A South Dallas nonprofit that works with individuals transitioning out of Texas prisons aims to highlight the human side of incarceration. Trinity Restoration Ministries’ holiday gathering in a prison allowed children to celebrate Christmas with their fathers.
Texas
Tarrant County DA wants Crystal Mason’s illegal voting conviction reinstated
:focal(0x0:3000x2000)/static.texastribune.org/media/files/145abb4aabd8e5a67a98c612aa59639b/Crystal%20Mason%20LBS%20TT%2002.jpg?ssl=1 "Tarrant County DA wants Crystal Mason’s illegal voting conviction reinstated")
Sign up for the We the Texans newsletter to receive twice-monthly updates on our year-long initiative dedicated to boosting civic engagement and chronicling how democracy is experienced in Texas.
Tarrant County District Attorney Phil Sorrells wants Crystal Mason’s illegal voting conviction reinstated, his office announced Thursday.
Mason, a Tarrant County resident, was acquitted of an illegal voting charge last month. Sorrells’ office is now asking the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals to overturn the ruling that cleared her.
Mason was convicted of illegal voting in March 2018 and sentenced to five years in prison for casting a provisional ballot in the 2016 election while on supervised release for federal tax evasion.
“This office will protect the ballot box from fraudsters who think our laws don’t apply to them,” Sorrells’ office said in a statement.
The office argues the Second Court of Appeals did not give proper deference to the trial court’s guilty verdict and reweighed the evidence in favor of Mason when it overturned her conviction.
Sorrells’ office adds Mason was fairly convicted based on testimony from election staff that she understood she was not eligible to vote.
Mason has maintained she did not know she was ineligible to vote.
“It is disappointing that the state has chosen to request further review of Ms. Mason’s case, but we are confident that justice will ultimately prevail,” Tommy Buser-Clancy, senior staff attorney at the ACLU of Texas, said in a statement. “The court of appeals’ decision was well reasoned and correct. It is time to give Ms. Mason peace with her family.”
Though it had initially upheld her conviction, the Tarrant County-based Second Court of Appeals overturned it last month after the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals instructed the lower court to “evaluate the sufficiency” of the evidence against Mason.
Initially, the court found that Mason’s alleged knowledge that she was on supervised release, and therefore ineligible to vote, was sufficient for an illegal voting conviction. But in instructing it to reevaluate the case, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeal ruled the lower court “erred by failing to require proof that [Mason] had actual knowledge that it was a crime for her to vote while on supervised release.”
The yearslong saga began in 2016 when Mason,on advice from a poll worker, submitted a provisional ballot during that year’s presidential election after she discovered her name was not on the voter roll.
Her ballot was rejected because she was not eligible to participate in elections while still on supervised release for a federal tax fraud conviction. She was arrested a few months later.
The case against Mason hinged on an affidavit she signed before casting her provisional ballot that required individuals to swear that “if a felon, I have completed all my punishment including any term of incarceration, parole, supervision, period of probation, or I have been pardoned.”
A trial court judge convicted her of illegally voting, a second-degree state felony at the time, after a poll worker testified he watched Mason read, and run her finger along, each line of an affidavit. Mason, however, said she did not read the entire affidavit. At trial, a supervisor from the probation office overseeing her release testified that no one from that office had informed her she was still ineligible to vote.
In its 2022 ruling instructing the lower appellate court to reevaluate the case, the Court of Criminal Appeals held that Texas election law requires individuals to know they are ineligible to vote to be convicted of illegal voting. The law had been clarified by lawmakers in 2021 with additions to the election code stating Texans may not be convicted of voting illegally “solely upon the fact that the person signed a provisional ballot,” and instead required other evidence to corroborate they knowingly tried to cast an unlawful vote.
Tickets are on sale now for the 2024 Texas Tribune Festival, happening in downtown Austin Sept. 5-7. Get your TribFest tickets before May 1 and save big!
The last time Karley Alejo spent Christmas with her dad was when she was 3 years old.
Now 16, Alejo walked into the gym at the Sanders Estes Unit, trying to make eye contact with her father, Julian Alejo, who was wearing a white inmate uniform and a red Christmas hat.
