Lon Morris coach arrested for child porn at Cherokee County Jr. College

Warning: Cherokee County Texas institutions are bastions of child exploitation and employ purveyors of child pornography.

The mass exodus of Rusk Independent School District faculty members earlier this year is based upon the revelation that protected locals and administration officials with a penchant for photography have been under FBI scrutiny for years- stemming from the 2001-2002 Department of Justice crackdown of Palestine, Texas resident Mark Bates - the Webmaster of a worldwide e-mail child pornography ring originating from Internet servers in Anderson and Cherokee Counties. Why did the Rusk High School principal and all those Rusk ISD teachers and coaches turn in their resignations?

The FBI sting called "Operation Candyman" netted individuals throughout the country, including an A&M cadet in Brownsville and two men from the Houston,TX area. 89 subscribers total were indicted. Mark Bates, age 33 of Palestine, TX was sentenced in December 2002 to 30 years prison for being the mastermind and moderator of the website used to download images federal prosecutors called "absolutely appalling in the depth of their depravity." Many arrested subscribers to Mark Bates' email group (such as Toby Barnett from Lufkin, Texas) were people 'holding positions of trust with frequent contact with children.' Mark Bates had two prior child molestation convictions and a history of mental disorders.

The ongoing cover up of this type of depraved and illegal activity should show the rest of the state just how duplicitous Cherokee County Texas really is. Especially when local officials pretend to have no knowledge of kiddie porn being distributed from computers owned by the school district.
A place where under the guise of fake evangelicalism, the images of broken and bloody bodies of children have been traded like Green Stamps on the Internet for decades. While at the same time Cherokee County district attorney Elmer Beckworth offers probation to a Rusk Texas man who mutilated his own 12-month old daughter, and the district court voraciously accepts any and all plea bargains to over 3 dozen registered sex offenders within the county.

Mark Bates' child porn ring of 6 years ago apparently never ceased to exist outside the area, with ongoing federal sentences (such as Jeffrey Scott Ray of Nacogdoches and Toby Barnett of Lufkin, TX) never making it to the pressroom. The list continues.

Jacksonville, Texas:

Lon Morris College's head golf coach Barry Dean Griffin, age 38, has been arraigned in federal court for possession and distribution of child pornography. Coach Barry Griffin was arrested Monday, June 9, 2008 after surrendering to federal authorities in Tyler, Texas. According to the June 10, 2008 issue of the Tyler Paper, Lon Morris faculty member Barry Griffin : "has been charged by complaint for allegedly possessing and distributing child pornography on May 30 in Cherokee County [Texas]. If convicted, he could face 5 to 20 years in prison for the distribution charge and up to 10 years in prison for the possession charge."

Monday's appearance by Griffin in front of Tyler, TX based US Magistrate Judge John Love was reported here first. He has not been formally indicted.



Lon Morris College coach Barry Dean Griffin

Barry Griffin is a junior college Kinesiology instructor and coach for Jacksonville, Texas based Lon Morris and has been since 2005. The Lon Morris men's golf team took fourth place in a recently held NJCAA tournament in Huntsville, Alabama, with hotel accommodations arranged by the college. Griffin has also traveled out of state to Daytona, Florida where he accompanied the Lon Morris College girl's golf team, who took a 4th place prize at the women's NJCAA national championship games.

Similarly, the Jacksonville home of Rusk ISD drama coach Harold “Bo” Scallon was raided last year by federal authorities on a tip from the Longview, TX police department. The tip being that the High School teacher was distributing child pornography over the Internet. His personal laptop, school computer and hard drives were confiscated by the FBI. Scallon pleaded guilty on April 4, 2008 in federal court to possessing over 150 sadomasochistic images of minors. He taught for the Rusk Independent School District for nearly 30 years and with parents' blessings, participated in numerous overnight 'theater camps.' Due to a plea agreement, his child porn distribution charge was dropped by federal prosecutors, though he still faces decades in federal prison. Certainly the community and school administrators will rally around to petition for Mr. Scallon's early release and leniency prior to his sentencing date being reported. As they did with Alto, Texas postmaster Herbert Dominguez, prior to his federal sentencing for stealing $27,000 of United States Post Office material- but never reporting it.

Local Cherokee County, Texas media portray Rusk High School Theater class' Bo Scallon official retirement and contractual obligations to the school district as ending in April 2007, prior to the FBI raid. However, Harold "Bo" Scallon's continual employment with the Rusk ISD was apparent to the FBI because investigators seized his company computer from the Rusk High School and examined its hard drives. Forensics on his computers uncovered massive files storing violent and graphic depictions involving children.



mugshot of Rusk,TX teacher Harold "Bo" Scallon

The ongoing out-of-county reports of federal investigations compared to the nonexistent media coverage, nor local outcry, begs the question: Has Cherokee County, Texas always been a child molestation and child pornography refuge? Local offenders certainly do not have to worry about prison time if they cut deals with the Cherokee County District Attorney's office after falling in the hands of Elmer Beckworth .

View the locations of registered child molesters living steps from the Rusk Texas courthouse and Rusk Texas Jr.-Sr. High Schools mapped on a website called FamilyWatchdog .

Found at: http://www.familywatchdog.us/

Infant molesters (whose victims are as young as 1 to 6 years-old) all handed probation and local Adult Supervision by the Cherokee County district attorney's office -and not spending one day in prison.



