Mississippi Issues 15 Year Sentence In Public Corruption Voter Fraud - Still Waiting On Michigan

If this was Michigan, Jocelyn Benson would have just recounted and cross checked the ballots and everything would have been honky dory.

Courtney Rainey sentenced to 15 years in prison

Her attorney plans to appeal.

Courtney Rainey

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - Courtney Rainey has been sentenced to 15 years with three years suspended in prison for witness intimidation in the Canton voter fraud case.

She was also given five years of supervised probation upon release. Her attorney plans to appeal.

Judge Arthur says there is a key difference between Rainey and others who have pleaded guilty in the Canton voter fraud case.

“All the other people charged accepted responsibility," said Judge Authur. "None of those people were charged with witness intimidation. Additionally, this court had Andrew Grant stand in front of it and say, ‘I acted with Courtney Rainey in a manner to attempt to commit voter fraud.’”

During sentencing, Attorney Carlos Tanner stressed Rainey’s work in the community and no serious crimes with the exception of two shoplifting convictions, one expunged from her record.

“The defense talked about they’re only so many seats of power and money in this community, and what the court is struck by is Miss Rainey sits in every one of those seats," said Judge Arthur. "What strikes the court more, the defendant hasn’t just refused to accept responsibility; this defendant has doubled down and sought more power and more influence after these indictments came down.”

Prosecutors with the Madison County District Attorney's office say Rainey went to a witness' home and her job twice attempting to intimidate the witness into changing the statement she had given to investigators.

“For too long in this community people believe that they can take care of criminal matters by going outside the system, or going to talk to people, whether that be violence, threats, influence, persuasion, and that’s gotta come to a stop," Judge Arthur said.

Andrew Grant

Rainey has been Canton’s Director of Human and Cultural Needs and sits on the School Board. She was on the November Ballot running for Madison County Justice Court Judge District 2.

“Witness intimidation is an extremely serious felony; it strikes at the very heart of our system of justice," said District Attorney John K. Brameltt, Jr. "We completely support Judge Arthur’s sentence, and hope this sends a clear message that witness intimidation simply will not be tolerated in Madison or Rankin counties.”

Rainey, Canton’s Director of Human and Cultural Needs and school board member, was found guilty of witness intimidation in July.

[ Guilty verdict for Courtney Rainey in Canton voter fraud case ]

The jury was hung on one count of voter fraud and found Rainey not guilty of conspiracy to commit voter fraud.

[ Jury finds Courtney Rainey not guilty of conspiracy to commit voter fraud in Canton ]

We will continue to update this story as more information becomes available.


2013 Mississippi Code
Title 23 - ELECTIONS
Chapter 15 - MISSISSIPPI ELECTION CODE
Article 19 - ABSENTEE BALLOTS
E GENERAL PROVISIONS
§ 23-15-753 - Penalties for vote fraud

Universal Citation: MS Code § 23-15-753 (2013)
(1) Any person who willfully, unlawfully and feloniously procures, seeks to procure, or seeks to influence the vote of any person voting by absentee ballot, by the payment of money, the promise of payment of money, or by the delivery of any other item of value or promise to give the voter any item of value, or by promising or giving the voter any favor or reward in an effort to influence his vote, or any person who aids, abets, assists, encourages, helps, or causes any person voting an absentee ballot to violate any provision of law pertaining to absentee voting, or any person who sells his vote for money, favor, or reward, has been paid or promised money, a reward, a favor or favors, or any other item of value, or any person who shall willfully swear falsely to any affidavit provided for in Sections 23-15-621 through 23-15-735, shall be guilty of the crime of "vote fraud" and, upon conviction, shall be sentenced to pay a fine of not less than Five Hundred Dollars ($ 500.00) nor more than Five Thousand Dollars ($ 5,000.00), or by imprisonment in the county jail for no more than one (1) year, or by both fine and imprisonment, or by being sentenced to the State Penitentiary for not less than one (1) year nor more than five (5) years.

(2) It shall be unlawful for any person who pays or compensates another person for assisting voters in marking their absentee ballots to base the pay or compensation on the number of absentee voters assisted or the number of absentee ballots cast by persons who have received the assistance. Any person who violates this section, upon conviction shall, be fined not less than One Thousand Dollars ($ 1,000.00) nor more than Five Thousand Dollars ($ 5,000.00), or imprisoned in the Penitentiary not less than one (1) year nor more than five (5) years, or both.

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