Texas Felon Who ‘didn't Even Want to Go Vote' Gets Prison Time for Voting Illegally

A district judge sentenced a Tarrant County woman to five years in prison Wednesday for illegally voting in the 2016 presidential election.Crystal Mason, 43, was on supervised release for a 2011 conviction for tax fraud when she voted. In Texas, convicted felons can't vote until they complete their full sentence, including supervised release.After her conviction, Mason chose to forgo a jury trial and have her sentence assessed instead. State District Judge Ruben Gonzalez oversaw sentencing.In cases such as Mason's, the state must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant was aware that she was not allowed to vote, Tarrant County prosecutor Matt Smid said.The investigation began after a worker at the polls reported problems with Mason's ballot, said Samantha Jordan, a spokeswoman for the Tarrant County district attorney's office.  Continue reading...