[known registered Rusk, TX sex offenders - courtesy of Family Watchdog]

As a footnote, Harold "Bo" Scallon was sentenced on Tuesday June 17, 2008 in the US District Courts to 6 1/2 years federal prison time for possessing Internet child pornography. He will remain under parole supervision for 5 years after completing his federal prison term. Had the Rusk ISD faculty member actually acted on his sick fantasies and molested a Jr. High student, then the Cherokee County district attorney would have offered Scallon a few months probation (just like Elmer Beckworth's office did for Chris Hennessy, a Rusk Texas patrol officer offered a paltry probation sentence of months instead of years for raping a Rusk ISD Jr. High girl in 2004). Or Cherokee County prosecutors would simply ignore the problem like the community and Rusk school board has for the last 30 years of Harold "Bo" Scallon's teaching career. The world may never know how many deals were struck to keep this guy's perverted pastimes out of the Rusk ISD school bulletin and news.

Also buried in the archives and the local School Board meeting minutes is a report of another Rusk ISD school teacher and former Jacksonville High School faculty member, Brian Basse sentenced to 3 years TDCJ time in 2007 for sexual contact with a student. Explicit Instant Messages and photos were recovered from his laptop computer by the FBI. Basse had been a Rusk Texas school teacher for 7 years, before relocating from the Jacksonville ISD. Brian Basse's 36 month sentence (which he may serve 80% of) was handed to him from the 2nd Judicial District Court in Rusk, TX.







And don't forget about Josh Allen music teacher at the Jacksonville Christian Academy and youth minister for the Tyler Street Baptist Church being sentenced in 2007 to 4 years for possession of child pornography- over 600 graphic and violent images. Tyler Street Baptist Church is a long time polling place for voters in Cherokee County's Precinct No. 15. The US District Court "noted that Allen has no past criminal history and that he had the support of his church - factors in issuing the relatively lenient sentence." Great. Gregg County Texas charged Josh Allen for his porn distribution into their county, since Cherokee County Texas failed to do so. A local investigation was not required from the source because, as Allen told Federal Judge Leonard Davis during his January 4, 2007 sentencing, local authorities believed the choir director still "had an opportunity to be part of the solution to the problem" of child porn being distributed via the Internet from Cherokee County, Texas. Allen received the same lack of media attention coupled with an outpouring of local support as did Jeffrey Scott Ray and Toby Lynn Barnett. Ray's residence in Nacogdoches, TX was raided by federal authorities in 2006 and his sentencing not reported; Jeffrey Ray Scott got 70 months in federal prison. Toby Barnett was charged with possession of child porn and given 3 years probation in 2002 for "not having a prior criminal record," even though he had been convicted in Nacogdoches, TX for assault in 1996.

Just do a comparison on how the legal system operates 40 miles away in Smith County, Texas. For instance, the recent Wednesday June 18, 2008 sentencing of Daniel Wayne Tidwell, age 29 of Tyler, in the 241st District Court doling out 50 years state prison time. This is after Tidwell pleading guilty to the sexual assault of a 15 year-old girl. Daniel Tidwell did have prior felony convictions, but regardless was facing 5 years to life for the rape.

Don't forget the crack down on the Mineola Swinger's Club that has made national news, either. The third defendant out of a string of arrests, Patrick "Booger Red" Kelly, a foster parent, is on trial for drugging children 9 years-old and younger and forcing them to perform strip club-esque dances for patrons of Mineola, Texas' honky tonk. A version of what Cherokee County, Texas' counterfeit Christians have been doing for decades: exploiting children and getting away with it. Smith County CPS removed the children from the homes of participants beginning in 2004 when it became apparent drug use and sexual abuse was occurring in the "deeply religious community." Also awaiting trial are Dennis Boyd and Rebecca Pittman; and Jimmy Dale and Shelia Darlene Sones. Local swingers in the East Texas sex ring Jamie Pittman and Shauntel Loraine Mayo were convicted and sentenced to life in prison earlier in May, for their involvement in making children perform sex acts on stage.

An even better recent comparison would be the 2006 trial in Smith County of a preacher named Jefferson Marion Moore, age 58 at the time, also the Dogwood City Daycare and Preschool operator convicted of molesting a 6 year-old girl left in his care. He was a full time pastor for the Dogwood City Chapel, or "Brother Jeff" as they called him. Jefferson Moore was convicted and sentenced to LIFE in prison for the rape he committed. Moore had been indicted on three counts of sexual assault of a minor involving a 6, 7 and 4 year-old. "Brother Jeff" Moore was also charged with retaliation after an altercation with Smith County prosecutors during courtroom deliberations and given 10 extra years. On the brighter side, the Tyler Paper reports in its June 25, 2008 edition that Jefferson Moore died of "natural causes" in his cellblock earlier this month after serving 2 years in prison. Dogwood City, Texas is a small unincorporated community on Lake Palestine and ideal retirement spot for district judges, located on the Cherokee County / Smith County border and 20 miles from downtown Jacksonville, Texas. No probation offers or lenient sentences for this child molester; the Smith County community certainly did not rally in support of the only preacher and licensed babysitter in their tiny town. Incidentally, the United States Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday June 25, 2008 that it is unconstitutional for states to execute child rapists. That will certainly keep Cherokee County's sexual predator population on a steady incline.



Pastor Jefferson Moore (deceased), daycare owner and child molester

In April 2005, the Kilgore, Texas newspaper The Kilgore News Herald began an expose, aptly named "Child Pornography Big Problem in East Texas," on how pervasive the crime was becoming.

