Courtney Rainey struck out in her attempt to win her freedom after the Mississippi Supreme Court affirmed her conviction for voter intimidation.
A Madison County grand jury indicted her of witness intimidation and voter fraud. The indictment stated Ms. Rainey tried to intimidate a witness into changing a statement the witness gave to investigators during the Canton Voter Fraud investigation. A jury convicted her of the crime later that year but Judge Arthur declared a mistrial on the count of voter fraud. Circuit Judge Dewey Arthur sentenced her to serve 15 years in prison but suspended 3 years of the sentence. However, she will likely only serve no more than 50% of the sentence.
The Mississippi Court of Appeals overturned her sentence. The Court held there was insufficient evidence to support a conviction for witness intimidation.
The opinion stated Rainey gave $10 to Emma Ouseley to go buy beer after Rainey registered Ousely and another Canton resident to vote. She later gave another $10 to Ouseley after driving her to vote absentee. Investigators questioned the voter. The voter signed a statement of her allegations. The Court of Appeals said there was no proof of threats, harassment, or intimidation. However, the Supreme Court said such behavior was not required for a conviction. Rainey only had to tell Ouseley to change her statement for liability to occur. The Supreme Court held:
¶31. Before the start of the investigation, Rainey visited Ousley on two other occasions related to voter registration and voting. Yet, after the investigation, Rainey confronted Ousley at her home and tried to speak with her at work on at least two occasions. Ousley even said that it was unusual for Rainey to visit her home or her place of business, both of which she had not done until recently. Given Ousley and Rainey’s prior history, their limited contact, and recent encounters, there was sufficient evidence for a reasonable jury to find that Rainey encouraged or asked Ousley to provide false information to hinder or interfere with an ongoing criminal investigation.Rainey currently resides at teh Central Mississippi Correctional Facility.
11 comments:
She will do more time than convicted murderers do in Hines County.
I can tell you as a lawyer that Nothing sucks more than to think you've won because of the COA reversal only to soon have it taken away by the MSSCT. She was surely dancin' in her cell when she learned of the COA reversal. I figure that had the SCt affirmed the COA today, she would be getting out of jail immediately. That's gotta suck for her.
There is hope for justice! If not in Hinds, perhaps in Madison County.
Yet all the elected officials in Canton who participated walked. No jail time. Same with the CMU Board of Directors.
630, she wasn't convicted by the Madison County jury of voter fraud; she was convicted of witness intimidation. She was the only one charged with that crime, and if I'm not mistaken, there was one elected official who participated and did not walk.
"I figure that had the SCt affirmed the COA today, she would be getting out of jail immediately. That's gotta suck for her."
Hello? She was not IN jail. She was released by the COA earlier. And as far as your concluding comment...Her being ultimately held responsible for her actions might 'suck' for her...but it's one helluva good signal to those of us who are normal and responsible.
What sucks is the other handful who walked on related charges. And folks like the mayor who's not yet been charged. I can't remember if Ike Collins' relative who worked for the school system or ex Police Chief Vicky McNeil walked or wound up in orange.
Canton, as we all know, is a cesspool of corruption at the municipal and county level. Matter of time. Matter of time.
Are you telling me it took 13 judges and lawyers to adjudicate this B.S. case?
Iceberg- Hello? It's me you were looking for !! CMCF says she is in their facility. The rest of everything else you spouted is probably invalid as well.
How can it be that we have voter suppression and certain people are not allowed to vote. I guess on a election day we should start passing out free 40oz to stop the oppression.
Just love the drama, don't you?
I wasn't looking for you, 10:37. I believe Kingfish has altered his original column where it was said that the Court of Appeals overturned and released her.
And if you doubt the truth about Canton corruption, we can all figure that out. Sorry, Brother...but the brotherhood is going down - One two-tone wing-tip at a time.
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