Sunday, December 20, 2009

Agents of prevarication kiss and make up

Deputy Sheriff sends emails falsely claiming police chief is being sued for sexual harassment; public told to forget about it.

Jacksonville, TX/ Rusk, TX:

For argument’s sake, let’s say a high-ranking deputy with the city of Jacksonville police department sends a slew of anonymous emails to East Texas news agencies asking why they aren’t reporting that Cherokee County Sheriff James Campbell is resigning under the pressure of multiple sexual harassment suits. Cherokee County taxpayers should ask themselves if they would witness a ‘kiss and make up’ scenario between those agencies, as the one we’ve just seen painted last week. (Source: Tyler Paper December 19, 2009) Or for the sake of debate, let’s say a lay citizen bombards news outlets with emails falsely claiming Sheriff Campbell is facing lawsuit after lawsuit for sexual harassment in the workplace. In the case of a private citizen making those types of false claims against Sheriff Campbell or Jacksonville police chief Reece Daniel, then the district attorney himself would crawl out from behind his facade of trustworthiness and beat the drums of prosecution. They all would be crowing from the Rusk courthouse steps about how they would hold that individual and his network of allies criminally accountable. With the local media chiming in to fan the flames of criminal/civil action and to pervert the jury pool.

However, the shoe is on the other foot: The outside world got a tiny glimpse last week into the slanderous and lowlife blackmail methods Cherokee County officials employ against each other and their political counterparts. Agencies that routinely share illegally obtained information and work hand-in-hand violating our constitutional rights make for bad bedfellows when one decides to complain to the Texas Attorney General’s office about the other. Or butt heads and embarrass the district attorney, as Chief Reece Daniel did in May of this year when he petitioned against Elmer Beckworth's handling of the Robert Fox charges. (Source: Jacksonville Daily Progress May 3, 2009)

Sheriff James Campbell’s chief detective Chris White, captain for the Cherokee County sheriff’s department, recently sent anonymous emails to various East Texas news agencies claiming Jacksonville police chief Reece Daniel was resigning under the pressure of five (nonexistent) sexual harassment suits. Chief Daniel responded to the libelous accusations with a statement to the local press that the Jacksonville police department would no longer work alongside the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Department until White was reprimanded or fired. Chief Daniel chooses his words carefully in his response to the Sheriff Department’s emailed accusations:

“Chris White told me he had sent the email in retaliation for me refusing to accept a case that originated in Cherokee County that he wanted my detectives to investigate. This is an extremely paltry reason for a law enforcement officer to get angry over and, in my opinion, violate the law. If he will do this to me knowing all the resources I have at my command then I worry about what he might do to an innocent civilian who makes his angry.”
(Source: KLTV December 14, 2009)

Statements like those can never be retracted, even though Chief Daniel has been counseled to sing Sheriff Campbell’s praises, and ignore the Penal Code statutes he himself cites within his complaint to TCLEOSE and in his response to Chris White’s accusations. Cherokee County taxpayers have the right to know why Sheriff Campbell refuses yet again to hold his deputy’s feet to the fire. Detective White’s actions cannot be undone and his anonymous emails (claiming sexual harassment) leave the recipients in those media outlets scratching their heads. How can Cherokee County’s sheriff continue to employ a deputy who retaliates against a fellow officer? What other dirt and mudslinging does the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Department sanction? We know this latest published episode only scratches the surface. The broader intent of the emails was not only designed to smear Reece Daniel, but to frame someone else for sending the emails actually authored and distributed by a Cherokee County Sheriff’s deputy.

Campbell continues his decades-old pattern of unaccountability, even when his highest ranking deputy is caught red-handed emailing libelous content about a local police chief to news agencies. Campbell hides behind his department’s taxpayer supplied attorney rather than acknowledging his own deputy’s guilt. Sheriff Campbell’s statements deny knowledge of the emails’ “content,” but he surely knows his deputy White’s actions are rogue to say the least. (Source: KLTV December 14, 2009)

Instead of hiding behind his lawyers and saying that he knew nothing of the emails’ content, Sheriff Campbell could have taken the honorable route the day Chief Daniel responded to his accusers. Campbell could have made a simple statement that he would not tolerate this level of crap out of any of his employees. Despite the thousands of wasted taxpayers’ dollars and hours he and the Cherokee County newspapers have spent crooning about the county's highest paid Deputy Sheriff. Campbell chose to play word games that he was "unaware" of anything while he remained hidden from comment.

City and County lawyers warn Chief Daniel ‘not to go there’ by pointing out repeatedly that one female employed with the Jacksonville Police Department made one accusation of sexual harassment against the chief in the past. Which resulted in her prompt promotion out of the field and into a higher paying position within Cherokee County law enforcement (thanks to a deal brokered by the current city of Jacksonville attorney). Sources: Jacksonville Daily Progress and Cherokeean Herald December 16, 2009

And they top off yet another of Cherokee County’s notorious lies that the emails are a result of a “personal conflict” between Detective White and Chief Daniel. Then why the use of both a county attorney and the city of Jacksonville attorney for a private pissing match? Sheriff Campbell cannot make a statement to his constituents without an attorney looking over his shoulders and writing his unapologetic smokescreens. These are the questions the local media should be asking before closing the book on this latest installment of sexual blackmail, Cherokee County style. The pattern of unethical behavior is not over; it will continue as long as these people hold office.

There is enough criminal activity and dirt to spread around, so if these guys want to keep their jobs, it is apparent that in their minds, they had better stick together. They will have to continue to feign solidarity during intrajurisdictional disputes and target the innocent people Chief Daniel refers to in his statement. Hopefully, they believe, this sordid little story during the Christmas holidays will disappear from the evening news.

Chief Detective Chris White’s libelous emails about Reece Daniel are not only unethical, they shed light into the modus operandi that has been going on for decades in Cherokee County. Too many of these current public officials are bought and owned by these sexual harassment/ blackmail techniques. A thorough Spring house cleaning is long overdue. Get rid of these corrupt parasites at election or continue to have your taxpayer dollars lining their attorneys’ pockets. Or you can continue to support the vermin while they pay each other off with your hard earned tax dollars. You have just witnessed a microcosm of their unethical universe: a salaried deputy sheriff sending anonymous and inflammatory emails on a County computer in order to deflect media attention onto the police chief of Jacksonville. With the intention of blaming someone else for it until his IP address was traced.

Merry Christmas Cherokee County and have a blessed New Year. The March primaries are right around the corner; vote the prevaricators and provocateurs out. It is time to bring some semblance of honor into your public offices. Next month we will discuss the case of 35-year veteran Cherokee County employee and true friend of the courthouse Carl Phillips, the director of the Cherokee County Supervision and Corrections Department. Phillips was recently indicted for theft of services and allegedly tampering with government records while head of Adult Probation. (Source: Tyler Paper December 17, 2009)

Monday, October 19, 2009

Planting mens rea and having it both ways

Rusk Texas:
Cherokee County, TX is predictable because it is corrupt. Its court system is equally tainted and predictable, with its members lying through their collective teeth when the county's liability insurance is in jeopardy of being depleted by civil rights suits. The complete opposite of what is reality can be read in the local news each week for those willing to follow the morass of lies. In the eyes of many within the circle of corruption, it is a crime to sue law enforcement for a bungled raid, but it is perfectly OK for cousins and business partners of those being sued to be planted on the petit jury. Apparently it is the job of the local district attorney, with the help of judges and city councilmen, to make innocent people into criminals. There is no such thing as a "fair trial" when the real criminals are conducting the jury vetting.

A change of venue has officially been denied in the Robert Fox “tampering with the government” trial, even after months of propaganda in the local Cherokee County media. Fox filed multiple defamation suits against his accusers.

The 2nd Judicial District Court ruled that absolutely no publicity ever surrounded the Robert Fox case, despite months of news articles citing the “Taliban link” to the House of Israel and widely publicized press conferences conducted by the Jacksonville Texas police department. All of which touted the terrorist contraband of Robert Fox and his gang of “anti-government” Separationists. Now they want everyone to believe that no one in Cherokee County had even heard of Robert Fox. This coincided with the local media voluntarily burying actual accounts after Fox turned himself in.