Next month, more East Texas child molesters off the streets and in federal prison, such as Franklin Albert Pearce of Wood County, Texas gets life for the sexual assault of a 6 year-old girl. William Allen Pipes of Gilmer, TX pleads guilty to distributing child porn and faces 10 years.

In local school news, the superintendent of Overton ISD Dr. Mark Stretcher, after "unexpectedly" resigning his post in January due to a "personal illness and pressure" and subsequently throwing the Overton, TX school district in disarray- why Dr. Stretcher has been charged with felony theft of public funds. Stretcher pleaded guilty to 'theft in office' on Friday June 27, 2008. Beware Rusk County, Texas you are in a close second for most corrupt.

District Attorney gives probation to Rusk, TX infant molester; Jacksonville companies leave county’s slip-and-fall Free For All

plea-bargain (v.) :
To make an agreement in which a defendant pleads guilty to a lesser charge and the prosecutor in return drops more serious charges.

plea-bargain "Cherokee County Texas style" (n.) :
A deal struck with a court-appointed defense attorney in which a defendant pleads guilty to a more serious charge and the prosecutor offers adjudicated probation.

Rusk, TX:
In 2006 the Cherokee County District Attorney's office offered a plea bargain deal of probation to a Rusk, TX resident after his arrest for molesting a 1-year-old baby girl.
Kenneth Dexter Folmar, age 45, accepted 96 months deferred probation in 2006 for the Felony sexual assault of the female infant. Refer to Cherokee County, TX Criminal Docket case 16209 (2006) State v. Kenneth Dexter Folmar, 2nd Judicial District.

Folmar continues his employment in neighboring Anderson County. The Cherokeean Herald ran the picture of the Rusk, TX registered sex offender Kenneth Folmar in their August 2007 local sex offender update. However, because Kenneth Folmar is related to too many people operating the Rusk, TX courthouse, the actual molestation was never reported by the local media. And of course Elmer Beckworth's plea offer of 8 years probation was not reported either.

The question is why are convicted child molesters in Cherokee County, whose victims are younger than 6 years-old, being put on probation? And their crimes not reported?

Because it is more efficacious for the Cherokee County District Attorney's office and local media to protect the extended family members of the offender from embarrassment than it is to protect the community. Perpetuating the psychotic paranoid small town mentality by covering up the incest.

There are 79 registered sex offenders residing in Cherokee County, Texas according to a 8/15/07 Cherokeean Herald posting. In a 1/24/07 Cherokeean Herald article, the Cherokee County Sheriff's Department released the names of the registered sex offenders living in the county.

As a 'public service,' local Cherokee County newspapers refuse to print the ages of the victims under 16 years-old. Nor the fact that EVERY offender on the local offenders list who was arrested by the Cherokee County Sheriff Department were on superficial probation and their 2nd degree Felony jail sentences suspended by District Attorney Elmer Beckworth- putting the county at risk.

The Cherokeean Herald's policy is not to print the ages of local victms in cases incest, to keep their identities hidden from ostracism and ridicule. In 2003, the Lufkin Daily News was smart enough to print the names and addresses of all registered sexual offenders in the area, including the ages of victims, charges and date of judgment.

The Sheriff Department pretends to be doing the community a service by notifying the public (on a slow news day) of the identity of local child molesters. However, the offer of probation for the violent rape of a small child tells the true story of the criminal justice system operating in Cherokee County Texas. Especially when defendants are related to members of law enforcement, attorneys and clerks employed at the Rusk, Texas courthouse. They want to keep the high incident of East Texas incest under the radar because of their "vested interest in their little communities." So the district attorney gives probation to Kenneth Folmar of Rusk, Texas for sexual assault of a 12 month old. Molesting a defenseless infant must not be that big of a deal for Cherokee County's District Attorney.

Kenneth Dexter Folmar

Similary, Rusk Texas native, dairy hand and registered child molester James Christopher Schlater, age 51, was given deferred adjudication in 2007 after violating a local 6-year-old girl back in 2004. Refer to State v. James Christopher Schlater (2006) Cherokee County, Texas Criminal Docket Case No. 16630.

James Schlater had originally been charged with Felony sexual assault child, according to Cherokee County, Texas Criminal Docket Case No. 15724, State v. James Christopher Schlater (2007). The incident was never reported and of course his picture is not available because Cherokee County has not verified his current sex offense registration.

James Earl Holt, age 52, Jacksonville Texas given 6 years probation in 2007 for the 2003 assault of a 14 year-old girl. Also never reported.
No picture available.

Donald Wayne Thurmon, age 40 from Jacksonville Texas given 10 years probation in 2007 by District Attorney Elmer Beckworth for possessing and distributing child pornography. No need to call the feds in on this one; why waste their time even though it is a federal offense?

Donald Thurman

Manuel Enrique Huerta, age 21, given 10 years probation in 2007 for sexual assault of a 13 year-old Jacksonville Texas girl.
No picture available.

Cody Allen Whiteley, age 22 of Jacksonville, arrested in Cherokee County in 2006 and pled 7 years probation for the sexual assault of a 13 year-old girl.


Cody Whiteley

Bobby Ray Vines, Jr. age 41 from Jacksonville Texas. Given only 4 years probation for the sexual assault of an 11 year-old female in 2001.

