{{short description|American criminal and former Democratic politician (born 1967)}} {{Infobox officeholder | image = Lance T. Mason - District 25 - Ohio Senate 127th General Assembly 2007-2008 - DPLA - 0240e85d259b9f7d2144ca139f076398 (page 19) (cropped).jpg | image_size = 150px
| | name = Lance Mason | state_senate = Ohio | state = Ohio | district = 25th | term_start = January 2, 2007 | term_end = September 16, 2008 | preceded = Eric Fingerhut | succeeded = Nina Turner | state_house1 = Ohio | state1 = Ohio | district1 = 8th | term_start1 = January 6, 2003 | term_end1 = December 31, 2006 | preceded1 = Shirley Smith | succeeded1 = Armond Budish | state_house2 = Ohio | state2 = Ohio | district2 = 11th | term_start2 = February 20, 2002 | term_end2 = January 6, 2003 | preceded2 = Peter Lawson Jones | succeeded2 = Annie L. Key | birth_name = Lance Timothy Mason | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1967|08|26}} | birth_place = Shaker Heights, Ohio, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | spouse = {{marriage|Aisha Fraser|2005|November 12, 2015|reason=divorced}} | alma_mater = College of Wooster (BA)<br>University of Michigan (JD) | party = Democratic }}
'''Lance Timothy Mason''' (born August 26, 1967) is a convicted murderer and former American politician, government official, and judge, who served in various offices in and representing Cleveland, Ohio.
As a judge, he served on the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas. He was a member of the Ohio Senate, representing the 25th District from 2007 to 2008. From 2002 to 2006, he was a member of the Ohio House of Representatives, where he served as Assistant Minority Whip during his final year. He was also an assistant prosecuting attorney for the county and was an aide to U.S. Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones. In 2017, he worked as an official for the city of Cleveland under mayor Frank G. Jackson.
In 2019, he was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 35 years for the murder of his ex-wife.
==Early life== Mason was born on August 26, 1967, and graduated from Shaker Heights High School. He received a Bachelor of Arts from the College of Wooster and Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan Law School in 1992.<ref>{{cite web|first=Robin|last=Goist|title=Former Judge Lance Mason's rise and fall|work=www.cleveland.com|url=https://www.cleveland.com/crime/2018/11/former-judge-lance-masons-rise-and-fall.html|date=November 19, 2018|accessdate=November 20, 2018}}</ref>
==Political career== From 2002 to 2008, Mason was a member of the Ohio General Assembly, first as a state representative, and then state senator. In August 2008, Ohio governor Ted Strickland announced that he appointed Mason to be a Judge on the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas after a vacancy arose.<ref>{{cite news |first=Reginald |last=Fields |title=Sen. Lance Mason to become Cuyahoga County Common Pleas judge |url=http://blog.cleveland.com/openers/2008/08/sen_lance_mason_to_become_cuya.html |work=The Plain Dealer |location=Cleveland, Ohio |date=2008-08-12 |accessdate=2009-03-29}}</ref>
In 2017, Mason was hired by the City of Cleveland as an official in the Frank G. Jackson administration, with the title of Minority Business Development Administrator.<ref>[http://www.cleveland19.com/2018/11/17/lance-mason-fired-city-cleveland-after-reportedly-killing-ex-wife-shaker-heights/ Lance Mason fired from city of Cleveland after reportedly killing ex-wife - Cleveland 19.com (WOIO/WUAB)]</ref>
==Murder and legal issues== On August 2, 2014, Mason was arrested and charged for beating his wife while he was driving and their children were in the backseat.<ref name="PD3">{{cite news|last1=Shaffer|first1=Cory|title=Cleveland judge accused of beating wife had 2,500 rounds of ammunition, semi-automatic rifles, sword and smoke grenades in home|url=http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2014/08/cleveland_judge_accused_of_bea.html#incart_m-rpt-1|accessdate=February 7, 2016|agency=Cleveland.com|newspaper=The Plain Dealer|date=August 3, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Tobias|first1=Andrew J.|title=What you need to know: Judge Lance Mason's arrest on felony domestic violence charge|url=http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2014/08/what_you_need_to_know_judge_la.html|accessdate=February 7, 2016|agency=Cleveland.com|newspaper=The Plain Dealer|date=August 4, 2014}}</ref> Later that day, police seized ammunition and weapons from Mason's home, including shotguns, semiautomatic rifles, handguns, smoke grenades, a bulletproof vest, a sword, and over 2,500 rounds of ammunition.<ref name="PD3"/> The couple, who were married in 2005, had separated the previous March.<ref>{{cite web|first=Rachel|last=Dissell|title=Cuyahoga County Judge Lance Mason indicted on multiple felony charges|work=www.cleveland.com|url=https://www.cleveland.com/court-justice/index.ssf/2014/08/cuyahoga_county_judge_lance_ma.html|date=August 26, 2014|accessdate=November 20, 2018}}</ref> Their divorce was finalized on November 12, 2015.