As stated in this blog nearly a year ago, oral arguments in favor of moving the Fox proceedings away from the relatives of those Fox has sued (and the remainder of District Attorney Elmer Beckworth’s planted jurors and jurists) would be ruled as inconsequential to the outcome of the trial.

“The court heard testimony from various witnesses, including Jacksonville Councilman Kenneth Melvin, Cherokee County Judge Bascom W. Bentley III, [and] Cherokee County Sheriff James Campbell.” (Source: Tyler Paper Oct. 10, 2009)

All of whom swore under oath that Robert Fox and associates could and would get a “fair trial” in Cherokee County. Are Cherokee County taxpayers truly convinced that a fair trial is feasible, or even a remote possibility? The District Attorney's witnesses also testified that only residents of the city of Jacksonville, TX had heard about the case, again despite months of coverage in every newspaper and televised news agency in East Texas. Only a county this corrupt would allow its elected officials to speak on the record directly to the jury pool, to tell them to feign ignorance of the news reports during voir dire. Then print the same rubbish in the newspapers that ran every single fabricated accusation against Fox and his associates for the last two years.

In the Tyler Paper, Cherokee County’s district attorney planted his version of the Defendant Robert Fox’s criminal intent of “demanding money” from city of Jacksonville employees earlier this year. (Source: Tyler Paper Oct. 10, 2009) That is, Robert Fox, et al threatened to and did monetarily sue in Federal civil court specific members of the Jacksonville, Texas police department for the illegal raid on the House of Israel. An open-ended raid which resulted in all previous charges against Fox being dismissed. Other leaks by Beckworth's office refer to alleged documents that indicate Fox was paid for some of his “legal advice,” i.e. barratry. The barratry charges were also dismissed.

This is how the Cherokee County court system operates, though. They bask in each other’s brilliance of having it both ways, their initial bogus charges not cutting the legal mustard, yet continuing to lie under oath that these news articles never made it to the eyes of Robert Fox’s potential jurors:
  • JPD arrests federal fugitive-Tuesday, April 08, 2008

  • JPD nabs fed fugitive claiming affiliation with Republic of Texas- Wednesday, April 09, 2008

  • State fugitive nabbed, large cache of illegal drugs found inside House of Israel building- Sunday, May 18, 2008

  • House of Israel leader says he didn’t know drugs were there-Tuesday, May 20, 2008

  • House of Israel's Robert Fox arrested-Thursday, May 22, 2008

  • Police say financial documents may show more evidence of illegality by House of Israel’s Fox- Saturday, May 24, 2008

  • BREAKING NEWS: Third search warrant in a month puts Fox back in jail -Thursday, June 12, 2008

  • JPD files felony warrant against House of Israel’s Fox- Saturday, July 26, 2008

  • Jacksonville residents react to charges against Robert Fox - Monday, July 28, 2008; reported by KLTV repeatedly on the nightly news.



  • If one lie doesn't stick, make another up and ignore existing Penal Codes.

    Another fine example of the "having it both ways" scenario is the previous prosecution of Robert Fox’s associate Barry Brooks on practicing dentistry without a license. Barry Brooks, the founder of the House of Israel and who performed charitable orthodontic services in Jacksonville, TX, was convicted in 2007 of practicing without a license. The impetus of the raid on the House of Israel during Robert Fox’s occupancy last year was ostensibly to recover the expired painkillers left in the abandoned dental office next door. (Source: Jacksonville Daily Progress May 20, 2009)

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    former House of Israel, downtown Jacksonville, TX



    Barry Brooks is currently serving seven years in TDCJ. (Source: Cherokeean Herald May 6, 2009) However, Section 3 of the Texas Occupations Code was amended in 2005 to allow for charitable work for retired dentists.
    SECTION 3 Amends Section 256.102, Occupations Code, by amending Subsection (c) and
    adding Subsection (f), as follows:
    (c) Creates an exception as provided by Subsection (f).
    (f) Authorizes a dentist on retired status to perform an activity regulated under this
    subtitle if the dentist's practice consists only of voluntary charity care, as defined by
    board rule. Requires the board's rules under this subsection to prescribe the scope of
    practice permitted for the retired dentist, the retired dentist's authority to prescribe and
    administer drugs, and any continuing education requirements applicable to the dentist. S.B. 610 (Dental Practice Act), Title 3, Chapter 256, Subchapter C, Section 256.102 – Retired Status

    Friday, September 18, 2009

    Former New Summerfield, TX Police Chief arrested for child porn

    Dallas County:

    According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Cherokee County’s favorite unlicensed gypsy cop Michael Meissner was arrested by Dallas County authorities Monday September 14, 2009 on seven felony counts of child pornography, promoting underage prostitution, organized crime and allegedly soliciting nude pictures of teenage boys via explicit text messages on MySpace. He is currently in Dallas County jail under a $1.5 million bail. (Source: Star-Telegram September 15, 2009)

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    Michael Chase Meissner in custody



    Michael Meissner was hired by the city of New Summerfield, TX in early March 2007 as Chief of Police, even though his Peace Officer’s certification was cancelled a year earlier on top of his documented history of moonlighting despite TCLEOSE reprimands in over 16 different jurisdictions. The city of New Summerfield also failed to properly vet the gypsy cop prior to his employment. Or did they?

    Meissner's tenure in Cherokee County law enforcement was short lived, but nonetheless defended by those who hired him. The Cherokee County media continues to refer as Meissner as "a licensed Texas Peace Officer," even though TCLEOSE reprimanded him on his bogus peace officer's certification weeks before Cherokee County rolled out the welcome mat for him. (Source: Athens Daily Review January 27, 2007)

    The fact is Michael Meissner would still be operating under the radar in tiny New Summerfield, TX and his actions completely buried by the local Cherokee County media, had it not been for the diligence of those out of the region who actually investigated, exposed and eventually arrested him. Michael Meissner was hired by Cherokee County because of his past and his proclivities. He would have been promoted to Constable in a matter of months after his hire.

    More on this story as it develops.

    Thursday, August 20, 2009

    District Attorney makes reporting crimes a crime

    On May 23, 2009 Austin-based AM radio talk show host Randall Kelton (of The Rule of Law) presented the Cherokee County, Texas grand jury a list of criminal complaints against Cherokee County officials, including the county judge and county attorney. The grand jury was informed by the district attorney’s office to ignore the 55 sealed complaints. Randall Kelton acting as a journalist was subsequently charged with “operating a private investigations company without a license,” a charge levied by outgoing district attorney investigator Joe Evans. Kelton's exposition of corrupt Cherokee County politics was not just written off as a publicity stunt, it has been completely buried. Misdemeanor charges against Randall Kelton are still pending as Cherokee County contemplates how to violate the US Constitution one more time before the Primaries.

    According to published court documents, Randall Kelton began his research into Cherokee County when the incarceration of Robert Fox and bogus charges of “tampering with government records” came to light on his show. Fox had been in and out of Cherokee County jail after an initial raid on his nondenominational ministry, the House of Israel located in downtown Jacksonville, Texas. Fox and others rounded up in the Nazi-esque purging filed civil and federal complaints against their accusers, all of which fell on deaf ears in the neighboring Tyler Court of Appeals and US Eastern District Court.

    After years of settling federal lawsuits against Jacksonville, TX police officers, the newly appointed Chief of Police and overzealous investigators decided to finally clean up the City’s image by painting a dichotomy: Cherokee County citizens were to forget about the rapist cop they had once decorated, Larry Pugh who was now sitting in federal prison (for trying to drag one of his victims off by the hair of her head for going to the FBI after being raped in a cemetery at gunpoint by him in uniform- Source: US District Court Cause No. 6:06-CV-357). Citizens were to instead focus on the House of Israel and its members’ “sovereign citizen” rhetoric instead.

    Robert Fox was found not guilty of possessing illegal drugs on Wednesday July 29, 2009, the impetus for the invalid raid conducted on the House of Israel over a year and half earlier. (Source: Jacksonville Daily Progress July 31, 2009)

    Cherokee County officials and newspapers continued the propaganda piece of the validity of the illegal search and seizure, in reference to the possession of expired dental and pharmacological substances, i.e. antibiotics and painkillers. They also claim House of Israel members were Timothy McVeigh and Taliban sympathizers based upon the unlawful seizure of items not specifically spelled out in the open-ended Search Warrant.

