Prosecutor drops all charges against Pamela Moses, jailed over voting error

[Nevilledog]

Link to tweet

Tweet text:
Sam Levine
@srl
Breaking news: Prosecutors are dropping all criminal charges against Pamela Moses, the Memphis woman sentenced to six years in prison for trying to register to vote. She was granted a new trial in February, but prosecutors said today they won't pursue it.

theguardian.com
Prosecutor drops all charges against Pamela Moses, jailed over voting error
Moses, convicted last year, was granted new trial in February after Guardian revealed documents that had not been given to her defense
10:55 AM · Apr 22, 2022

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/apr/22/pamela-moses-prosecutor-drops-charges-memphis-tennessee


A Memphis prosecutor has dropped all criminal charges against Pamela Moses, the Memphis woman who was sentenced to six years in prison for trying to register to vote.

Moses convicted last year and sentenced in January. She was granted a new trial in February after the Guardian published a document showing that had not been given to her defense ahead of the trial.

More details soon …

[Faux pas]

1. ...

[AZ8theist]

45. What about Mark Meadows voting in 2 districts???

It certainly wasn't a "mistake" on his part. How about charges???

[Faux pas]

46. As

a country, we are an ASS!

[Hoyt]

2. Great. She never should have been prosecuted, but this is a good resolution.

[iluvtennis]

22. +++ agree. The trump supporters who voted for dead relatives were never charged with anything.

[PoliticAverse]

3. Good. n/t

[badhair77]

4. It's about time.

[a kennedy]

21. It's about damn time.

[Docreed2003]

5. Awesome News!!!

Finally some good news from this state! I'm so happy for Mrs Moses!

[Demovictory9]

6. Good

[dalton99a]

7. Kick

[Grokenstein]

8. Doesn't make up for the hell they put her through, but it's something.

Now let's watch the rightwanker punditry claim she's getting "special treatment" and continue to try to justify voting restrictions against "those" people.

[Traildogbob]

9. Mark Meadows

Nuff said about special treatment. 3 states.

[denbot]

12. Bingo!

They are trying to blur the obvious disparity in process between power, and those that power wants to suppress.

[Tomconroy]

10. Somebody should arrest the prosecutor

[yellowdogintexas]

11. Now they need to come to Texas and do the same for

Crystal !

[Novara]

13. How about some restitution?

[GoodRaisin]

20. This. I hope she has her lawsuit started for those 82 days and the political hate

prosecution she was forced to endure. And, those who prosecuted her all need to resign.

[calimary]

14. Thank God for the Guardian!

[questionseverything]

24. That's for sure, if not for their reporting, she might still be locked up

[Hortensis]

47. She ultimately had many committed people working to overturn this

egregious injustice, and investigative journalism to bring clarity to this situation. It was happening.

I'm also wondering of course that The Guardian seemingly turned up another applicable document through a public records request before her legal team or civil rights organization did, though. It's what investigative journalists do, but...!

[Old Okie]

31. Guardian

It is so embarrassing that we have to read a UK paper to find out what's happening the US. I support them with donations when I can.

[MagickMuffin]

15. Great News, Next up Crystal Mason seeks illegal voting conviction to be overturned

This happened in Fort Worth, Texas.

under new Texas election law.

Attorneys for the Tarrant County woman filed briefs with the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals that points to a provision under the controversial election law Senate Bill 1 they believe will undo her conviction.

Mason, 46, was sentenced to five years in prison for attempting to cast a ballot in 2016′s presidential election. At the time, Mason was on supervised release from a federal tax fraud conviction and was prohibited from voting in Texas. Her lawyers with the American Civil Liberties Union this week filed a brief with the Texas Court of Criminal of Appeals citing the state’s new election law that took effect earlier this month in asking for her conviction to be overturned.

Tucked within SB 1 that was passed by the Texas Legislature in this year’s second special session is a section erasing criminal penalties for felons who attempt to vote without knowing that they were committing a crime. That portion of the law came about with Mason’s conviction in mind. “SB 1 is a repudiation of Ms. Mason’s conviction and five-year sentence of incarceration,” the brief states.

Mason’s case has been spotlighted nationally for the severity of the sentence and the appearance of inequitable treatment of a black woman who has told the court she did not know she was breaking the law when she cast a provisional ballot.