Bobby Vines, Jr.

Ollie Ray Grogan, 65 year-old Rusk Texas native given 10 years probation for 2 counts of molestation of a 5 year-old and an 8 year-old.

Ollie Ray Grogan

Dale Joseph Tylich 65 year-old Rusk Texas equestrian given 6 months probation by Cherokee County for sexual contact with a child. 6 Months because he related to just about everybody in town.

Dale J. Tylich

Marin Otis Pitts, age 54, Troup Texas. Arrested by Cherokee County Texas authorities in 1991 and given 10 years probation for 2 counts of sexual assault on a 7 year-old girl.

Martin Pitts

Chenney LaVaughn Carter, age 43 in Troup, Texas. Arrested in 2006 for aggravated sexual assault of a child. The victim was a 15 year-old girl. Elmer Beckworth's office offered Carter 10 YRS DEFERRED ADJUDICATION PROBATION, despite Chenney Carter's local and Smith County priors.

Cheney L. Carter

Joyal Lee Lackey, age 63 Jacksonville Texas, given 10 years probation in 2005 for Indecency and Sexual Assault of a 13 year-old girl.


Joyal "Muggs" Lackey


Robert Michael Lane, age 36, Jacksonville Texas; offered 10 years probation in 1993 for the sexual assault of a 10 year-old girl. Lane was sent to Bootcamp for 90 days according to the DPS registry and the Cherokee County Court Docket records, Case 11818 State v. Robert M. Lane; Felony-Indecency/Sexual Assault of child-Filed 02/11/1992 - Disposition: 04/16/1993 Conviction-guilty plea or nolo cont-no jury, in the 2nd District Court, Cherokee County TX.

Robert Lane

Guadalupe Lora Vera Lara, age 56, given a paltry 5 years probation in 1996 for having sexual contact with 2 Jacksonville Texas girls, one 11 years-old, the other 13 years-old. No picture available.

Patrick Brian Norsworthy age 45, from Jacksonville Texas. Arrested in 1994 for Indecency with an 8 year-old girl. Given 10 years probation in 1999.

Patrick Norsworthy

Kevin Wayne Patton local businessman, age 40 from Jacksonville, Texas. Given 10 years probation for Indecency with a 14 year-old girl. No picture available.

Robby Lee Buffalo , age 35 Jacksonville, Texas was arrested in 1995 by Cherokee County and a 10 year probation deal accepted in 1999 for sexual assault of a local 11 year-old female.

Robby Buffalo

Donnie Wayne Crippen , age 39 Rusk, Texas. Arrested in Cherokee County in 2006 and given 5 years unadjudicated probation by Elmer Beckworth's office for the sexual assault of a 16 year-old female.

Donnie Crippen

Jose Ramon Galan, age 53 Jacksonville, Texas given 10 years probation in 1998 by Cherokee County after molesting a 9 year-old girl.

Jose Galan

Nicholas "Nicky" Noel Harwell, age 33 Jacksonville, Texas, given 10 years probation in 2003 by Cherokee County Texas prosecutors for 2 counts of sexual assault on a 12 year-old girl.

"Nicky" Harwell

Kevin Lyn Hawes, age 45 from Jacksonville, Texas. Arrested in 1999 by Cherokee County authorities for sexual assault on a 15 year-old girl. Hawes was offered 10 years probation.

Kevin Hawes

William Lee Hershiser, age 51 Jacksonville, Texas resident given 10 years probation for sexual assault on a local 15 year-old female.

William Hershier

This only scratches the surface of the convicted sex offenders (still residing in-county) arrested by and registered with the Cherokee County Sheriff Department. These are the sex predators registered with the State and given probation as 'punishment' by District Attorney Elmer Beckworth and his predecessors. Plea offers comparable to a slap on the wrist. What about the offenses passed on by the Sheriff Department and Beckworth's office? The ones the public will never know about?

Even if some of these men are innocent, the District Attorney's office prosecuted them under the penal code which is crystal clear on the punishment assessment for Indecency with a Minor.

INDECENCY OR SEXUAL ASSAULT OF A CHILD: An offense under Texas Penal Code Sections 22.011 (Sexual Assault) or 22.021 (Aggravated Sexual Assault) where the victim is a child (younger than 17 years), and an offense under 21.11 (Indecency with a Child).

§ 12.33. SECOND DEGREE FELONY PUNISHMENT. (a) An individual adjudged guilty of a felony of the second degree shall be punished by imprisonment in the institutional division for any term of not more than 20 years or less than 2 years. (b) In addition to imprisonment, an individual adjudged guilty of a felony of the second degree may be punished by a fine not to exceed $10,000.

That is why there are no reports of the child molesters' probation in the local Cherokee County papers. Only the fact there are registered sex offenders living in the county. Of course the typical excuse of the Cherokee County District Attorney's office et al is that the law would not allow jail time for a 2nd degree Felony. If you're stupid enough to believe it, print it and repeat it. The Texas Penal Code and Constitution do not tie the hands of state prosecutors, only those of the patently corrupt.