    It matters not to the local editors of Cherokee County owned and operated propaganda pieces that Robert Fox and associates have either had all initial criminal charges against them dropped, dismissed or have been acquitted. The local media is in business to continue the Cherokee County District Attorney office’s lie that filing a complaint against Cherokee County officials is a crime. Robert Fox's latest charge of "tampering with a government record" is still on the backburner.

    Filing a complaint against Cherokee County officials after an illegal raid is also a Felony in the eyes of Cherokee County's district attorney. Brain dead followers in the Daily Progress and Cherokeean Herald repeat this lie in print even though their own taxpayer dollars are being squandered to justify an ill-conceived, albeit typical illegal and open-ended Search Warrant composed no doubt by the district attorney himself.

    Robert Fox is out of jail and stands acquitted of possessing narcotics so Cherokee County officials challenge his religion and patriotism to distract from the illegal seizure of items not specifically spelled out in the Search Warrant. Fox's personal effects including his anti-establishment writings were seized and openly displayed for the willing press, even though it had nothing constitutionally to do with the seizure of the alleged illegal drugs. Cherokee County, Texas law enforcement is taught that as long as a willing city judge will sign off on a Warrant, then they are given carte blanche to illegally seize anything beyond the scope of the Arrest Affidavit. As in the Randy Kelton case, probable cause does not even need to be established. The Jacksonville Police Department was aware that Robert Fox's former associate and founder of the House of Israel Barry Brooks (convicted of practicing dentistry without a license) had left behind expired dental drugs and supply within the building. They were after Fox's legal writings to parade around to bolster another charge of barratry that was also eventually dropped.

    The Jacksonville Chief of Police and his investigators made public these items though they are protected free speech under the US Constitution. The public is supposed to believe that the Robert Fox group is dangerous, while simultaneously believe the District Attorney's office had nothing to do with the blatant persecution. Press conferences were held to laud the work of the Jacksonville Police Department for the "narcotics" raid and subsequent "Taliban Link" discovered within the House of Israel. Now there is barely a murmur in the East Texas newspapers that Robert Fox and associates have been acquitted.

    Photobucket

    Cherokee County, Texas is operated by liars and sycophants in the newspapers whose livelihoods depend on placating their advertisers. The Jacksonville Daily Progress has finally succumbed to internal pressure and shut down its own Hey Martha forum after its editor faced his third DWI in Cherokee County. (Source: Jacksonville Daily Progress July 9, 2009 and Jacksonville Daily Progress Sept. 1, 2009) Free speech and actually debating official misconduct simply will not be tolerated.

    If the local high school coach is accused of having sex with a student, then they bury the story. (Source: KLTV August 11, 2009) Justice authorities do their darndest to completely cover up the sordid details involving their own relatives. If any citizen disagrees with such unconstitutional acts perpetrated by these so-called 'justice authorities,' or exposes the crimes of these rogue officials, then those same officers of the court fabricate legal statutes out of thin air. And use their taxpayer subsidized salaries to go after their political enemies. Hence out of town radio personality Randall Kelton was given fair warning not to meddle with the District Attorney's handpicked jurors.

    Talk show host Randall Kelton has filed several motions in Cherokee County district and county court, including Statements of Witness Tampering, Probable Cause and Habeas Corpus that argue the bogus criminal affidavits filed against him and Robert Fox. As he states in his defense briefs, the State of Texas does not require a license to "investigate," anymore than it requires a license to sit on a Grand Jury or sit behind a microphone.

    And in Texas it is a felony NOT to report a felony. So who is violating the law? Kicking down people's doors just because they aren't welcome in town? Filing bogus and baseless charges against people because they don't like what they say about them on the phone and on the air? Working as a Cherokee County Constable by day and selling crystal meth by night? Kidnapping women off the streets of Jacksonville in a patrol car and raping them while on duty?

    Not one single Cherokee County newspaper reported that Randall Kelton had gone to the Cherokee County grand jury and presented criminal complaints against Cherokee County officials. Not one single Cherokee County newspaper reported that their District Attorney's office filed criminal charges against Mr. Kelton for doing so. This is yet another recent example of how the ongoing generational Cult of Confession continues to infect Cherokee County, Texas politics. If the newspaper will not report it, and those who do get charged with a crime, then who will notify the public of the ongoing criminal activity? They collectively hope and make sure no one will.

    Wednesday, July 29, 2009

    Plea bargains equal paybacks; Conflicts of Law and Order

    A case for and against jury sentencing.

    Rusk, TX:
    The ongoing saga of the missing $147,000 from the Rusk Texas water department finally has closure. Prior to her July 2009 trial, Rusk water department clerk Doris Robinson had been quietly preparing to pay back the first round of $50,000 increments she had stolen during her tenure as a Cherokee County public servant. Robinson pleaded guilty in open court and a sentencing jury was swayed to give her 10 years probation. She was fined $5,000 and ordered by presiding Judge Bascom Bentley III to pay back over a four year period, the remaining taxpayer monies that she embezzled over a two year period. (Source: Jacksonville Daily Progress July 9, 2009)

    District [369th] Judge Bascom Bentley added his own stipulation that Robinson make her restitution within four years, with payments of at least $10,000 due, Dec. 31 of each year. (Source: Jacksonville Daily Progress July 9, 2009)

    Mrs. Robinson pleaded to embezzling over $145,000 from the taxpayers. Of course that would be $10,000 a year for four years for a total of $40,000; plus the $57,000 she paid at sentencing. That would leave an unnoticed remainder of $50,000 to go unaccounted...

    Photobucket
    courtesy Daily Progress

    Not to go unnoticed in the news, the 369th District Court convened this mock trial on Wednesday July 8, 2009 and local newspapers followed suit. Mrs. Robinson agreed to have this local jury “decide” her punishment, which theoretically could have ranged from nothing to 10 years in state prison. The maleable jury was seated to assess only the punishment phase of the case. Robinson had previously waived her rights to a jury trial and she accepted District Attorney Elmer Beckworth’s plea bargain. Before deciding Mrs. Robinson's punishment, the Cherokee County jury heard opening statements, along with testimonies from witnesses. (Source: Tyler Paper July 9, 2009)

    Strategically designated Cherokee County 'dignitaries' bombarded jurors with accolades about the Robinson family, while the specific methodology implemented to achieve the embezzlement was swept under the carpet. This was the punishment phase of the “trial;” guilt was already established though Mrs. Robinson was never forced to admit her guilt to the jurors. Local newspapers followed suit, leaving reasonable doubt that a clerical error could have resulted in the missing $150,000. It was in the hands of the 12 jurors to decide whether or not prison was appropriate for a 62-year old “Christian” woman without a CPA license (Source: Jacksonville Daily Progress July 9, 2009)

    The State did not vigorously present mitigating factors for a harsher sentence, hence the premeditated deliberation of 10 years community supervision. The process itself is a contradiction (plea bargain acceptance, then jury sentencing of the same punishment), and is a not so clever way for district attorneys and judges to appear to be removed from the case. In a tiny town of only 5,000 people, that concept is entirely ridiculous. Mrs. Robinson’s fate was determined in the judge’s chamber months before the jury was vetted.

    The fact is the presiding judge had already accepted the punishment of the defendant, because the district court is mandated by law to show record of the defendant voluntarily waiving his or her rights to a trial and PLEADING GUILTY.

    From the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, when a trial by jury has been waived, the district judge determines the sentence. To stave off embarrassment of a long and costly trial, the Doris Robinson case followed the prosecution’s recommendation of probation. District Judges can either accept or reject said plea bargains. The precedent of jury sentencing is always under fire due to the nature of the limited evidence heard at sentencing, versus extensive and specific evidence allowed at trial. So don’t be snookered into believing it was the compassionate jury composed of five white women, a black woman and six white men sentencing Mrs. Robinson after 1 hour and 45 minutes of 'deliberation' who meted out probation as her sentence. (Source: Cherokeean Herald July 8, 2009)

    The fix was in from day one because she was a city employee and faced Elmer Beckworth and a Cherokee County jury instead of a legitimate federal jury. Cherokee County Texas prosecutors, law enforcement and Beckworth's handpicked jurors are more interested in putting Civil Rights complainants in prison than public servants caught stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars in city revenue.