Let's hope Crystal gets her day in court to overturn her conviction.

[tosh]

26. +1.

I did not know about that section in SB 1.

Godspeed, ACLU.

[OMGWTF]

33. The ACLU is the most American organization in our country.

I'm a long-time, proud, card-carrying member and they're getting a chunk of my estate.

[LiberalFighter]

35. Technically I would consider a provisional ballot not to be a vote

Until it is accepted as a vote and counted.

[MagickMuffin]

36. You are correct, the provisional ballots rarely count in elections

But this is Texas and the party in charge decides who to throw in jail.

Crystal and Pam were charged to make a case for voter fraud, and also I'm almost certain the color of their skin also played a role in that decision!

[Takket]

39. that's bizarre.......

not complaining but how the heck did that provision get past the GOP? Did some Democrat slip it into the bill when no one was looking?

[catrose]

40. I hope so! For a few years, the worst part of this case was that she voted provisionally.

I could see me being the election worker. "Oh, fill out a provisional ballot. If you're not eligible, it won't count. No harm, no foul."

Now the worst part for me is that her neighbor was a poll worker, knew she was not eligible to vote, and sat there and let everything go down.

I also wonder why her parole officer or supervisor did not advise her. In such a position, I'd bring it up before asked.

[RayStar]

43. Free Crystal

This woman should have never been charged.

[erronis]

16. The Guardian, once again, is a voice of truth and justice. Hello, WaPo, NYT, ...?

the earlier Guardian article which led to the dropping of charges:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/feb/24/fight-to-vote-newsletter-black-woman-jailed-voting-error-evidence

I'm finding myself looking at more non-US media to understand what's happening in the world and in the US. Perhaps the reporters and staff outside our borders aren't as chummy with the politicians and wealthy class.

Liking dw.com also.

[gratuitous]

17. Dropping the charges because they're embarrassed, or . . .

Or because the message has been sent to certain people that registering to vote can get you in a lot of trouble?

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

18. Six fucking years

How stupid is that?

[PatSeg]

19. Thank god

What a horrific miscarriage of justice. Meanwhile, Mark Meadows was registered to vote in three different states and probably will suffer no consequences whatsoever.

[Fla Dem]

23. So happy to hear this. Justice served finally.

[DENVERPOPS]

25. My thoughts are that

they are merely avoiding something that could stand as a precedent when several Republican Politicians go to court for their fraudulent voting..........If they let her off, they can then rationalize that the corrupt politicians should be also let off............

[halfulglas]

27. Thank goodness for the publicity.

This looked so awful in relation to the revelations of high placed and ordinary Republicans who voted multiple times and in multiple districts. They looked like cruel fools - the state, and especially the prosecutor and the judge for the length of the sentence - all the while there was no ill intension involved because she actually didn't know she could not vote. It's especially galling because of the fact that so many of the federal crimes that are being investigated revolving around January 6 where the emphasis seems to be that we have to PROVE INTENT. Excuse me, anybody see a difference here?

[SergeStorms]

28. 'Bout damned time!

It was all bullshit from the get-go.

There should be some monetary settlement in her favor, but I'm not holding my breath.

[mn9driver]

29. The GOP wants to instill fear of voting in some groups. This is how they do it.

Their mission has already been accomplished. The ordeal was the goal. A ridiculous jail sentence was the goal. Fear was the goal. Done, done and done.

[Grins]

30. In other news today: Republican Mark Meadows was REGISTERED to vote in THREE states!

About which Republican state attorneys general will do…?

[live love laugh]

32. Pay her for screwing up her life!

[Generic Brad]

38. This!!

She deserves restitution for what was stolen from her!

[Biophilic]

34. Now this, this is really important news. Damn, it makes me happy. There is some justice. nt

[XacerbatedDem]

37. Me, too. I am so happy for her. She didn't deserve to be treated like that.

[wendyb-NC]

41. So glad charges were dropped on her

She did not deserve jail, for trying to vote.

They should go after Mr Meadows. Tfg's main yes man.

[BobTheSubgenius]

42. About bloody time!

Whoever brought those charges in the first place should be sent for reeducation. They clearly are not suited for the job they have...or had, hopefully.

[niyad]

44. About damned time! It is a sad commentary on the msm in this country

that so much of the real and important coverage comes from elsewhere.