Black Woman Crystal Mason
By Darius Spearman (africanelements)
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In a controversial move, Tarrant County District Attorney Phil Sorrells appealed the overturned illegal voting conviction of Crystal Mason. Consequently, he seeks to reinstate her 5-year prison sentence related to the 2016 presidential election. (Yahoo News)
Background on Crystal Mason’s Case
A court sentenced Crystal Mason, a Black woman from Fort Worth, in 2018 for casting a provisional ballot while on supervised release. However, officials never counted her vote. (ACLU, LWV) Mason maintained she did not know she was ineligible. Moreover, she said she would not have risked voting illegally after serving time. (The Guardian, Texas Tribune)
Mason Case Highlights Voter Suppression Tactics Targeting Minorities
Harsh Punishment for Minor Infraction
Mason, a Black woman, received an extremely harsh 5-year prison sentence simply for casting a provisional ballot in 2016. She did not know she was ineligible while on supervised release. Moreover, her ballot was never counted. (Texas Tribune, NBC DFW) Civil rights groups argue this draconian punishment intended to intimidate minority voters. It deters them from voting, even when acting in good faith. (ACLU, ACLU of Texas)
Lack of Clear Voting Rights Information
There was confusion around whether Mason knew she could not vote while on supervised release. Significantly, the probation office overseeing her release did not inform her of ineligibility. (Texas Tribune) Voting rights advocates say laws on voting eligibility after incarceration vary widely. They are often unclear, setting up minority voters to be criminalized despite acting without mal-intent. (NBC DFW)
Prosecutorial Overreach Targeting Minorities
Tarrant County DA Phil Sorrells appealed to reinstate Mason’s 5-year sentence. This is despite her conviction being overturned on evidence she did not knowingly violate the law. (Yahoo News, MSNBC) Civil rights attorneys accused prosecutors of deliberately targeting Mason. They called it a “political prosecution” intended to suppress minority voting rights through intimidation. (NBC DFW, ACLU)
History of Voter Suppression in Texas
Mason’s case occurred amid a Republican-led crackdown on voter fraud in Texas. This was fueled by baseless claims of widespread illegal voting that disproportionately impacted minorities. (Texas Tribune) Texas has a long history of discriminatory practices like voter ID laws and gerrymandered maps. These have disenfranchised Black and Hispanic voters, according to civil rights groups. (Texas Tribune, Texas Tribune)
Appeals Court Overturns Conviction
In March 2024, the Texas Second Court of Appeals overturned Mason’s conviction. The court ruled there was insufficient evidence that Mason knew she was ineligible when voting provisionally in 2016. (NPR, Washington Post) Consequently, the court acquitted Mason.
DA Appeals Acquittal to Highest Texas Court
On April 26, 2024, DA Sorrells announced his office appealed Mason’s acquittal to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. In addition, he seeks to reinstate her 5-year sentence. (MSNBC) In a press release, Sorrells stated: “The guilty verdict should be upheld. This office remains committed to safeguarding the ballot box.” (Yahoo News)
Civil Rights Groups Criticize “Political Prosecution”
Civil rights groups like the ACLU, which represented Mason, criticized the appeal as a “political prosecution.” (ACLU) The groups vowed to continue fighting for Mason. Furthermore, they argued the appeal intends to intimidate voters, especially minorities. (Yahoo News)
In summary, the Tarrant County DA appealed Mason’s overturned illegal voting conviction to Texas’ highest criminal court. Consequently, he seeks to reinstate her controversial 5-year sentence in a case drawing national attention over voter rights. (NPR, The Guardian, Texas Tribune, Washington Post)
About the author
Darius Spearman is a professor of Black Studies at San Diego City College since 2007. He has authored several books, including Between The Color Lines: A History of African Americans on the California Frontier Through 1890. You can visit Darius online at africanelements.org.