    According to the July 8, 2009 Cherokeean Herald, Doris Robinson was sentenced that same day to 10 years in prison, with that sentence probated for 10 years, fined $5,000 in her “theft trial” and ordered to pay $143,000 in restitution. Readers of Rusk’s local Cherokeean newspaper are predictably misled into presuming defendant Robinson was scrutinized in a full-fledged “theft trial” by jurors who then sentenced her to repay the money in order to avoid imprisonment.

    BEFORE July 8, 2009, Mrs. Doris Robinson pleaded guilty to theft of Rusk Water Department funds in her plea bargain, which resulted in her avoiding a “theft trial” by jury with its inherent risk of imposition of incarceration if found guilty by those trial jurors. So why in the world is it permissible for the court’s time (taxpayers’ money) to be squandered on assembling a jury panel solely for the purpose of sentencing confessed thief Mrs. Robinson when the district judge is the one with the authority to impose sentencing of plea bargainers?

    It is quite implausible that Mrs. Robinson’s capable legal advisors would have approved her written admission of guilt if that document did not contain the specific requirements for avoidance of incarceration, to include but not limited to, her acknowledgement that she will repay within a set timeline the funds she admitted stealing. It’s smoke and mirrors Cherokee County style with public officials and local media creating the illusion that courthouse employees are honorably utilizing the salaries they draw from the taxpayers’ collective wallet. The fact is the Robinson probation sentence was already a done deal in verbiage of her signed plea and sentencing agreement.

    As usual, they want to have it both ways when 'Project Got to Fool 'Em Everyday' is in full swing. If a local steals the same amount of money from a federally insured bank, then a stiffer penalty and different outcome can be expected outside the tainted Cherokee County legal process.


    Jacksonville, TX:
    47-year old bank teller Lloyd Wayne Rock, also from Jacksonville, TX, was indicted in federal court for stealing over $145,000 from a Bank of America located in Tyler, TX. Rock is accused of stealing the money since he began his employment at the Tyler branch in 1995. Lloyd Rock pleaded guilty on July 29 to the embezzlement charge and faces up to 30 years in federal prison if convicted. (Source: Tyler Paper July 29, 2009)

    Wood County, TX:
    Wood County officials are requesting the Texas Rangers move their attention away from Cherokee County and come on down to help find $1,063 missing from the county treasurer’s office. Treasurer Becky Cannon faces a Wood County grand jury for the “misplaced funds” from the sale of scrap metal. (Source: Tyler Paper July 29, 2009)

    Rusk County, TX:
    A female prison guard at the Henderson Bradshaw Unit has been arraigned for paying an inmate to perform sex acts on her. Hether Bargsley, 32 was fired June 13 after admitting to officials she had paid a prisoner $200 for having sex in a doorway.

    Rusk County Sheriff Department dispatcher and warrant clerk Kristy Campbell, 43, was charged on July 31 with cashing in a stolen money order of a missing $500 bond.Theft of service by a public official is a state jail felony. (Source Tyler Paper July 31, 2009)

    Smith County, TX:
    A Pct. 1 Smith County Deputy Constable, who is also the son of Precinct 3 Commissioner Terry Phillips, is under investigation for being on the payroll but not having a TCLEOSE police officer’s license. Derek Lee Phillips, age 23 had come under scrutiny by the Texas Rangers after an incident the night of June 29, in which he pulled a handgun on guests at his father’s property. Phillips has been patrolling with other deputies and identifying himself as a deputy constable, despite being unlicensed. (Source: Tyler Paper July 16, 2009)
    One official said the county is liable for officers and deputies, and a person with as many citations as Phillips would also be a problem for insurance. (Source: Tyler Paper July 16, 2009)

    A stark difference of facts presented in neighboring Smith County;
    Cherokee County’s liability insurance provider in concert with elected officials have a proven track record of schmoozing public opinion that its policyholder county is a low-risk client. Even after hiring gypsy cops and rapists who cause huge insurance claims for the county that employs them.

    A female deputy Smith County constable is also under Texas Ranger investigation and is also patrolling Pct. 1. This after she was alleged to have instigated a scuffle at her former boyfriend’s Tyler apartment complex. Newly licensed Minerva Martin is accused of going to a former boyfriend’s apartment to confront him and his current girlfriend, according to witnesses’ accounts and disturbance calls.( Source: Tyler Paper July 23, 2009)

    It is also reported that TCLEOSE officials have recommended Precinct 1 Constable Henry Jackson’s license be revoked. Constable Jackson pleaded guilty in August 2008 to a Misdemeanor count of tampering with a governmental record and was given six months deferred adjudication. He also pleaded no contest to a Class C assault charge from sexual harassment and official oppression allegations. (Source: Tyler Paper July 17, 2009)

    Photobucket
    Constable Henry Jackson


    Tyler, TX:

    Tyler, TX Police Chaplain Anwar Khalifa was arrested in a Dallas hotel by an off duty Frisco, TX police officer, when the officer working security caught Khalifa smoking marijuana in the parking lot. Khalifa, the former head of the East Texas Islamic Society, was asked to resign by Tyler's chief of police. (Source: Tyler Paper July 23, 2009)
    Frisco Police Sgt. Crawford took the remainder of the marijuana and rolling paper and logged it as evidence and also notified the Tyler Police Department of the incident. (Source: Tyler Paper July 23, 2009)

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    Anwar Khalifa (Courtesy KLTV Tyler, TX)


    A stark difference from a recent Cherokee County, TX episode when Constable Randall Thompson was arrested by federal agents on the Mexican border for meth distribution. Instead of turning his badge in, Randy Thompson continued his role as Pct. 3 Constable up to the day he was indicted in federal court on drug charges. Employers of public officials such as Constable Thompson and Khalifa are always notified when the employee is arrested elsewhere. Despite Cherokee County's pattern of pretending not to know their political allies have been arrested and are facing federal indictment the next day. Cherokee County's District Attorney's office, the Sheriff's Department and constables routinely "split the revenue" of seized property during drug raids (even airplanes), without oversight. (Source: Cherokeean Herald August 27, 2008)



    Jacksonville, TX:
    Jacksonville High School assistant coach Jerry Chism, 34 of Longview, was placed on administrative leave after being indicted for participating in illegal dog-fights. The football coach had been arrested in November 2008 for a DWI in Gregg County, before transferring to nearby Jacksonville ISD where he was employed for approximately one year.
    Jerry "Scotty" Chism was arrested July 8 in Panola County during a three-state sting which led to over 25 other defendants being indicted in federal court for animal cruelty. (Source: Tyler Paper July 16, 2009)

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    JHS Coach Jerry Chism
     

    Sunday, June 21, 2009

    Justice of the Peace and readers speak out

    Jacksonville, TX:

    Several articles in the Jacksonville Daily Progress and Tyler Paper have cited an open letter from Justice of the Peace James Morris to State Attorney General Gregg Abbott requesting an investigation into the Cherokee County Commissioner's Court. Precinct 3 Justice of the Peace Morris alleges fraud, tax evasion, accepting bribes, violation of the Open Meetings Law and retaliation. Morris' main complaint, which he later retracted, was that Cherokee County officials were accepting monthly contributions from a local proprietary tax software and law firm (Source: Tyler Paper June 27, 2009)

    Our readers' comments:
    Re 6/2/2009 James Morris letter in Jacksonville Daily Progress and 6/12/2009 Progress article responses from Pct. 2 County Commissioner Kevin Pierce and Pct. 4 Commissioner Byron Underwood. I think Jacksonville’s New Hope Baptist Church Pastor / Pct. 3 JP James Morris’ and the county commissioners’ toing and froing is a just another diversion. One has decided to play the 'victim;' the other the so-called ‘bad guys.’ Cherokee County in its entirety is corrupt. It is not the Attorney General’s charge to investigate local corruption; it is the Cherokee County District Attorney’s office. It is almost laughable if it wasn’t so true.


    Agreed, as stated in last month's blog
    The corrupt judicial hubris operating for decades in Cherokee County, Texas is itself anti-constitutional, illegal and un-American. It operates in a cohesive little unit of the same group of elected officials, who often as a diversionary tactic pretend to denunciate each other. Don’t be fooled.

