From FOX 4 News Dallas-Fort Worth · Shaun Rabb · · 1m 10s
Texas court upholds Crystal Mason's voting acquittal
Texas court maintains Fort Worth woman's illegal voting acquittal after years of legal battle
In brief
Texas court maintains Fort Worth woman's illegal voting acquittal after years of legal battle Crystal Mason's 2016 voter fraud conviction was overturned due to lack of evidence she knew she was ineligible to vote Originally reported by FOX 4 News Dallas-Fort Worth.
Acquittal upheld
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals dismissed state's appeal, keeping Crystal Mason's 2016 voter fraud conviction overturned
Mason's background
Mason was on supervised release for felony tax fraud when she cast a provisional ballot in 2016
Original conviction
Mason received five years in prison for voting illegally despite claiming she didn't know she was ineligible
2024 reversal
Lower court overturned conviction in 2024, finding insufficient evidence she knew she was ineligible to vote
Court decision
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals dismissed appeal 5-4, saying lower court didn't need to rule on merits of case
Legal team impact
Next Generation Action Network called Mason's case a test of whether justice system allows wrongful convictions
“This was never simply about one provisional ballot. This was about whether our justice system would allow a woman to lose five years of her freedom when the ballot at the center of the prosecution was never even counted”
State response
Tarrant County DA says illegal voting remains a crime and will investigate violations
“Illegal voting remains a crime in Texas. If there is evidence that someone knowingly violates our election laws in Tarrant County, we will investigate it and, when the evidence supports it, prosecute it”
What to remember
Crystal Mason's 2016 voter fraud conviction was overturned due to lack of evidence she knew she was ineligible to vote
