Wild-Wild West Texas Justice: A Sad Commentary for Equal Justice Under Law

Crystal Mason: Sentenced to 5 years in jail for innocent voter fraud

This story should anger everyone in the country and big time re: Voter fraud and the stark differences between a black person going to jail for 5 years and three white persons not going to jail for the same voter fraud crimes – story here from Raw Story and here from NPR – both good sources.

The basic story: Crystal Mason is black and from Texas and she was just sentenced five years in prison for unknowingly committing voter fraud. She voted in the 2016 election.

Background on Ms. Mason and her story: She is 43-year-old mother of two had just been released from a 3-year sentence for tax fraud and was on parole. At no point did her parole officer or anyone at the state or local level tell her she couldn’t vote. She said she didn’t know she could not vote and now, she’s going to prison for it. 

Yet, in the following three cases, also of voter fraud, no one went to jail and all three of them were convicted of voter fraud – one huge difference: All three of them are white.

In North Carolina: A voter for President Donald Trump cast a ballot on behalf of her mother, who had just died. She claimed that she was grieving the death and didn’t know she couldn’t vote on behalf of a dead person. In that case, no charges were filed. “This woman is 67 years old and has never run afoul of the law for anything more serious than a speeding ticket. It is not in the public’s interest to charge her with this felony offense,” statement from DA David Learner.

In Colorado: The former GOP chairman filled out his wife’s ballot for her and mailed it in. When she went to the polls, she was told she’d already voted, with no knowledge of it. He claimed he was having a “major diabetic episode” and had no memory of filling out the ballot. In that case, he was given three years of probation and 300 hours of community service.

In Iowa: Terri Lynn Rote tried to vote twice for Trump. Her excuse was that she believed Trump when he said the “election is rigged.” She feared her first vote would probably be changed to support Hillary Clinton, so she wanted to vote again. In that case, she confessed to her guilt and was given probation with a $750 fine.

Conclusion:  Crystal Mason was the only of the group who received prison time.

There are marked two major differences are that she from Texas and she is black. Her case is simple and not a “crime” in the pure sense – quite innocent as a matter of fact. 

Sad, isn’t it – this sort of Wild West justice and 100% race based w/o any doubt. Hopefully, and appeals court will agree not sentence her – that would be right and just thing to do.

Thanks for stopping by.