    The failed Brian Walker (R) campaign alleged that election Box 36 located in New Hope Baptist Church provided illegal swing votes that pushed incumbent Chuck Hopson (D) over the top to keep the Texas House District 11 seat for Cherokee County. Candidate Walker would have to legally challenge the election results in corrupt Cherokee County court, lose the contest in a tainted jury selection (containing the same old ladies who provided the illegal swing votes) and pay the enormous lawyer fees the Hopson defense team would have incurred. Brian Walker was obviously advised by his own attorneys he faced bankruptcy if he continued to press for an election outcome investigation.

    Another reader elaborates:
    The Pct. 3 election judge at Jacksonville’s New Hope Baptist Church voting location was more than two hours late turning in her ballots in Rusk when the drive from that location should have taken 15 minutes. The obviously inappropriate actions stink to high heaven of election fixing right there inside Morris’ own church. A 3/18/2009 article in the Cherokeean Herald quotes newly [re]elected State Representative Chuck Hopson of Jacksonville that “he is unaware of any illegal activities in elections in his district” and that, after talking with the registrars in his 4-county district, “they are not aware of any voter fraud in any elections. ”

    Hopson says “However, if there is a perception, we need to know about it.” Well what about outright in-your-face doesn’t get any more blatant than your hometown’s Pct. 3 election judge violating election rules and showing up over two hours late to the County Seat in Rusk, TX on election night? In a squeaker election between Hopson and Brian Walker. Do any of us with two simultaneously functioning brain cells expect any voter registrar in the notorious east Texas pineywoods to just say you betcha Rep. Hopson, I can write an encyclopedia about the voter fraud I’ve witnessed in this region. Good grief, maybe you’re gulled but I’m not.

    And lastly:
    How many Cherokee County property owners know who selects their grand jurors? Behind the much misused veil of secrecy about the grand jury process hides the anti-American fact that here in Cherokee County there is no compunction whatsoever about violating Government Code, Title 5 Open Government; Ethics. Subtitle B. Ethics, Chapter 573. Degrees of Relationships; Nepotism Prohibitions when it comes to choosing their own relatives and close friends to be seated.

    A bit off topic, but the Editor agrees that nepotism and corruption go hand in hand. Voter fraud is common in East Texas and the Attorney General's office more often than not ignores the complaints. Smith County officials and the AG's office were recently notified of illegal voting activities during the City of Winona's Wet/Dry Elections according to the Tyler Paper. Ineligible voters outside the city limits were allowed to cast their votes, according to complaints (Source: Tyler Paper June 20, 2009).

    Similarly, Liberty County Judge Phil Fitzgerald was under investigation by the Attorney General for allegedly dropping DUI charges on his relatives (Source: Houston Chronicle April 19, 2009). Favoritism and sweetheart deals for relatives of East Texas officials have been going on for decades. There is simply not enough bandwidth on the Internet to document the Good 'Ol Boy/Biddie network allowing the guilty to remain unaccountable. Their favorite technique with the help of small town prosecutors and newspapers is to blame innocents for the illegal activity they and their family members commit.

    Justice of the Peace Precinct 3 James Morris' open letter to the Attorney General:

    Saturday, May 23, 2009

    The Ethics of Hubris

    Hubris can be defined as blatant arrogance; the misuse of one’s position to commit violence against the knowledgeable and well-informed.

    In Cherokee County, that translates into elected officials shaming others for the sole purpose of increasing their own standing within the community. That is why businesses and school teachers are leaving by the droves. Those who have made a living framing innocent people and those who propagate the district attorney’s disregard of the Texas Penal Code are the most dangerous individuals in greater East Texas. Cherokee County district attorney Elmer Beckworth has lied to State legislators, has lied to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals and lies just as often in quotes from the Jacksonville Daily Progress.

    The highest legal authority in Cherokee County has told the Texas District and County Attorney's Association that the felony bond of one Michael Harris of Jacksonville, TX could not be revoked for repeated violations of protective orders. Beckworth's office has filed briefs with the highest criminal court in Austin stating that he and his investigator did not seek to have an incarcerated felon's parole dismissed in exchange for the parolee's testimony against death row inmates Richard Cobb and Buenka Adams. And when questioned on how an infant molester can be offered probation, the District Attorney's asinine answer is "because the victim wouldn't testify."

    Jacksonville, TX:
    Not reported by the Jacksonville Daily Progress - Local mother and son arrested during the investigation of sex assaults on two infants, 1 and 2-years old. Dickie P.Bellanger, 21 and his mother Candi Bellanger, 36 were arrested in Jacksonville, TX on Friday May 22, 2009 after forensics obtained at the East Texas Medical Center showed evidence of ongoing sexual abuse of the two infants in their care. The one-year old showed signs of bruising and rape. After both infants were retrieved from the household by CPS, medical examinations showed evidence of sexual trauma on the two-year old sibling. Dickie Bellanger was charged with two counts each of aggravated sexual assault and injury to a child; his bond was set at $2 million. His mother Candi Bellanger was charged with child endangerment for not reporting the alleged crimes. They both are in custody waiting for their court-appointed attorneys to flip a coin.


    Photobucket
    
    Mother and son Canid and Dickie Bellanger

    The report of the arrest appears out of region in the Tyler TX newspaper. Actually reported by the Jacksonville Daily Progress in 2008: Dickie P. Bellanger was arrested in March 2008 on burglary of a building charges; his felony bond was set at $3500. After throwing himself at the mercy of Cherokee County prosecutors, his burglary charges were dropped.

    Now one year later, it takes a newspaper 50 miles away to report the ongoing sexual abuse arrests of more Cherokee County residents. Will district attorney Elmer Beckworth wait until the injured children are old enough to speak before convening a grand jury? Will Cherokee County prosecutors instead have the Jacksonville Daily Progress print yet another conjured account on how the victims’ unwillingness to testify would therefore justify probation at sentencing? Or as current district attorney Elmer Beckworth puts it “because the victim isn’t able to participate in the trial.” (Source Jacksonville Daily Progress)

    This is why the Jacksonville Daily Progress refuses to report on the alleged sex assault of two hometown Jacksonville, TX infants. Because the Tyler Paper mentioned the CPS report and medical forensics of the injured children. And local Cherokee County newspapers are programmed to print every lie fed to them by the supporters of the current political structure. Let’s face it folks, their livelihoods depend solely on covering their assets, so actual free and independent press they are not. Last month registered sex offender Kenneth Dexter Folmar, given eight years probation for the aggravated sex assault of a one-year baby girl, was rounded up three years into his deferred adjudication. Folmar was caught with beer cans and sentenced to 50 years in TDCJ by the same District Judge who gave him 8 years probation for raping a one-year old.

    The District Attorney’s office continued the lie when word of the Kenneth Folmar probation violation (initially reported as a repeat sex offense) made it to print.

    Photobucket
    Kenneth Folmar

    Cherokee County’s district attorney Elmer Beckworth told the Jacksonville Daily Progress that he did in fact speak to the victim before the trial. He spoke to a toddler who couldn’t get her story straight. Therefore the district attorney’s office had no choice but to offer 8 years probation for the sex assault of a 12-month old.
    "I remember this case well. In talking with her myself, she was not able to talk about it at all, and when the case came to grand jury she was able to talk about it only minimally,” Beckworth said. (Source: Jacksonville Daily Progress April 26, 2009)

    No mention of any medical exams conducted at the ETMC or any CPS investigation leading to the arrest of Kenneth Folmar. Just blatant lies by another Cherokee County elected official claiming to have interviewed a toddler, while ignoring forensics.

    They obviously believe they have so much authority because of their hubris, that they can say and do whatever they want. The Rusk Cherokeean Herald and Jacksonville Daily Progress each divvy up the lies and print the story best suited for their supporters. Take for example the May 3, 2009 conflicting reports of the ongoing Robert Fox prosecution. On one hand the Daily Progress reports the City of Jacksonville mayor, chief of police and detectives are somehow at odds with the Cherokee County District Attorney (Source: Jacksonville Daily Progress Local fringe group has city and prosecutor squaring off”)

    The article states that the mayor of Jacksonville Robert Haberle and Police Chief Reece Daniel petitioned the Attorney General to seat a special prosecutor to take criminal legal action against the House of Israel. They cited a lack of confidence with district attorney Elmer Beckworth’s handling of the Robert Fox case, alluding to Fox’s alleged intimidation tactics of filing multiple federal complaints against the county.

