Home › Case Library › Mason v. State (illegal-voting PDR)
Awaiting decisionMason v. State (illegal-voting PDR)
Will the CCA let Crystal Mason's acquittal stand?
Where the case stands
Second Court of Appeals rendered a judgment of acquittal on March 28, 2024, holding the evidence insufficient to prove she actually knew she was ineligible to vote. The Tarrant County DA petitioned for discretionary review; the CCA accepted review on Aug 21, 2024. Briefing was complete by late Oct 2024; the case has been under submission since, with no decision as of Sept 3, 2026.
Background
Fort Worth mother who cast a provisional ballot in the 2016 election while on federal supervised release; the ballot was never counted. Her 5-year sentence made her a national symbol in the voting-rights debate.
Charges
- Illegal voting, Texas Election Code § 64.012 (2016 offense; convicted 2018, sentenced to 5 years)
The arguments
Prosecution/State: The DA argues the acquittal misapplied the knowledge standard and that circumstantial evidence (the provisional-ballot affidavit she signed) sufficed to show Mason knew she was ineligible.
Defense: Under the CCA's own 2022 remand holding, the State had to prove Mason actually knew being on supervised release made her ineligible; the Second COA found no such proof — she believed she could vote and the provisional ballot was the system working as designed.
The record
- Provisional-ballot affidavit. The signed 2016 provisional-ballot affidavit whose eligibility language was the State's key knowledge evidence at trial.
- 2022 CCA opinion. Mason v. State (PD-0881-20): CCA held illegal voting requires proof the voter actually knew she was ineligible, and remanded — full text public.
- 2024 acquittal opinion. Second Court of Appeals opinion of March 28, 2024 rendering acquittal for insufficient evidence of actual knowledge.
The line-setting read at the time this market opened
The CCA granted the State's petition, which signals at least some interest in revisiting the acquittal, but the acquittal applied the CCA's own 2022 actual-knowledge holding. Long submission time cuts no clear way.
Awaiting decision — The CCA's decision on the State's petition — affirm the acquittal or undo it. The ruling is posted here, and on the board, the moment it's confirmed by two or more independent news organizations.
Sources
- Texas Tribune — Court agrees to review Crystal Mason case (Aug 22, 2024)
- Texas Tribune — Sentence overturned (Mar 28, 2024)
- ACLU case page — Crystal Mason v. State of Texas
- CBS Texas — Appeals court reverses conviction in nationally watched voting case
- NBC DFW — Tarrant DA defends pursuing re-conviction
Public record
- ACLU case filings archive — briefs and court documents in Mason v. State
- CCA 2022 opinion (first PDR) — Mason v. State, PD-0881-20, full text
About this library
Every case on Bet! GUILTY or NOT? is a real, currently pending or recently decided court matter. This library carries the casebrief and the sources for every case on the docket — open or decided. Browse the full docket library.