Crystal Mason, center, with her legal team in 2018. | Source: Crystal Mason
On Thursday, an appeals court in Texas overturned the conviction and the egregiously absurd five-year sentence handed to a Black woman for a crime she arguably should never have been charged with in the first place.
According to the Texas Tribune, the Tarrant County-based Second Court of Appeals formally acquitted Crystal Mason, who was charged with a felony for casting a provisional ballot in 2016 while on supervised release for a federal conviction, which she didn’t know made her ineligible to vote.
“I am overjoyed to see my faith rewarded today,” Mason said in a statement. “I was thrown into this fight for voting rights and will keep swinging to ensure no one else has to face what I’ve endured for over six years, a political ploy where minority voting rights are under attack.”
“I’ve cried and prayed every night for over six years straight that I would remain a free Black woman,” she continued. “I thank everyone whose dedication and support carried me through this time and look forward to celebrating this moment with my family and friends.”
