Fired Texas judge speaks out as dirty water firestorm engulfs town

When we archetypal introduced you to Jennifer Combs, the facts already sounded hard to believe. The Texas ma said constabulary arrested her aft she utilized Facebook to cod complaints astir discolored h2o successful Trinidad.

Combs spent 23 hours successful jailhouse connected a felony mendacious alarm oregon study charge. A Henderson County expansive assemblage aboriginal declined to indict her. She has since filed a national suit alleging governmental retaliation. You tin work our archetypal nonfiction connected Jennifer Combs and the Trinidad, Texas, h2o controversy.

Her arrest, however, did not extremity the controversy. Police aboriginal arrested a antheral who protested extracurricular Trinidad City Hall. The justice who dismissed his complaint says metropolis officials fired her 1 week later.

TEXAS MOM JAILED OVER DIRTY WATER FACEBOOK POST

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Police escort a Texas parent from her location aft a Facebook station astir Trinidad’s discolored h2o led to a felony arrest. (Jennifer Combs)

Judge Bivens describes what happened wrong her courtroom

Former Trinidad Municipal Judge Shellena Bivens joined maine connected "The CyberGuy Report" podcast astatine CyberGuy.com to explicate wherefore she dismissed the protestation lawsuit and what happened aft that decision. Bivens had served arsenic a justice for 16 years. She described herself successful a mode that was nonstop and profoundly personal.

"I've been a damn bully judge," Bivens said. "I've tried to beryllium human."

The lawsuit progressive Winston Noles, a national writer known online arsenic Otto the Watchdog. He went to Trinidad aft learning astir Combs' arrest. Noles stood extracurricular metropolis hallway with a motion that utilized an expletive to knock "bad cops." Trinidad constabulary arrested him and charged him with misdemeanor disorderly conduct. The department's lawsuit centered connected a assertion that his motion had offended the city's h2o clerk. Bivens said the grounds presented to her did not enactment that charge.

Judge Bivens says she repeatedly told constabulary to merchandise him

Bivens recalled an serviceman entering her courtroom and presenting 2 imaginable outcomes. Police could instrumentality Noles to jailhouse oregon bring him earlier her for arraignment. Her effect was clear. 

"You request to fto him go," Bivens said. "I said that aggregate times. You request to fto him go."

Bivens dismissed the disorderly behaviour charge. She said Noles had not committed a transgression by displaying the sign. Local reporting besides recovered that the erstwhile h2o clerk, Colby Reyes, said successful penning that Noles had not offended her. Reyes aboriginal joined different erstwhile metropolis worker successful a wrongful termination suit against Trinidad.

The suit alleges that metropolis officials fired Reyes due to the fact that she "refused to lie" astir her absorption to the protest. Those allegations person not been proven successful court. During our interview, Combs described the situation. 

"She would not motion a connection that said she was offended," Combs said. Then came the portion that inactive seems unbelievable. "The justice dropped it. They fired the judge," Combs said.

CARIBBEAN HOT SPOT GRIPPED BY WATER CRISIS, AND TOURISTS SCRAMBLE TO RESCHEDULE PLANS

Former Trinidad Municipal Judge Shellena Bivens was fired aft a determination astir a section constabulary officer. (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)

Trinidad City Council voted to disregard Bivens

The Trinidad City Council voted 3-1 to disregard Bivens during a May 28 meeting. Her lawyer argued that the council's enactment was unlawful. The metropolis proceeded with the dismissal. Bivens told maine she returned to enactment and discovered she could nary longer participate her office. 

"They changed my codification erstwhile I came successful to enactment connected Tuesday," she said. "My information codification was changed."

She said metropolis leaders ended her 16-year judicial vocation without giving her a valid reason. When I asked whether she expected a Facebook station astir h2o to origin this overmuch upheaval, she answered quickly. 

"Absolutely not. No," Bivens said. "This has been specified a brainsick journey."

Bivens has said publically that she believes the metropolis retaliated against her due to the fact that she dismissed Noles' charge. Her attorneys person considered ineligible action. The metropolis has not admitted that retaliation motivated its vote.

CyberGuy sent a petition for remark to the politician and metropolis assembly done the city’s published interaction accusation but did not perceive backmost earlier our deadline.

Bivens makes an allegation astir the erstwhile constabulary chief

During our interview, Bivens besides described an alleged speech with Charles Gregory, who served arsenic Trinidad's constabulary main erstwhile constabulary arrested Combs. According to Bivens, Gregory entered her bureau aft Combs published her Facebook post. 

"I cognize who it is, and I'm, I'm F---ing getting her. I'm getting her," Bivens recalled him saying.

That is Bivens' relationship of the conversation. CyberGuy has not independently verified that Gregory made the statement. Gregory antecedently defended the department's determination to prosecute Combs. He said her Facebook station created "fear, panic, oregon unnecessary exigency effect wrong a community." He aboriginal resigned, with June 19 reported arsenic his last day.

We reached retired to the Trinidad Police Department for remark astir Bivens' allegations and the department's handling of the arrests. We did not perceive backmost earlier our deadline.

In our earlier CyberGuy report, an lawyer representing Trinidad said the metropolis could not sermon details due to the fact that of progressive lawsuits. 

"The claims against the City of Trinidad volition beryllium answered wherever they belong, successful a tribunal of law," lawyer Zachary Smith wrote.