The remainder of current registered sex offenders given probation without jail time in Cherokee County Texas:

1. Roy Joe Bailey, age 65, Wells TX: arrested in 2007; 10 yrs. probation/ 12 year-old female victim.


2. Richard Dean Davis, age 50, Rusk TX: arrested in 1996; 10 yrs. probation/14 year-old female victim.


3. J.E. Monroe Martin, age 85, Rusk TX: arrested in 1997; 3 yrs. probation/ 12 year-old female victim.


4. Dale Joseph Tylich, age 53, Rusk TX: arrested in 1996; 6 mos. probation/ female victim unknown age.


5. Tommy Junior Allen, age 51, Jacksonville TX: arrested in 1991; 10 yrs. probation/ 11 year-old female.


6. James Travis Barker, age 25, Jacksonville TX: arrested in 1999; 24 mos. city jail/ 6 year-old female.


7. Roger Hunter, age 75, Jacksonville TX: arrested in 1997; 10 yrs. probation/ 14 year-old female.


8. James L Wells, age 55 , Jacksonville TX: arrested in 1998; 8 yrs. probation/ 2 counts sexual assault on a 5 year-old and a 6 year-old.


9. Gary Michael Morrison, age 51, Alto TX: arrested 1991; 10 yrs. probation/ sexual assault of 12 year-old female.


10. Wesley Boyd Mohr, age 63, Bullard TX: arrested by Cherokee Co. in 1997; 10 yrs. probation for sexual assault of 10 year-old girl.

The summary of every one of these registered sexual offenses is readily available on the Texas DPS Sex Offender Registry website and Cherokee County Texas court docket. However, not one of these rapes, molestations or incidents of child pornography has been NOR ever will be reported by the Cherokee County newspapers. Unless the perpetrator was born out of town. Then they'll throw the book at him.

This blog posting covers only a partial list of the registered sex offenders that actually reside in Cherokee County, TX and on probation for Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child; there is no known count of those child molesters given probation and registered/relocated in other states or counties. Regardless, Elmer Beckworth's and the Cherokee County District Attorney office's pattern of lenient plea bargains going back decades to resident child molesters related to members of the local 'establishment' is crystal clear. They are sheltered and not reported.

A far cry from the more recent sentencing of out-of-towner Gordon Neal Mathis. The former US Army reservist pled guilty in January 2008 to 6 counts of sexual assault of a 12-year-old Rusk, TX girl and on Monday, February 11, 2008 was sentenced to 40 years State time. Mathis had been convicted in federal court and was beginning his 8 years in federal prison for child porn possession. The 2/17/08 Tyler Paper article gives the impression that former the Army reservist Gordon Mathis was "prosecuted" by an Assistant Cherokee County District Attorney, instead of the fact Mathis threw himself at mercy of the district court, claiming post traumatic stress syndrome. And since his offenses were widely reported by the Tyler Paper, the district court got a little busy and decided Adult Probation wasn't appropriate for Mathis' sex crimes. And the Cherokeean Herald quickly dropped their policy of not printing the age of the victim. Gordon Neal Mathis was sentenced on 6 counts of molesting the child for over a two year span.

View the remainder of Cherokee County's bonafide child molesters living in the area on the Texas DPS Sex Offender Registry located at: https://records.txdps.state.tx.us/DPS_WEB/Sor/index.aspx

Do a comparison of sex offenders convicted in other counties by prosecutors following the intent of the law. They put child molesters in prison even for statutory rape.



Athens, Texas: Athens Fire Chief Dan Barnes and Athens Fire Marshall Waylen Padgett were recently placed on admistrative leave and Chief Barnes resigned Monday January 28, 2008 amid an investigation led by the Assistant Fire Chief. The Athens Texas city council has been hush hush regarding the internal affairs review of alleged "allegations."

Longview, Texas: Gregg County Justice of the Peace clerk D. Donna Wallace pled guilty on Wednesday February 13, 2008 to government records tampering. Wallace used an alias to work at the JP office and continue to draw Social Security disability benefits.

Troup, Texas: Dale Lowry and wife Brenda Lowry of Troup, TX were indicted in a Tyler Texas federal grand jury during the first week of February 2008 for allegedly stealing over $28,000 of Social Security disability benefits. The couple had claimed a child as a dependent, even though the child was no longer living with them.

Gregg County, Texas: Sheriff candidate Billy Ray White was sentenced to 6 months deferred probation for falsifying the employment record of one of his employees. White operated a security service; the security guard did not have a firearm license when White hired him.

Jacksonville, Texas: The Jacksonville, TX police department convinced itself from an in-house generated report that racial profiling by its officers was completely imaginary. On Tuesday February 12, 2008, the mayor read the results to the city council that the JPD had ZERO complaints filed regarding discriminating traffic stops and ZERO incidents of racial disparity. Probably because people of ethnic backgrounds and skin coloring are too afraid to drive to the grocery store at night, by fear of being framed, raped or worse.

The city of Jacksonville, Texas is the largest economic center in the county and it is still reeling from the civil suit settlements resulting in the Jacksonville police department starting a race riot at the 2004 Tomato Bowl homecoming game. And for each rape complaint against its decorated patrolman Larry Pugh, sentenced to 17 years in federal prison. When a Cherokee County woman would come forward with an allegation of Pugh raping her, the benign police officer and family man got accommodations by the Jacksonville police department. Until he was caught dragging a complainant into a van by her neck. And despite Officer Pugh facing federal indictment, the County Attorney tried Larry Hinton of Jacksonville, for interfering with Officer Pugh's racial profiling during the 2004 Tomato Bowl riot. But that's "nonexistent."