    A sharp contrast to the same update on the upcoming Robert Fox plea bargain in the Cherokeean Herald. The Herald reports the mayor of Jacksonville simply “requested that the cases [against Robert Fox] be prosecuted more aggressively.” (Source: March 6, 2009 Cherokean Herald Anti-government group leader is indicted... ”) No mention of the Attorney General.

    Before the headline is completed, the lie begins “similar cases have been fielded by district attorneys in Collin, Williamson counties.” Again, this is all smoke and mirrors coming from a corrupt legal system creating fictitious charges in order to justify its own ongoing unethical activity. The charges and indictments of “tampering with a government record and simulating a legal process” against Robert Fox is another penal statute created out of thin air to prevent federal lawsuits from being filed against out of control police departments.

    Photobucket
    Robert Fox

    Despite Robert Fox’s failings as leader of the House of Israel prison ministry and as Jacksonville’s chief of police put it, his “voluminous frivolous legal findings and lawsuits in an attempt to intimidate the police, prosecutors and judges” (Source: Jacksonville Daily Progress ), Robert Fox did hit a raw nerve when he challenged the Jacksonville Police Department’s illegal raid on the House of Israel. In a well-articulated (and hard to find) petition for a Franks Hearing submitted by Fox, he clearly points out Cherokee County’s habit of generating a SEARCH WARRANT, prior to establishing genuine probable cause. Fox contends there was no reasonable reason for entry because there wasn't an existing ARREST WARRANT on file.

    The Jacksonville PD was given carte blanche to conduct an open-ended search to find whatever so-called incriminating items they may need within the House of Israel. Without stating verbatim per a bona fide legal SEARCH WARRANT the singularly specific items they were after. The search warrant itself would not stand up in an incorrupt courtroom.

    The doors of the House of Israel were knocked down prior to any COMPLAINT being filed with the Cherokee County Clerk. The fact is that in Cherokee County and other small agencies, the district attorney himself composes the SEARCH WARRANT with investigating officers. And Cherokee County's district attorney makes sure the Municipal Judges signing the Warrant allow for an open-ended search and therefore illegal seizure. Investigators tout confiscating Robert Fox's legal writings during the multiple raids, claiming the Fox tirades to be pro-Taliban, though nonetheless NOT illegal and NOT part of the scope of the SEARCH WARRANT.

    Cherokee County prosecutors realize the legal mess of having the Attorney General’s office scrutinizing an open-ended search, so they must attempt to criminalize Robert Fox’s cantankerous federal motions. Therefore, they and the local newspapers continue to attempt to brand Robert Fox as a dangerous terrorist sympathizer, in order to contaminate the jury pool.

    Robert Fox was no-billed on the initial charge of barratry, written in the original arrest by district attorney Elmer Beckworth. Now Beckworth is taking the high road for not prosecuting all the charges against Robert Fox, levied by Beckworth himself? We're supposed to feel good that the Jacksonville, TX police department stormed the House of Israel without probable cause? To arrest House of Israel members who had earlier been in Cherokee County custody?

    Robert Fox's lawsuits and thus his “records tampering” would have never come to fruition without the increasing unconstitutional harassment of Cherokee County law enforcement. They went after him to make themselves look better. In the Daily Progress, district attorney Elmer Beckworth lays the onus of the bogus charges on the over-zealous Jacksonville police department. The current focus on Robert Fox are his "dangerous" and highly argumentative (though often credible) legal briefs. Fox's Civil Rights requests must be quelled by the District Attorney and labeled as "tampering with government records" in order for Project Got to Fool 'Em to succeed.

    The corrupt judicial hubris operating for decades in Cherokee County, Texas is itself anti-constitutional, illegal and un-American. It operates in a cohesive little unit of the same group of elected officials, who often as a diversionary tactic pretend to denunciate each other. Don’t be fooled.

    If the District Court bailiff has been arrested in McAllen, TX for selling drugs to an undercover federal agent, then both the district judge and district attorney are notified by the Department of Justice. Wouldn’t want the Feds looking at the timecards of rapist cop Larry Pugh or mileage reports of Cherokee County Constable Randy Thompson busted for selling methamphetamines…

    You know because Cherokee County has what they call a “lightning rod” for terrorism sitting in the Rusk, Texas jail, unable to post bail or hire an untethered attorney from another county. Which is ironic considering the 369th District Court can concoct government records to indicate Constable Randy Thompson as Missing In Action, one day before his federal drug trafficking indictment. Yet the same District Court can put Robert Fox on trial for “tampering with government records” to censor his legal diatribe. And to make sure to get at least one misinformed Texas trial jury to finally criminalize the filing of complaints and legal briefs by American citizens. Without the help of drunken and sycophantic lawyers in the District Attorney's pocket.

    In similar corruption news in neighboring counties where the law is applied appropriately---

    Tyler, TX:
    TCDJ prison guard Rudolph Regalado was arrested for allegedly hiring a hit man to murder the husband of his girlfriend. Cathryn Lake, the wife of the intended victim was also charged with solicitation for murder. “She was in the process of raising the husband’s life insurance, and we believe that was the main motive behind the plot,” according to investigators. (Source: Tyler Paper May 22, 2009)

    In Cherokee County, the murder for remuneration would have resulted in an innocent outside the conspiracy being charged and the district attorney’s office dividing the insurance payouts with state witnesses, the widow and her lover. Similarly, former Cherokee County district attorney Charles Holcomb used the life insurance monies to pay State witnesses in State vs. Terry Watkins. (Source: Cherokeean Herald June 3, 1993)

    Palestine, TX:
    State licensed firearm instructor Ronnie Cook was charged with the murder of his wife after a May 13, 2009 standoff with police that lasted three hours. Palestine police had responded to a 911 call that indicated Cook may have shot his 62-year old wife.

    Upshur County, TX:
    Upshur County school teacher and coach John Cotcha Tiger, 40, of Longview, was sentenced by 115th District Court Judge Lauren Parish on charges of improper relationship between educator and student, and on-line solicitation of a minor, according to news releases. The victim was a 15-year old girl; Tiger was sentenced to two concurrent fifteen year prison terms. Sex assault of a minor charges were dropped, as part of the plea bargain.

    Alto, TX:
    Alto ISD PE coach Paul Dixon was indicted earlier this month for having an improper teacher/student relationship. His father, John Paul Dixon was also placed on administrative leave for allegedly interfering with witnesses and the investigation.

    Paul Dixon was later accepted a plea bargain of 10 years probation for the statutory rape of a 16 year old Alto ISD student he was having sex with in Elementary School gym.  (Source: Tyler Paper)

    Paul Dixon, Alto ISD coach for 24 years.


    Bullard, TX:
    City Secretary Patty McMillian Cooper , 63 of Troup, TX was fined and placed on probation for theft of city funds on March 27, 2007. She stole over $84,000 over a four year period. On Sunday, April 12, 2009 she was rearrested for theft of funds from another previous employer, Tyler, TX based Williams Law Firm. She is out of Smith County Jail on a $100,000 bond. Theft of city funds is pretty common in the Piney Woods.

    Shelby County, TX:
    Shelby County Sheriff Deputy Lana Sue "Susie" Calhoun , 49 of Timpson, was arrested for DWI by the DPS after a wreck in Garrison, TX. Sources indicate she had previously worked as a Nacogdoches County jailer and campus police for Stephen F. Austin State University. (Source: Longview News-Journal May 8, 2009)

    Gregg County:
    Two female Gregg County jailers have been arrested for assisting in the jail break of two inmates last week. Gracie Carrillo, 20 and Yvonne Oliver, 25 both from Longview, were charged with facilitating the escape of convicted murderer Desmond Jackson and murder suspect Bruce Kelly last Tuesday from the Gregg County jail. Carrillo and Oliver each face second and third degree felony charges.

    Saturday, April 11, 2009

    Probated child molester arrested again for "sex assault of child." DPS reports age of victim.

    April is Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness month in Texas, and has been proclaimed as such by the county judge in Cherokee County. Are citizens aware that another sex offense arrest has recently occurred by a registered sex offender on probation? County officials are most certainly ‘aware’ of it.

    Posted in February 2008: District Attorney gives probation to Rusk, Texas infant molester; Cherokee County newspapers never reported it.