A erstwhile Trinidad municipal justice discusses wherefore she dismissed a protester’s disorderly behaviour complaint and what happened afterward. (GFA Law/YouTube)

Another justice questioned the accusation constabulary provided

The warrant process aboriginal faced scrutiny from different judge. Henderson County District Judge R. Scott McKee approved the warrant connected to Combs' arrest. He aboriginal sent Gregory a missive questioning accusation that 2 Trinidad officers had presented. McKee questioned the "accuracy, completeness, and reliability" of the officers' information. According to the letter, the officers failed to disclose national complaints and water-quality concerns. They besides near retired accusation that could explicate the ground for Combs' Facebook post.

McKee ordered the 2 officers to look earlier him successful idiosyncratic erstwhile seeking aboriginal warrants. They had antecedently been allowed to taxable requests electronically. That improvement is important. A justice tin lone measure probable origin utilizing the accusation constabulary provide. Missing discourse whitethorn alteration however a justice views the full case.

State investigators documented Trinidad h2o violations

State investigators confirmed that Trinidad's h2o strategy had existent problems. The Texas Commission connected Environmental Quality released findings from 2 investigations connected July 1. The archetypal probe recovered that Trinidad's strategy failed to conscionable authorities minimums involving full chlorine and iron. The study said the strategy had returned to compliance by April 22 aft a boil h2o notice.

A 2nd probe began May 15. It resulted successful 4 violations. Investigators documented problems with required chloramine-effectiveness sampling. They besides recovered attraction issues astatine the aboveground h2o attraction plant. In 1 sample, investigators recorded 20 colour units. The EPA and TCEQ urge a maximum of 15 colour units. These findings bash not corroborate each aesculapian assertion posted online. However, they amusement that residents were raising concerns astir a strategy with documented deficiencies.

Family says teen suffered burns aft showering

Combs and Bivens besides discussed a Trinidad household that said its 16-year-old girl developed a superior tegument absorption aft showering. Medical records obtained by a section TV presumption described the information arsenic "most apt chemic burn/severe dermatitis from h2o she was exposed to." However, the study besides stated that it remained unclear whether Trinidad's h2o attraction process caused the reaction. The household was considering ineligible enactment astatine the clip of the report.

Bivens told maine she knew the household and had seen photographs of the teenager's injuries. 

]"I've seen the pictures," Bivens said. "I cognize the household of the young miss that got burned." The family's allegation and the aesculapian appraisal merit attention. Still, a last ineligible oregon regulatory determination astir the origin has not been made.

Texas Rangers analyse Trinidad arsenic City Hall unit resigns

On July 10, the Texas Rangers confirmed they had opened an probe involving Trinidad. 

"We tin corroborate the Texas Rangers are investigating," the bureau told Dallas affiliate FOX 4. Because the probe remains active, the Rangers did not disclose its scope.

Then, connected July 16, each 3 members of Trinidad's metropolis hallway unit resigned. The departing officials were City Manager Cynthia Dosier, City Clerk Sandra Rojas and Municipal Judge Susan Carver. Carver had taken implicit the municipal justice presumption aft Bivens' dismissal. Mayor Dennis Haws warned that the resignations would make operational problems portion the metropolis worked done the transition. The resignations bash not beryllium wrongdoing. They bash amusement however acold this contention has dispersed since Combs published her archetypal Facebook post.

Facebook's relation successful the Trinidad h2o fight

Combs says radical associated with a tiny radical successful Trinidad wide reported her Facebook post. The level past removed it. During our interview, Bivens directed a connection astatine Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. 

"Stop trampling connected people's rights," Bivens said. "Stop trampling connected escaped speech." 

We reached retired to Meta for remark connected Bivens' message, but did not perceive backmost earlier our deadline.

Facebook's content-moderation strategy did not apprehension Combs. Still, removing a station tin erase grounds of what idiosyncratic said and however different radical responded. That is wherefore screenshots matter. Save the archetypal station and applicable comments erstwhile documenting a nationalist concern. Keep copies of notices oregon messages you person from officials.

You should besides abstracted confirmed facts from reports that inactive request verification. Phrases specified arsenic "residents reported" oregon "we are asking the authorities to investigate" marque that favoritism clear. For much ways to power what societal platforms cod and sphere your relationship security, spot our 5 elemental tech tips to instrumentality backmost power of societal media.

Kurt's cardinal takeaways

Jennifer Combs says she utilized Facebook to stitchery h2o complaints from radical who felt ignored. Police responded with a felony charge, yet a expansive assemblage declined to indict her. Winston Noles past protested her treatment. Judge Shellena Bivens dismissed his disorderly behaviour complaint due to the fact that she said the grounds did not enactment it. Trinidad's City Council fired her 1 week later. 

Since then, different justice has questioned the constabulary warrant process. State investigators person documented water-system violations. The Texas Rangers are besides investigating, though they person not revealed the scope. Public officials person each close to close mendacious information. They besides person a work to respect lawful criticism. Arresting radical who question section authorities creates a chilling effect that tin scope acold beyond 1 tiny town. For much connected however this contention unfolded, cheque retired the afloat speech with Judge Bivens connected The CyberGuy Report podcast astatine CyberGuy.com.

When a Facebook station astir soiled h2o tin pb to 2 arrests, a fired justice and a Texas Rangers investigation, however harmless would you consciousness speaking up successful your ain community? Let america cognize by penning to america astatine CyberGuy.com.

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