Appeals Court Upholds Five-Year Sentence In High-Profile Election Violation Case

Crystal Mason Loses Her Appeal. A Texas state appeals court upheld the draconian five-year prison sentence handed down against a black women who violated Texas election law by voting while she was on a probation. The case of Crystal Mason attracted national attention, given the unprecedented nature of the prosecution and the belief by some that her punishment would have a chilling effect on voting in the state. Her appeal was supported by the ACLU and she had argued her sentence should be thrown out because she was unaware that her probation made her ineligible to vote. But the court ruled Friday that her awareness of her ineligibility was irrelevant to the prosecution.