Woman gets jail in voter fraud case
Judge Wiley delivers lecture about democracy
Posted: Tuesday, April 9, 2013 6:00 am
By DEBRA HAIGHT - HP Correspondent | 1 comment
NILES - A Berrien Springs woman who is not a U.S. citizen was given jail time for signing a voter registration form and voting in the 2008 presidential election.
Dilsa Maria Saddler, 46, got a tongue lashing from sentencing Judge Dennis Wiley in Berrien County Trial Court Monday. She also heard the assistant prosecutor on her case speculate that Saddler was the victim of an overzealous voter registration drive by the campaign of then-U.S. Sen. Barack Obama in 2008.
Wiley sentenced Saddler to 10 days in jail and 100 hours of community service.
Wiley gave a lecture during sentencing.
"When people zealously or otherwise go through voter registration efforts to register people to vote who can't vote, (it's) offensive," Wiley said. "That's not the way this country was founded. Every person has one vote, from the president to the most lowly of citizens. I think what struck a chord with me was that we have people out to undermine that."
Wiley said the case is an argument for requiring photo identification for voting.
"When I hear the hue and cry about denying people the right to vote by requiring an ID, I think about how people have to have papers to get on a plane, but it seems like people can sign a piece of paper and show up to vote," he said. "It shows the vulnerability of the system."
Saddler was convicted of conspiracy to commit election fraud for the 2008 election violations. She must pay $750 in fines and court costs.
Defense lawyer Anne Buckleitner described her client as a hard-working, devoted mother of two children who is a licensed nurse and working to become a U.S. citizen. She said Saddler completed a voter registration form in 2008 and wasn't sure about what she had signed until recently.
She voted in 2008 and was never asked to provide any proof of citizenship at the time, Buckleitner said.
Assistant Prosecutor Kelly Travis said she didn't think Saddler was politically motivated to vote.
"She signed the voter registration form without reading it, and she may have to pay dearly" in her quest to become a citizen, Travis said.
Wiley said he could understand how Saddler might sign a registration form, but then she voted on Election Day. He said that voting has placed her efforts to become a citizen in jeopardy.
In an interview last week, Oronoko Township Clerk Suzanne Renton said the illegal vote was uncovered in a check of records after Saddler applied for citizenship last year. |
