FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
| Date: | October 13, 2022 |
| Contact: | Emily Lowe Public Information Officer 208-287-7700 |
| RE: | State v. Charles Skiles – Sentencing |
BOISE – On Wednesday, 70-year-old Charles A. Skiles was sentenced for illegally voting and illegal registration by a voter in the 2020 Presidential Election.
Mr. Skiles was on felony probation and prohibited from voting or registering to vote pursuant to Idaho law. On Nov 3, 2020, Mr. Skiles entered a polling location in Ada County, he completed a voter registration card and attested that he was an eligible voter. He illegally cast a ballot to vote in the Presidential Election. On four occasions prior to the 2020 election, Mr. Skiles registered to vote but all illegal registrations were discovered and removed by Ada County Election Officials due to his felony status.
In the spring of 2021, the Ada County Elections Office discovered the crime during a review of the election and reported it to the Ada County Sheriff’s Office. The investigation led to Mr. Skiles being charged with felony illegal voting, and misdemeanor illegal registration by a voter.
In August 2022, a jury convicted the defendant on both counts. Honorable Judge Ronald Wilper sentenced Mr. Skiles Wednesday to a three-year prison term but suspended the prison term and placed him on a three year probation. Judge Wilper also ordered the defendant to pay a $1,500 fine and court costs.
“The right to vote in a democratic republic is precious,” said Judge Wilper during the sentencing. He went on to thank the Ada County Elections Director, who testified during the trial, about the intricate care that is taken by the Elections Team to review every vote.
“We do a lot of work behind the scenes to ensure the integrity of voting,” said Ada County Clerk Phil McGrane. “I am grateful for the team of investigators and the partnership we have with Sheriff Clifford and Prosecutor Bennetts to ensure the law is upheld. This is one case of a small handful we have taken action on recently, and though voting crimes are rare, we work hard to both prevent and detect them, and pursue cases in instances where the law has been broken.”
“I want to thank the Ada County Elections Office for their diligence in identifying voter fraud cases. Their work and the work of the Ada County Sheriff’s Office who investigated this case is a testament to the importance of our partnerships,” said Ada County Prosecutor Jan Bennetts.