Comparison of Kim Potter's sentence versus Crystal Mason's sentence

[LetMyPeopleVote]

Killing an unarmed black person is far worst than attempting to register to vote

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[ProudMNDemocrat]

1. The one sentenced to 6 years in prison killed NO ONE.

Voting by mistake carries a heavier penalty than killing a young father at a traffic stop it seems.

WTF is wrong with our justice system? This is so wrong.

[jimfields33]

2. Was it the same judge? Same county? Same state?

You need to find two cases that are similar and see if they’re are differences in the same courthouse.

[RainCaster]

10. The same country. The same Constitution.

To most of us on DU, that is enough. That is what we are fighting for.

[jimfields33]

12. A lot more goes into it. Plea bargain, first offense, etc.

[lame54]

14. Fuck that...

We don't need exact parallels to know that this is injustice

[LetMyPeopleVote]

16. Judge Chu's demeanor when she sentenced my client to 75 months for trying to break up a fight,

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[CrispyQ]

3. This is just mean & wrong.

Her poor kids, living without a mother because of a mistake. Our country is in the grasp of some nasty, mean people.

Sending this to my college-educated cousin who doesn't think institutional racism exists.

[Layzeebeaver]

4. Ignorance of the law is no excuse...

…unless you ARE the law.

[ShazzieB]

5. Different states.

Same country, same year. Explain these sentences, please.

Different states. Individual states make their own laws, and some of the variations are so extreme, it can sometimes seem like they're different countries.

Although why ANYBODY decided that maccidently voting in an election you weren't actually eligible to vote in was a horrible heinous crime deserving of draconian punishment is beyond me.

[Nevilledog]

6. Better comparison...

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[IbogaProject]

7. The Tenesee law is very convoluted

The TN voting rights restoration law is a hodgepodge of different rules for different offence years. No one died, she didn't even get to vote. Her applucation was denied, that should have been the end of it. But she is an activist so the state attacked Her.

[KS Toronado]

8. Crystal Mason only "crime" was living in Texas

Where one or more reQublicOns just had to "own the libs", and they found an ally in a reQublicOn judge.
These people and Gov Abbott (for not pardoning her) should be brought up on charges. IMHO

[keithbvadu2]

9. 1053 years for incest rape in Liberalfornia and 60 days in conservative Montana

1053 years for incest rape in Liberalfornia and 60 days in conservative Montana

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/true-crime/wp/2016/10/24/two-fathers-raped-their-daughters-one-got-60-days-in-jail-the-other-1503-years-in-prison/?utm_term=.b3857ae2999c

Two fathers raped their daughters. One got 60 days in jail. The other? 1,503 years in prison.

[Shermann]

11. Prior felony convictions make a big difference in sentencing

Also, judges tend to be unimpressed with "ignorance of the law" defenses

[nvme]

13. Are we still in THIS place still?

[LetMyPeopleVote]

15. Hmm... I wonder what could possibly explain this difference in sentencing. Any guesses?

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