<ref>{{cite web|first1=Joe|last1=Donatelli|first2=Samah|last2=Assad|title=What we know about the death of Aisha Fraser and the arrest of ex-judge Lance Mason|work=WEWS-TV|url=https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/local-news/cleveland-metro/everything-we-know-so-far-about-death-of-aish-fraser-and-arrest-of-ex-judge-lance-mason|date=November 19, 2018|accessdate=November 20, 2018}}</ref> Mason pleaded guilty on August 13, 2015, to attempted felonious assault and domestic violence, and agreed to serve time in prison. On September 3, the Ohio Supreme Court suspended Mason from practicing law for being a convicted felon. Mason submitted his resignation as judge on September 15. The next day, he was sentenced to two years in prison; he was released after 9 months.<ref name="CLE2"/> During sentencing, the judge read from a police report which detailed how Mason punched his wife 20 times with his fist, smashed her head against the car's center console five times, and continued to beat her, bite her, and threaten her after she exited the car. As a convicted felon, Mason will never be allowed to serve as a judge in the future, but could practice law depending on the outcome of disciplinary action by the state Supreme Court.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Lieszkovszky|first1=Ida|title=Former Common Pleas Judge Lance Mason sentenced to 24 months for beating his wife|url=http://www.cleveland.com/court-justice/index.ssf/2015/09/former_common_pleas_judge_lanc.html|accessdate=February 7, 2016|agency=Cleveland.com|newspaper=The Plain Dealer|date=September 16, 2016}}</ref>
===Murder charge=== On November 17, 2018, Mason stabbed his ex-wife to death at a house owned by his sister, in front of their two children.<ref name="PD2">{{cite news |last1=Ferrise |first1=Adam |title=Disgraced former Judge Lance Mason accused of fatally stabbing estranged wife in Shaker Heights, sources say |url=https://www.cleveland.com/metro/2018/11/disgraced-former-judge-lance-mason-accused-of-fatally-stabbing-estranged-wife-in-shaker-heights-sources-say.html |accessdate=20 November 2018 |publisher=Plain Dealer |date=17 November 2018}}</ref><ref name="PD19">{{cite news |last1=Shaffer |first1=Corey |title=Disgraced former judge Lance Mason has chance at parole after admitting to ex-wife's murder |url=https://www.cleveland.com/court-justice/2019/09/disgraced-former-judge-lance-mason-has-chance-at-parole-after-admitting-to-ex-wifes-murder.html |accessdate=13 September 2019 |publisher=Plain Dealer |date=12 September 2019}}</ref> Mason took his ex-wife's SUV and fled the scene, striking a police cruiser and injuring the police officer inside before he was arrested.<ref name="CLE2">{{cite news |last1=Goist |first1=Robin |title=Former Judge Lance Mason's rise and fall |url=https://www.cleveland.com/crime/2018/11/former-judge-lance-masons-rise-and-fall.html |accessdate=18 November 2018 |publisher=Plain Dealer |date=18 November 2018}}</ref><ref name="PD19"/> On August 20, 2019, he pleaded guilty and on September 12, 2019, he was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 35 years.<ref name="PD19"/> As of April 13, 2026, he is imprisoned at Toledo Correctional Institution in Toledo, Ohio.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Offender Details |url=https://appgateway.drc.ohio.gov/OffenderSearch/Search/Details/A764246 |access-date=2026-04-13 |website=appgateway.drc.ohio.gov}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{Cite web|url=https://cp.cuyahogacounty.us/internet/ID-144-JudgeName-LanceT.Mason-JudgeDetails.aspx|title=Judge Lance T. Mason|website=Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140804111235/https://cp.cuyahogacounty.us/internet/ID-144-JudgeName-LanceT.Mason-JudgeDetails.aspx|archive-date=2014-08-04|url-status=dead|access-date=2018-11-20}} *[http://votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=45676 Project Vote Smart - Senator Lance T. Mason (OH)] profile *''Follow the Money'' - Lance T. Mason **[http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?si=200635&c=422817 2006] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?si=200435&c=399689 2004] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?si=200235&c=38206 2002] campaign contributions {{OhioSen25thDst}} {{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mason, Lance}} Category:African-American judges Category:African-American state legislators in Ohio Category:College of Wooster alumni Category:1967 births Category:Living people Category:Democratic Party members of the Ohio House of Representatives Category:21st-century members of the Ohio General Assembly Category:Ohio lawyers Category:Democratic Party Ohio state senators Category:Ohio state court judges Category:Politicians from Shaker Heights, Ohio Category:University of Michigan Law School alumni Category:Ohio politicians convicted of crimes Category:20th-century American lawyers Category:Judges convicted of crimes Category:American politicians convicted of murder Category:21st-century American murderers Category:American people convicted of assault Category:American prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment Category:21st-century American judges Category:21st-century African-American politicians Category:People convicted of murder by Ohio Category:Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by Ohio Category:20th-century African-American lawyers Category:United States congressional aides Category:Uxoricides in the United States Category:Violence against African-American women in Ohio