Jacksonville, Texas: Not only does the Cherokee County Criminal Docket give a peek into the machinations of the district court, the Civil Docket shows the ongoing get rich schemes of relatives planted on Bodily Injury cases. Large companies from out of region foolish enough to set up shop for the cheap local labor are the target of 'slip-and-fall' and other concocted lawsuits.

Two major employers in Jacksonville, Texas, Astro Air- a heating and cooling coil manufacturing plant and Alliance Data- a support tech call center, will be closing their doors permanently in 2008. These firms' relocations will be putting hundreds of locals out of jobs. A sad series of inevitable events for the already destitute county. However, this is probably the first of many wise corporate decisions to vacate the county known for the lack of competitive bidding when it comes to issuing government contracts. And its newspapers not advertising a prescribe method of identifying qualified bidders. The contracts underhandedly going to relatives, even those good ol’ boys with offenses (like those listed above) involving moral turpitude who would otherwise be ineligible to work under any state, county or city job.

For example, city School Board Trustees awarding school renovation projects to their cousin’s construction company. And Billy Bob’s Construction allowing registered sex offenders on the school property to work during class time.

Or instances of county equipment being used as personal property, at the taxpayer’s expense to dig catfish ponds, pave private roads and driveways; including the use of probationers and government employees to work “outside the fence” on private land.

The locals know it’s been going on for decades, but these duped companies’ Board of Directors contemplating doing business in Cherokee County don’t find out until it is too late. The Cherokee County civil docket can attest to the exorbitant amount of lawsuits these remaining companies are facing, and the excessive payouts they are going to pay by summary judgment. There is no such thing as an unbiased juror in a town that small. And they see the flashing dollar signs when a big company makes the mistake of trying to set up an office there. What better way to get a little extra spending money than extorting a company via a bogus lawsuit, with a biased Cherokee County jury chosen before the case is even heard?

For board members of these departing companies, there is no plausible way to estimate the pecuniary damages to the local Cherokee County economy this type of collusion causes. There is no way to compete and/or get a break when the court system is used as a means to wring out their bottom dollar. Certainly these businesses have gotten sick of the Personal Injury suits filed on them; the same cases that backlog the Civil Docket.

Moreover, these corporations’ insurance premiums are bound to have skyrocketed after being targeted by the local ‘slip-and-fall’ con artists. Of course, a sympathetic civil jury related to the victim is readily available for the milking of their profit shares. Cheap labor or not, it is apparently smarter for IT companies and their subsidiaries to avoid the distrustful small town job market. Manufacturing plants owe it to their shareholders to do business where their profit earnings don't line the pockets of East Texas trial lawyers.

Even Cherokee County’s versions of ‘professionals’ are waiting in line to file a claim against these industries. These companies are only attempting to branch into the rural market. However, once the firms set up shop within the county, they can expect to be lambasted with frivolous lawsuits. And they can expect to pay through the nose because everybody wants a piece of the pie. Then these companies venture elsewhere and leave the honest hard working Cherokee County Texas citizen unemployed, bringing the county's economy back to the pre-Reconstruction era. According to the 2000 US Census, Cherokee County Texas has a median income 30% lower than the national average.

The fact is the only economic development Cherokee County Texas has to offer the region is its apparent contribution to the illegal drug trade and prison population. The worst corporate decision a CEO can make is setting an office up in a county whose local government officials have reputations of collusion and conflicts of interests.

Jacksonville City Manager's wife gets DUI. Vote for Prop 13 again?

Cherokee County Texas Blogspot is now on sister sites Technorati, the Austin American Statesman AND a contributing journal for Austin's Burnt Orange Report.
Thanks for all the contributing articles and old newspaper clippings.

As years of news paper clippings show, insurance fraud is the get rich quick scheme most favored by Cherokee County, TX law enforcement and their families. Of course when they are caught no reports are circulated. In fact every opportunity to deny it is taken. A common tactic in local Cherokee County Texas newspapers is for officials to mention in passing an incarcerated ally, as if at the time of publishing they just saw him at the grocery store. Or they just scored a big buck or prize fish at the hunting club. Or name him on a list of 'Who's Who' seen at the downtown Christmas festival. Even though they are doing time in prison. What is the efficacy of printing a bald face lie, when every individual reading it knows that the guy they're talking about is sitting in prison?

Why do these representatives of the community publish demonstrative artificial announcements? What can possibly be gained for knowingly making patently false statements? The answer is manifold, but most importantly they must fool the locals (not within their circle) that their buddies haven’t been breaking the law for decades.
Another favorite ploy of officials is playing the victim and/or pretending to be the defender, while they themselves are the ones committing the crime.

Rusk, Texas: Tuesday, October 23, 2007 Gordon Neal Mathis, 42 of Rusk, TX had his sentencing day in federal court for possessing child pornography, however his attorney did not show up and could not be reached. Mathis’ sentencing has been postponed. Cherokee County, Texas authorities seized his computers back in November 2006 after a 12-year-old girl reported being sexually assaulted by Mathis for almost a year.

The editor is certain the illegal images found on Gordon Mathis’ computer will appear elsewhere after being copied and stored by Cherokee County, TX law enforcement. Crime scene pictures ranging from suicides to burglaries are shared with local attorneys in an informal “open policy” forum. An “open policy” within the cult of confession, however not with out-of-town attorneys. No need to file a motion of discovery when everybody has the pictures of each other's wives. It's part of the culture of corruption in East Texas courthouses outside news agencies call "winning at all costs" which will be discussed later.