Julian Alejo, 43, who is serving a 30-year sentence for aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon, was one of 27 inmates at the Sanders Estes Unit selected to participate in the Christmas with Dads event organized by Trinity Restoration Ministries on Dec.19. This south Dallas non-profit organization operates a faith-based reentry program for individuals transitioning out of Texas prisons.
For the first time since Sanders Estes Prison was established 36 years ago, its gym was transformed into a holiday village for inmates to celebrate Christmas with their children.
Julian Alejo, an inmate at the Sanders Estes Unit prison in Venus, talks with his 16-year-old daughter, Karley, during a Chirstmas with dads event Dec. 19, 2025.
Azul Sordo / Staff Photographer
“This makes it more authentic and personal. Being able to open gifts and not having to just take them home and talk about them,” said Karley Alejo. “You get to actually be here, to make memories with your family here. It’s amazing.”
Inmates and volunteers pushed the gym equipment to the side to make room for four Christmas trees surrounded by presents, a red carpet, long tables set up with crafts, books, board games, a face-painting booth and food.
For a couple of hours, the gym was filled with laughter, shouts, prayers and the sound of children running around. Christmas music played in the background while children sat on their dads’ laps.
At one point, Santa showed up, and families took photos with him. The portraits were just like any family would take during the holidays. Still, the tall walls, tiny windows, and the wired patio, along with the surveillance cameras, were reminders of where the celebration was being held.
On two occasions, all the dads left the gym for the mandatory headcount before returning to be with their children.
Julian Alejo has been incarcerated for 12 years and dreamed of spending Christmas with his daughter. The night before the event, he couldn’t sleep. He couldn’t believe he was going to see her open a Christmas gift.
“Even though I’ve been away from her for years, I still have to show her that I’m her dad, I love her, and I’m here for her, and I’m going to support her, and what she does,” Julian Alejo said. “I’m going to advise her wisely, and I’ve got to make sure I’m there for her.
‘It’s about the kids, not the adults’
For Karley Alejo, living all these years with her dad has shown her how incarceration affects families and how society sees the inmates.
“I just feel like a lot of the time, people believe that if you’re in prison, you did something awful, and you can’t change, and that nobody’s gonna forgive you, and you’re just here,” Karley Alejo said. “But a lot of the time, a lot of people don’t want that from themselves. They might have made a mistake when they were younger or older, but all the people here have families.”
Shagala Taylor, 50, decided to take Friday off from work to visit her brother, Larry Taylor, and bring his eight-year-old twins, Champion and Reagyn.
Larry Taylor, 43, who is serving a 45-year sentence for murder, was surprised by his son. The boy ran toward Larry Taylor to be picked up by ‘Daddy.’
After setting him down, Larry Taylor did the viral ‘floss dance’ with him. He gave his daughter and sister big hugs. Then, they sat down to wait for their turn to be called out for breakfast.
Larry Jr. Taylor, an inmate at the Sanders Estes Unit prison in Venus, plays with his eight-year-old twins, Champion and Reagyn, during a Chirstmas with dads event Dec. 19, 2025.
Azul Sordo / Staff Photographer
“Sometimes people don’t understand because in their mindset, ‘Adults knew what they were doing,’ but at the end of the day, it’s not about the adult, it’s about the kids of the incarcerated individuals,” Shagala Taylor said. “You have to get out of that mindset and bring it down to the kids’ level, understanding how they’re feeling. Got to have empathy and sympathy. I wish there were more programs out here like this.”
Shagala Taylor added the regular visits are tough for the kids.
They last two hours, and there’s no physical contact. Sometimes there are crayons and books, but still, the kids get bored and don’t understand why there isn’t a playground or why “Daddy” can’t pick them up or sit them on his lap.
“At the end of the day, it’s about the kids. They didn’t have a choice to be part of it. Ground the adults but not the kids,” Shagala Taylor said.
Larry Taylor treasures the memories of wearing matching pajamas with his children before he was incarcerated in 2022. He hopes one day he and his children can do it again.
Following the example
Around 200 volunteers came together to create the one-of-a-kind event, the result of months of planning, said Richard “Chico” Smith, executive director of Trinity Restoration Ministries.
The congregation from Lakepointe Church in Rockwall provided approximately 60 volunteers and covered most of the event’s expenses. Volunteers from Templo Betania in Dallas also participated by helping with decorations, serving food and greeting the families.
