Lance Mason, who served on the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas, entered a guilty plea in the stabbing death of his wife, Aisha Fraser. “I wish to take responsibility for the crimes I committed. I don’t wish to prolong it or delay it, or hurt my family or Aisha’s family, any more than I have,” Mason said in an allocution doubtlessly crafted by his attorneys to be read for the court whether or not Mason believed it. Mason will agree to a life sentence, but it’s up to the judge whether or not the 51-year-old will be eligible for parole when he’s 71, 76, or 81.
Mason previously served prison time for beating Fraser and that’s when the chumminess of Mason’s colleagues bent over backward to make sure he landed on his feet.
The guilty plea doesn’t really add much to the tragic story, but it’s a good jumping off point to remember that networks exist to look the other way when it comes to abuse, and this pattern of protecting the perpetrators almost always ends in more violence. For Mason, he managed to get installed in cushy political jobs months after being sent to prison for beating Fraser so badly she required reconstructive surgery. As we put it last year when Mason was arrested:
Should the criminal justice system lean away from draconian sentencing? Sure. Would society be better off if ex-convicts aren’t permanently blackballed from earning a living when attempting to reenter society? Of course. But we’re not talking about someone starting over after serving their time. This is a tale of complicity, where apologists pushed a professional colleague through his “difficulty” with sweetheart deals and patronage gigs. Protecting Fraser was never a consideration while they worked to restore Mason.
Mason will be sentenced on September 12.
Earlier: Judge Beat His Wife While The System Bent Over Backward To Protect Him — Now She’s Dead
Joe Patrice is a senior editor at Above the Law and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. Feel free to email any tips, questions, or comments. Follow him on Twitter if you’re interested in law, politics, and a healthy dose of college sports news.