Tarrant DA looks to reverse Crystal Mason ruling, send message to ‘would-be illegal voters’

Tarrant County District Attorney Phil Sorrells said he wants to send a message by seeking to reverse a ruling that overturned Crystal Mason’s illegal voting conviction.

“I want would be illegal voters to know that we’re watching,” Sorrells said. “We’ll follow the law and we would prosecute illegal voting.”

Sorrells briefed county commissioners Tuesday on his decision to appeal a March 28 ruling from the Texas Second Court of Appeals. The court found Mason’s 2018 conviction should be overturned because she didn’t have actual knowledge that she couldn’t vote while on federal supervised release in a tax fraud case. On April 25, the Tarrant County DA’s office announced it asked an appellate court to reverse the ruling.

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Mason, a Rendon resident, was convicted of illegal voting and sentenced to five years in prison in a March 2018 bench trial in a Tarrant County district court. That case has received national attention.

Sorrells said the appellant court that overturned the conviction picked and chose facts and did not function as an appellant court should. He said if the appeal is granted the case will go to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.

Sorrells’ office, as part of the county’s election integrity unit, is looking into three cases of double voting during the primary by people in their 70s.

Mason attended the briefing.

Joined by her attorneys, Mason said she was upset and questioned the DA’s decision.

“Like he said, he’s only been here for a year and a half. So what is his motive to continue this case if he wasn’t here from the beginning?” Mason asked.

Mason’s case originated when she cast a provisional ballot in 2016. Sorrells, a Republican, took office in January 2023.

Mason said she had no intention of going back to jail when she cast that ballot in 2016 and did not want to risk having to leave her kids again.

“Who goes to the polling place to commit a crime to say ‘I’m going to leave you again’?” she said.