“Jesus told us not to forget about the incarcerated,” said volunteer Carmen Vazquez, 52. “He set an example for us to serve everyone, especially those who need us the most.”
Lamar Simpson, an inmate at the Sanders Estes Unit prison in Venus, holds his sleeping two-year-old son, Jamari during a Chirstmas with dads event Dec. 19, 2025.
Azul Sordo / Staff Photographer
With a radio in one hand and a sheet detailing the seating organization and event details, Robin Stephens, a 22-year-old program administrator at the prison, coordinated the event and ensured all guests and inmates followed the prison’s protocols.
Stephens saw the event as an opportunity for the inmates to feel hopeful and stay motivated.
Brodgrick Price, the senior warden at Sanders Estes in Venus, about 30 miles southwest of Dallas, approved the “Christmas with Dads” event to support the inmates’ rehabilitation. He had no budget for it, and that’s where the nonprofits and volunteers stepped in.
Price believes in providing inmates with the tools to be successful while incarcerated and, upon release, to rebuild their lives, “bringing people to change the thought process through a rehabilitative approach versus a punitive one,” Price said. “A lot of times, when somebody gets in trouble, people want to punish them, versus getting to the root cause of why the person is acting out.”
Price was amazed by how the gym was transformed into a holiday party for the children to celebrate Christmas.
Kevin Porter ties the shoelaces of his son, Levi, during a Chirstmas with dads event at the Sanders Estes Unit prison in Venus Dec. 19, 2025.
Azul Sordo / Staff Photographer
“I am so glad I said yes to this because I can see a lot of lives are being touched,” Price said, adding that some of the inmates were serving 12-, 15- and even 45-year sentences. “For the kids to be able to come in here and sit with them and open a present in front of them, that touches me.”
Frederick Pheiffer, 70, is an example of that rehabilitation. He was released four months ago after serving an 18-year sentence for murder.
Pheiffer graduated from the Trinity Ministries Restoration program and has been able to buy a car, get a job, and slowly reconnect with his family.
‘Those little things’
Adrian Casares was catching his breath after running behind his two sons. His 6-year-old wanted to kick the soccer ball, and his 3-year-old was trying to dribble a basketball.
Casares, 33, is serving a six-year sentence for aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon. As soon as he knew about the event, he signed up. He has had good conduct and earned ‘trusty level status.’ He’s now the barber of the officers.
Adrian Casares, an inmate at the Sanders Estes Unit prison in Venus, plays with his sons Ares and Atlas after a Chirstmas with dads event Dec. 19, 2025.
Azul Sordo / Staff Photographer
His wife, Gracey Turner, 23, drove about two hours from Temple to bring the kids to spend the day with their dad. During the whole ride, kids kept asking, ‘When are we gonna see Daddy?’
In past holidays, Casares, his wife and their kids used to make a ‘Christmas crack,’ similar to a cracker jack, with peanuts, sugar, and other ingredients. Then watch movies and open gifts in the morning.
“That’s something I miss the most for sure, those little things,” Casares said. “ I’m just taking it step by step, trying to change everything about myself for my family, my kids.”
For Turner, the hardest thing about her husband being incarcerated is raising the children alone. The event allowed them to have a family holiday, like they used to. She said this will be a memory her kids will remember.
They made crafts, shot Polaroid photos and collected animal-shaped balloons and bags of gifts.
The celebration lasted only a few hours. By the end, the Christmas trees and hats were put away by the inmates, the tables had been cleared, and the gym returned to its usual function.
The dads returned to their cells.
“Radical Islamist terrorist groups are anti-American, and the infiltration of these dangerous individuals into Texas must be stopped,” said Texas A-G regarding terrorist org. CAIR.
Air traffic controllers lost communication for about 10 minutes with a small Mexican Navy plane carrying a young medical patient and seven others before it crashed off the Texas coast, killing at least five people, Mexico’s president said Tuesday.
Authorities initially believed the plane had landed safely at its destination in Galveston, near Houston, before learning it had gone down Monday afternoon, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said. The cause of the crash remains under investigation. A search-and-resuce operation in waters near Galveston pulled two survivors from the plane’s wreckage, Mexico’s Navy said, while one remained missing.