    Criminal Docket; Case 16209 ; AGG SEXUAL ASSAULT CHILD
    THE STATE OF TEXAS vs FOLMAR, KENNETH DEXTER (DOB: 02/08/1963)
    Filed 08/23/2005 - Disposition: 11/16/2006: 8 years deferred adjudication in the 2nd District Court, Cherokee County, Texas

    Victim's age: 1

    (Source: Texas Offender Registry and Family Watchdog)

    Now a registered sex offender on probation and living within the community has been arrested again for what has been reported as the sex assault of a child. And again the local newspapers have buried the story in a slew of Cherokee County arrests for the time period of March 24 through March 30, 2009. (Source: Jacksonville Daily Progress April 5, 2009)

    Rusk, TX: Registered sex offender Kenneth D. Folmar, who had been on probation given to him by the Cherokee County District Attorney, has been arrested for another child sex assault charge. Or has he? Kenneth "Kenny" Folmar, now 46, was serving eight years deferred adjudication for the Aggravated Sexual Assault of a one-year baby girl. He had been arrested in 2005 from the earlier incident and had prior drug possession convictions. His bond has not been set (Source: Jacksonville Daily Progress).
    Photobucket
    Kenneth Dexter Folmar

    Apparently the decision has been made decades ago that it is in the interest of the county to roll out the Welcome mat to sex offenders, in order to pilfer their probation dues. Remember, it is never in the interest of the children in Cherokee County, despite the propaganda pieces designed to shift attention and blame elsewhere. The Tyler Paper reports that Cherokee County officials and the local CPS declare April as “Child Abuse Awareness Month.” No mention of the paltry budget Cherokee County’s Child Protective Services must compete with in the Commissioner’s Court, against stocked catfish ponds, paving private driveways and contributions to everybody's hush funds.

    The lie is that Cherokee County officials actually want to decrease the incidents of child abuse and child rape within the community, when in reality it is a source of income for the county coffers. Why would the district court place an individual such as the one above on monthly probation without treatment -even for the sex assault of an infant complete with pictures probably, when they are totally cognizant of the recidivism rate? Is it because they are arrogant and simply don’t care? Or is it that they would rather play small town politicians by conducting Blue Ribbon ceremonies to convince voters that Cherokee County officials are not making a living off the [repeated] sex offenses within the community?

    The other lie is that "prosecutors' caseloads are too large." If that were true, why are they signing up sex offenders and opening up halfway houses all across the county?

    Kenneth Folmar's recent arrest and age of the alleged victim has of course been buried by local media outlets, as they always do when the actions of allies of elected officials are too unsavory to print. Because sex offender Kenneth Folmar was not originally incarcerated (but instead granted probation and thus making him a monthly payment depositor into Cherokee County’s Corrections and Supervision account) he was free to in essence repeat his offense. There's no telling what this guy has been doing.

    Quite frankly, if convicted sex offenders are sent off to prison, they won't be making monthly payments to the county. Is this why the Cherokee County district attorney recommends probation rather than incarceration in order to keep sex offenders’ monthly supervision fees at the county’s disposal? Would those who join in for the propaganda on the Rusk courthouse steps manage to shrug off complacency about the district attorney’s motives if the child preyed upon was their own?

    If Cherokee County prosecutors possessed even an iota of genuine morality, the most egregious sex offenders wouldn’t be able to enrich the county coffers with Probationers' payments because they would be in prison. Instead, prosecutors' actions clearly show they are willing to risk pedophiles’ repeat offending in order to ensure continued deposits of local sex offenders’ money into county-owned and operated bank accounts.

    If Cherokee County news agencies and their supporters possessed even a smidgen of integrity, they would be demanding resignation letters instead of celebrating and "blowing bubbles" on the Rusk courthouse lawn (Source: Tyler Paper).

    A quick search of Texas jail records shows the other Cherokee County sex offenders on probation who have recently violated their community supervision orders. Sex offenders in the area on probation who have been arrested and/or absconded as of April 10, 2009:

    • “Gary” Michael Morrison, b. 10/24/1957 Alto TX, aggravated sexual assault of a 12-year-old female; currently in the Cherokee County TX jail.

    • Matthew Isiah White, b. 10/01/1988 Bullard TX, indecency by exposure involving a 15-year-old female; failure to register in Smith County TX.

    • Christopher Steven Golman, b. 10/03/1972 Gallatin TX, aggravated sexual assault of a disabled 39 year-old female. Arrested in 2000 by Smith County authorities for public intoxication; transferred to TDCJ Michael Unit.

    • John Keith Glenn, b. 7/16/1982 Jacksonville TX, aggravated sexual assault of an 8-year-old female; failure to register.

    • Kevin Lynn Hawes, b. 10/29/1963 Jacksonville TX, aggravated sexual assault of a 15-year-old; probation violation sentenced to TDCJ.

    • Christopher Michael Hennessy, b. 9/16/1980 Jacksonville TX, sexual assault of a 15-year-old female; absconded and sentenced to TDCJ.

    • Paul Arlen Taylor b. 9/30/1955 Jacksonville TX, indecency by contact of a 13-year-old female; incarcerated in TDCJ.

    • James William Hammons, Sr. b. 9/21/1960 Rusk TX, 8 years probation in 1998 for aggravated sexual assault of a 13-year-old female in Cherokee County; in 2008 drug possession in Cherokee County -sentenced 2 years State Jail time by district attorney. Currently incarcerated in Orange County jail.

    • Jason Bradley Fears, b. 11/17/1988 Bullard TX, 3 ½ years State Jail for sex assault of 7-year old male in Cherokee County; recent failure to register- verified by Smith County, TX.


    (Source: online Texas DPS Sex Offender Registry)

    This is how Cherokee County operates: County officials generating misinformation while the local newspapers ever so cleverly hide the factual sex offense statistics from the public. They would rather dance around the courthouse blowing each other kisses, days after another child has been molested under their collective noses and on their watch. Days after an innocent child is sewn up in the hospital, they'll blame the “harder economic times” for the "alarming rate of child abuse " instead of the current Cherokee County District Attorney deliberately setting the stage for repeat sex offenses. (Source: Jacksonville Daily Progress)

    As a footnote, the Jacksonville Daily Progress published an unprepared and unrehearsed rebuttal for the initial light sentencing of Kenneth D. Folmar, citing a “probation violation” for the more recent incarceration. They also report Kenneth Folmar was sentenced to 50 years confinement for “violating” the terms of his probation. The original presiding judge who accepted the initial deferred adjudication also presided over the revocation.

    The Daily Progress has not issued a correction notice for the Cherokee County arrests for the week of March 24 through March 30, which initially reported Kenneth Folmar’s arrest as “aggravated sexual assault of a child.” As opposed to yet another sex offender not mentioned in either article, but again buried within the Jacksonville Daily Progress’ list of Cherokee County arrests for the time period April 14 through April 20, 2009: Cheney La-Vaughn Carter, dob. 2/1/1966, sex assault of 15 yr. old girl; given 10 yrs. probation. Carter is currently sitting in Cherokee County, TX without bond for violation of his (sex offense) probation.

    No spur-of-the-moment articles have been printed explaining the Cheney Carter probation revocation. The Kenneth Folmar story on the other hand, had been up to this point completely ignored and buried. Of course, like clockwork, the big lie the local media, the Cherokee County District Attorney and district court would have their loyal readers believe is that the victim is to blame for not being willing to go to trial. Even in the case of an infant.

    According to district attorney Elmer Beckworth
    I remember this case well. In talking with her myself, she was not able to talk about it at all, and when the case came to grand jury she was able to talk about it only minimally,” Beckworth said. “With her inability to talk about it, I knew we were on real shaky ground. We went ahead and took the plea because there was the huge likelihood of him being found not guilty or even possibly of a directed verdict. (Source: Jacksonville Daily Progress)

    The DPS sex offender registry actually lists the female victim as being a one-year old infant. Who are you gonna believe? Sex offenses by their very nature are prosecuted everyday without the trial testimony of the victim, or in the case the district attorney is referring to – a toddler who was molested while she was an infant. So they postponed Folmar's indictment and dragged the case out until she learned how to baby talk? The offense occurred in 2002; Folmar was formally charged 3 years later.