Tyler, Texas: Smith County correctional officer Kenya Bush, 25 of Tyler, TX has been indicted for conspiracy to commit capital murder and now faces trial in 241st District Judge Jack Skeen Jr.'s court. Co-defendants include Jonathan Toliver, 37 of Lindale, TX , and Toliver’s mother who allegedly bonded out a state witness out of jail in order to silence him. Smith County jailer Kenya Bush is accused of supplying a cell phone to Toliver and information on the confidential informant. Toliver had been under suspicion of manufacturing narcotics since 1997.

Toliver

Smith County’s undercover narcotics officers and a crack dealing CI testified at the Toliver trial.
On October 23, 2007, Johnathan “Bisco” Toliver received life in prison for his murder for hire conspiracy.

Kilgore, Texas: Pastor of the Gladewater Church of Christ, Larry Jackson, 54 of Kilgore, TX was arrested for sexual assault charges.

Pastor Jackson

Jackson is accused of assault and indecency with 3 girls all under the age of 10, occurring at the Church of Christ on West Clair St. in Gladewater, TX. He bonded out of Gregg County jail on $135,000 on October 11, 2007 and continued to preach during the detectives' investigation.

Longview, Texas: October 11, 2007: Longview, TX psychiatric ward closed down for egregious acts, including sexual assault on minor patients. The Texas Department of State Health Services suspended for 10-days and revoked the license of the Acadia Pathways Psychiatric Hospital. Acadia housed over 2 dozens out patients, including elderly. On October 29, 2007 the Longview, TX based sanatorium was completely shut down amidst the allegations of physical assault of twenty eight patients and six employees.

Bullard, Texas: Douglas Wadrup, 22 arrested October 12, 2007 for having child pornography on his computer.

Nacogdoches County Jail: Another escape of an inmate Tuesday October 16, 2007
due to booking errors and open delivery gates. The inmate, 19-year-old Adam Christopher Stripling was captured 3 minutes later and has been classified as a flight risk. The jailer has been disciplined for the mistake.

Jacksonville, TX: Deborah Raissi, the wife of Jacksonville City Manager Mo Raissi was arrested in Smith County on October 14, 2007 for DUI and possession of marijuana. Deborah Raissi was traveling on Hwy. 69 at 3:30 am when she was stopped by patrol officers in Bullard, TX. Jacksonville's Mayor Robert Haberle stands by the City Manager and states in the article that Mrs. Raissi’s drinking and pot smoking does not reflect poorly on the city. Forget about it... that was just an isolated incident. Wonder who sold her the bag of dope?


Deborah Raissi
TCLEOSE: On September 4, 2007 The Tyler Morning Telegraph ran an expose’ on corrupt East Texas law enforcement called “Breaking the Badge.” This article ran in tandem with several left leaning Texas bloggers’ (from the Austin metro area) comments and postings. The author Kenneth Dean of The Tyler Morning Telegraph lists the litany of police misconduct charges and convictions, mainly from the law enforcement operating in and around Cherokee County, Texas. The crimes range from sexual assault of women in police custody, drug dealing and rape. The article also cites the observations of Special Agent Peter Galbraith of the Tyler, TX FBI and TCLEOSE Executive Director Timothy Braaten. Namely, small East Texas towns with corrupt officers make the problem appear to be disproportionate than the rest of the country, and secondly these small towns don’t have the resources to hire good quality police officers.

A police officer such as Larry Pugh of Jacksonville, TX who has a history of official oppression and now a 12 + year federal sentence for rape and retaliation is not merely “unacceptable behavior.” The hiring of Michael Meissner this year to be the Chief of Police of New Summerfield, Texas was not just an ‘oversight’ or a slight ‘mistake.’ It is against the law to be a police impersonator. It is against the law to hire a police impersonator. There is no defending the hiring of a “gypsy cop” when you know the candidate is not a licensed peace officer.

Cherokee County Constable Randall Thompson did not just quit showing up for work while he was dealing crystal meth. The day before his federal indictment, the district court that employed him went into spin mode, and attempted to absolve themselves of Thompson, their bailiff and ally. District Court hearings, both civil and criminal, put Constable Thompson operating in the Rusk, TX courthouse all during 2006. That’s the point; not only is Thompson now in federal incarceration for 10 years for intent to distribute, BUT the Cherokee County, Texas media prints complete falsehoods fed to them from the district court. No retraction has ever been printed: Randy Thompson worked in the courthouse, Rusk TX's Skyview Unit and patrolled Precinct 3. It didn’t take a court hearing to fire him---the Eastern Federal District of Texas did it by indictment.

A perfect example of "winning at all costs." Got to fool 'em every day.

In the age of instant background checks, there is no other conclusion to come to other than small East Texas counties deliberately employ police officers with less than reputable backgrounds. These men are recruited because of their pasts. These men are promoted because of their connections with the ongoing criminal elements in the Piney Woods. They are put in place because they are willing to violate the law and do the things honest police officers would not. Their bosses get paid to keep the ruse going ad nauseum. And they simply get a kick out of it. It is their character. Unlike counties such as Smith and Nacogdoches that terminate crooked officers, Cherokee County ignores the problem until the problem worsens and the Feds have to step in. Then they rush the media with preposterous stories on how they never associated with the perpetrator (didn't even know where they were, a la' Randall Thompson) even though they've worked side-by-side for decades.