Four of the eight people aboard were Navy officers and four were civilians, including a child, Mexico’s Navy said. Two of the passengers were affiliated with a nonprofit that helps transport Mexican children with severe burns to a hospital in Galveston.
“My condolences to the families of the sailors who unfortunately died in this accident and to the people who were traveling on board,” Sheinbaum said in her morning press briefing, without elaborating on a possible cause. “What happened is very tragic.”
U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Luke Baker said at least five aboard had died but did not identify which passengers.
The plane crashed Monday afternoon in a bay near the base of the causeway connecting Galveston Island to the mainland. Emergency responders rushed to the scene near the popular beach destination about 50 miles (80 kilometers) southeast of Houston.
Sky Decker, a professional yacht captain who lives about a mile (1.6 kilometers) from the crash site, said he jumped in his boat to see if he could help. He picked up two police officers who guided him through thick fog to a nearly submerged plane. Decker jumped into the water and found a badly injured woman trapped beneath chairs and other debris.
“I couldn’t believe. She had maybe 3 inches of air gap to breathe in,” he said. “And there was jet fuel in there mixed with the water, fumes real bad. She was really fighting for her life.”
He said he also pulled out a man seated in front of her who had already died. Both were wearing civilian clothes.
It’s not immediately clear if weather was a factor. The area has been experiencing foggy conditions over the past few days, according to Cameron Batiste, a National Weather Service meteorologist. He said that at about 2:30 p.m. Monday a fog came in that had about a half-mile visibility.
Mexico’s Navy said the plane was helping with a medical mission in coordination with the Michou and Mau Foundation. In a social media post, the foundation said: “We express our deepest solidarity with the families in light of these events. We share their grief with respect and compassion, honoring their memory and reaffirming our commitment to providing humane, sensitive, and dignified care to children with burns.”
Teams from the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board were at the crash site Monday, the Texas Department of Public Safety said, and a spokesperson for the NTSB said the agency was gathering information about the crash. The Galveston County Sheriff’s Office said officials from its dive team, crime scene unit, drone unit and patrol responded the crash.
Seattle, WA6 minutes ago
At age 94, Seattle’s oldest bartender announces ‘last call’
San Diego, CA12 minutes ago
Christmas Day services, community events scheduled across San Diego County
Milwaukee, WI18 minutes ago
Christmas Eve services in Milwaukee keep families connected
Atlanta, GA24 minutes ago
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport receives among lowest rate of TSA complaints ahead of Christmas travel
Minneapolis, MN30 minutes ago
The Jason Show: Dec. 24, 2025
Florida1 year ago
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Connecticut2 years ago
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
Oregon2 years ago
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
Virginia1 year ago
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Education2 years ago
Video: ‘It Didn’t Have to Happen This Way:’ U.Va. Faculty Call for Review of Police Response to Protests
Politics8 hours ago
Nick Fuentes says he’ll campaign against Vivek Ramaswamy in Ohio in slur-laced rant
World9 hours ago
Libyan army chief killed in plane crash: What next?
News9 hours ago
U.S. and Ukraine reach consensus on key issues aimed at ending the war
News19 hours ago
A 3-D Look Inside Trump’s Revamped Oval Office
Politics20 hours ago
Trump admin sues Illinois Gov. Pritzker over laws shielding migrants from courthouse arrests
-
Iowa1 week agoAddy Brown motivated to step up in Audi Crooks’ absence vs. UNI
-
Maine1 week agoElementary-aged student killed in school bus crash in southern Maine
-
Maryland1 week agoFrigid temperatures to start the week in Maryland
-
New Mexico1 week agoFamily clarifies why they believe missing New Mexico man is dead
-
Detroit, MI1 week ago‘Love being a pedo’: Metro Detroit doctor, attorney, therapist accused in web of child porn chats
-
Massachusetts1 week agoMIT professor Nuno F.G. Loureiro, a 47-year-old physicist and fusion scientist, shot and killed in his home in Brookline, Mass. | Fortune
-
Health1 week ago‘Aggressive’ new flu variant sweeps globe as doctors warn of severe symptoms
-
Maine1 week agoFamily in Maine host food pantry for deer | Hand Off