    Attention Daily Progress: You need to verify your timelines. You are being lied to again.

    View the Kenneth Dexter Folmar sex offender registry and victim’s age at: https://records.txdps.state.tx.us/DPS_WEB/Portal/index.aspx for a comparison of Fact Versus Fiction. The Sex Offender Regristry reports everything down to the shoe size of the offender.

    Instead of being honest and admitting the Kenneth Folmar molestation wasn’t of any political interest to the district attorney’s office in 2005, Elmer Beckworth discloses the State’s prosecutorial strategy:
    The only reason people ever get probation for the aggravated sexual assault of a child is because the victim isn’t able to participate in the trial. It can be very aggravating as a prosecutor to be in a situation like this where the whole case falls apart because the victim’s ability to testify has been compromised. (Source: Jacksonville Daily Progress)

    Sounds like excuse-making by the same people who offered these indigent offenders their original lenient plea bargains. These probationers were rushed through the Cherokee County court system for admitting their guilt and willingness to contribute to the county payroll via Adult Supervision fees. You, the lowly taxpayers are supposed to believe that Kenneth Folmar’s nondisclosed court appointed counsel worked out his initial probation agreement with the district judge without Elmer Beckworth's recommendations.

    It is the prosecutor who offers "adjudicated probation," not the defendant's lawyer. Plus the defendant must agree to a guilty or no-contest plea. The conviction remains on the defendant's record and in the case of a sexual assault, the defendant agrees to be registered as a sex offender for life. In the case of Kenneth Folmar, he pleaded guilty and agreed to everything Elmer Beckworth offered him.

    This type of justification for probated child molesters is more like a ‘How-to-Guide.’ Local sex offenders will be even more emboldened now if they heed the District Attorney’s advice: if their victims are young enough and afraid enough not to testify, then the district judge will agree to a probated sentence.

    The district attorney is saying the statements from arresting officers, examining doctors, and CPS specialist investigating the sex offense of an infant in Cherokee County simply won’t pass the litmus test for going to trial. Or the statements from those who caught the perpetrator in the act. Or any forsenic evidence for that matter. As if hearsay, innuendos and complete fabrication of evidence has never been enough to summon a petit jury in Cherokee County, Texas.

    The fact is the district attorney’s focus has been on parading fictitious bail requirements in Austin (according to the 'Faye Harris amendment') during the same time period the majority of the sex offenders were shunted through their plea bargains. And just like Michael Harris (the man on felony bond who murdered his wife because her protective orders were not enforced) these offenders have struck again repeatedly. It was in 2005 that Jacksonville police officer Larry Pugh was on patrol and raping women at gunpoint.

    Again, which are you gonna believe? That a 3-year old victim was actually called to a Cherokee County grand jury to testify what happened to her before her first birthday? Or the District Attorney's advice to sex offenders on how to avoid prison?
    The only reason people ever get probation for the aggravated sexual assault of a child is because the victim isn’t able to participate in the trial. (Quote from the Jacksonville Daily Progress.)

    Project Got to Fool 'Em Again is in full deployment this Month.

    Wednesday, March 18, 2009

    37 year old Alto ISD coach gets 10 years probation for sex with 16 year old student. Houston County bailiff and sheriff investigator indicted. DPS Sgt. booked for indecency.

    Alto, TX: 

    Veteran Alto ISD coach Paul Dixon is currently under investigation by authorities for having an alleged improper teacher/student relationship with an underage girl. Coach Dixon, age 37, turned in his resignation last week in response to allegations of text messaging a female student. Another "unnamed" Alto ISD faculty member (Dixon's father and fellow coach) has also resigned for allegedly obstructing the investigation. Dixon was employed with the Alto TX School District for over 24 years.


    What happens in Cherokee County, stays in Cherokee County.

    The 16-year student told police she had sex with the 37 year old baseball coach twice on the Alto ISD school grounds, including in the Elementary School gym. (Source: Student told Alto police she had sex with coach twice on school grounds, KTRE) Dixon's father, also a coach at Alto ISD was terminated for trying to cover up the affair by pressuring the victim to lie to authorities. Elmer Beckworth's grand jury decided not to indict Dixon Sr for Tampering with a Witness.

    Teacher/student improprieties can be prosecuted as 2nd degree felonies under current Texas law. Paul Dixon was 37 at the age of the incident, NOT 24 years old as reported by Cherokee County newspapers. Coach Paul Dixon did work for Alto ISD for over 24 years. Dixon was eventually indicted in 2009 for having sex with an underage girl twice. (Source: Grand jury indicts former Alto coach, KTRE) He was not charged with statutory rape according to law, even though the victim was under 17 at the time.

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    Alto ISD coach Paul Dixon, 37 years old, sentenced to probation for improper sexual relations with a 16-year old Alto ISD student.

    dixon

    Paul Dixon circa 2011 went from age 24 to age 40 in a matter of a couple years according to Cherokee County newspapers. In 2011, Paul Dixon was given 10 years probation for sexual relations with the high schooler and sent on his merry way. (Source: Jacksonville Progress) He did not have to register for life as a sex offender as part of his plea bargain with the Cherokee County district attorney's office.

    Criminal Docket; Case 17471

    IMPROPER RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EDUCATOR/STUDENT
    THE STATE OF TEXAS vs  PAUL HEATH DIXON

    DOB 04/07/1971

    Filed 04/27/2009 - Disposition: 01/13/2011

    Conviction-guilty plea or nolo contest-No Jury
    2nd District Court, Cherokee County, Texas

    Student told Alto police she had sex with coach twice on school grounds, 8/19/2009

    ALTO, TX (KTRE) - A female student at Alto High School told police she had sexual intercourse with a coach on two separate occasions on school grounds.

    The student, whose name is being withheld to protect her identity, gave police a written statement on March 4 stating she did kiss Paul Dixon up to ten times, but did not engage in intercourse with him. However, she gave another statement on March 13 admitting to engaging in intercourse with him on Feb. 17 at the elementary school gym and again on Feb. 23 on school grounds.

    The student stated in the first affidavit that others in her school found out about the relationship and told another employee at the school, who told the superintendent about the relationship.

    In the second affidavit, the student alleged Dixon's father, John Paul Dixon, who also served Alto ISD as a coach, put pressure on her to lie to police about the relationship.

    Alto ISD accepted a resignation from Paul Dixon and put John Paul Dixon on paid leave until the investigation was complete. A Cherokee County Grand Jury chose not to indict John Paul Dixon on tampering with a witness charges.

    Alto Superintendent Ray DeSpain said John Paul Dixon has been taken off leave following the grand jury's action, but declined to comment further on his status, including any kind of disciplinary action taken.

    KTRE acquired the student's sworn affidavits through an open records request filed on May 12, which the Cherokee County's District Attorney's Office appealed to the Texas State Attorney General's Office.

    "I'm truly sorry about my actions and the whole ordeal," the student stated in the affidavit. "I would never want this to happen to any other female and/or male student. It's not worth the time whatsoever. If I could go back and change anything, I would because all the stress from this is truly not worth it."

    Crockett, TX:  

    Tyler’s federal court has indicted two Houston County sheriff deputies for an alleged civil rights violation occurring in the Davy Crockett National Forest. District court bailiff Charles James Clark and narcotics investigator Henry Doyce Gresham, Jr. are both charged with conspiracy and assault of a Crockett, TX man the pair allegedly TASERED and left for dead out in the National Forest in July 2008. The two Houston County deputies, Clark age 63 and Gresham age 50, are on administrative leave pending their federal trial. No need for a pseudo-concerned citizen and buddy-buddy district judge to call an urgent removal hearing for this bailiff and narcotics officer, a la’ Randall Thompson.  

    Rusk, TX: 

    Cherokee County DPS Sergeant Thomas Bledsoe was suspended with pay Friday March 20, 2009 from an indecent exposure arrest earlier the previous month. Sgt. Bledsoe allegedly pulled his pants down and flashed a female DPS employee on February 3rd. He was moved from the Cherokee County office in Jacksonville to the Palestine, TX DPS office after the initial complaint. The Department of Public Safety is investigating the incident.  

    Nationwide:   

    March 15 through March 21 is National Sunshine Week. Sponsored by the American Society of Newspaper Editors, National Sunshine Week recognizes the importance of an open government and the public access of information.