Further reading of September’s Tyler Morning Telegraph article shows the point that has been missed. There can be no glossing over the police misconduct: it took the FBI and the US Attorney’s office to bring charges against the rouge officers. Only Smith County has supervision and a system in place to reprimand the bad officers. Rusk County and Nacogdoches County openly discuss their disciplinary actions against offending officers. Police misconduct incidents are simply swept under the carpet in Cherokee County, TX and/or simply not reported. All these crimes discussed within this blog are not isolated incidents; it bleeds over into the local school systems where many of the relatives of Cherokee County law enforcement scratch out a living. And because they hate the sunlight passing through the magnifying glass, sexual deviants are sheltered instead of ousted. A quick check of the DPS sex offender registry gives the names not reported by their relatives: 16 registered offenders in Rusk, TX; 49 in Jacksonville, 3 in Wells, 2 in Alto, 1 in Gallatin, 1 in Maydelle and 22 in Troup, Texas. Never read about all of them in the paper?

According to the AP, Texas is ranked No. 2 in the nation in the number of teachers disciplined for sexual misconduct with students. In small close-knit communities, sexual abuse and police misconduct can go on for decades when the perpetrators are related to elected officials. Most of these incumbents never face an opponent during the primaries, because challengers are blackmailed out of the race.

Houston Chronicle, March 2005: The Chronicle published an article based on the East Texas legal system where only a handful of attorneys practice criminal defense "and fewer still are willing to openly criticize the district attorney in the town's tight-knit legal community. It's a community in which intermarriage and blood ties abound..." The focus of this article was heavy handed tactics of Smith County prosecutors and excessive sentencing issues. In Cherokee County, Texas it's not a matter of "winning at all costs" it is a matter of not losing at EVERY cost, no matter how long they drag a case out or what the price to the taxpayer. It is a matter of using law enforcement to harass those members of the bar association who break the code of silence and communicate with the US Attorney's office. It is a matter of circling the band wagon when one of their own is arrested for DUI after nearly killing people in a drunken wreck on the city streets of Jacksonville, TX. It is a matter of employees in the Rusk, TX post office smashing a sample vial of blood being mailed to Austin, after a Cherokee County deputy is arrested by the DPS [or vice versa] for drunk driving and disorderly conduct. No test-tube, no test results for the Sheriff's drinking buddies. It is a matter of pedophiles, rapists, imposters, drug dealers and murderers AND those who hire them given the responsibility of keeping Cherokee County 'crime free.'

Does the Department of Public Safety ever receive anything from Cherokee County, Texas?
Other than recruits that can't hack it being a disciplined trooper?
Certainly seized drugs aren't making it to their proper and legal destination when Cherokee and neighboring counties don't exist on the Department of Justice Fund Report (even though tiny towns do).
Yet drug seizures, raids and successful crackdowns alongside the DEA are routinely reported by the local Cherokee County, TX newspapers, as the September 10, 2007 seizure of 24 pounds of marijuana by local authorities and the October 4, 2007 arrest of an Anderson County fugitive. In their minds it doesn't matter how many federal laws they violate, as long as a pittance of dope can be seized and divvied up.

Statewide and Rusk, TX: On November 6, voters have the opportunity to have wool pulled over their eyes again with another constitutional amendment on the ballot: Namely Proposition 13 which states the amendment would deny bail if a person violates “certain court orders” or is released on felony bond or in a case of family violence. Prop 13 allows a district judge to assess if a defendant poses a danger to the community or a further threat to a domestic violence victim and again deny them bail.
This ruse of denying a violent and repeat offender bail has been tried and tried again for publicity stunts. Voters have already approved the exact same ridiculous con in November 2005. And as the media cites, these amendments became effective September 2006.
Why do we need to vote on this sham of denying bond of violent lawbreakers again? Because the author of this garbage wants what the previous person(s) responsible for its creation: a sympathy vote and something to champion. If someone poses a threat, and keeps posing a threat, as did Michael Harris in Cherokee County, Texas’ 2003 capital murder debacle, then the Texas Constitution, the United States Constitution and every legal precedent for the last 150 years allows for the denial of bail. Hopefully, the Texan voter will be getting sick of this excuse making by deficient District Attorneys. Send a message to them---quit letting your drug-dealing informants out on the streets to murder their wives.
Michael Harris murdered his wife in August 2003 after his bond was granted multiple times by the Cherokee County Texas district court; Faye Harris even had a protective order against her husband, who was seeking drug treatment at the Rusk State Hospital.

Notice in the Texas Council on Family Violence statement for the year 2003, just 2 months prior in June 2003, Runny Session, 37 of Rusk, TX murdered his wife Tracey Moore and killed the couple’s 16-year-old son Randy before killing himself. Not one article about this murder/suicide ever appeared in the Cherokee County newspapers. Wonder why? Because of the deceased kinship to those working for Cherokee County. A similar murder/suicide in March 2007 of a couple from Jacksonville, TX (who had moved to the Beaumont area) received the same anonymous and ‘closed-lipped’ reporting.

Makes all the sealed indictments and plea bargains appear to be just a family affair - a Cherokee County tradition.

Certain public sites outside http://www.cherokeecountytexas.blogspot.com expire over time, namely the TDCJ inmate registry.

To open a new search session on the TDCJ Offender/Prison Inmate site, go to http://168.51.178.33/webapp/TDCJ/index2.htm

The site also provides admission and release dates, including judgments, facility location and age/gender of inmates.