Showing posts with label barratry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label barratry. Show all posts

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.


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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.

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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.

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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.

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Robert Fox in jail but not the news. County Attorney blames victims for domestic violence.

Jacksonville, Texas:


They’ve called him a “terrorist sympathizer.” They say he has ties to "American Taliban" Johnny Walker Lindh and federal building bomber/mass murderer Timothy McVeigh. They said he set up shop at the House of Israel in downtown Jacksonville, Texas for the sole purpose of irritating the district attorney while bringing down the government. They said he was the focus of a “nationwide manhunt” by Homeland Security. They said he was a ticking time bomb and his brainwashed Republic of Texas followers were a threat to our God fearin' democratic way of life. But when Robert Fox appeared on the Cherokee County courthouse steps with his supporters, his arrest never made the Daily Progress or Rusk Cherokeean. Fox responded last week to a 9:00 am court summons and was quietly escorted away by Jacksonville detectives. All this after being labeled by the Jacksonville, Texas Chief of Police as a “Wanted Fugitive” and still at large.

Only the Tyler Morning News had the professional common sense to share with its readers 100 miles away that this 'threat to national security' had been captured- simply because he answered his summons.

No headlines in the Jacksonville paper proudly announcing the news:
“House of Israel leader Robert Fox arrested on December 5, 2008 at Cherokee County courthouse in Rusk, Texas.”

There are no local accounts of the arrest being published because Fox apparently obeyed his court summons to appear for his barratry and evading arrest charges. Feral pigs warrant local headlines but not the arrest of the Jacksonville Police Department's so-called "lightning rod" of terrorist activity.
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Robert Fox (Source: Jacksonville Daily Progress)



An always disheveled Robert Fox, age 59, is in Cherokee County jail on a $30,000 bond. According to KETK Channel 56 and other news sources, Fox surrendered peacefully. However, Jacksonville PD detective Jason Price told the Tyler Morning News that Fox “did not cooperate whatsoever” during his December 5, 2008 arrest. The fact is the local newspapers have been told to pretend they now know nothing about the case, so the presiding judge can also pretend the media has not already poisoned Fox’s hand-picked jury members to be. Remember the Jacksonville Daily Progress front page headlines and attention grabbers during the 'hog dog fightin' days of summer'?:

But no reports of the arrest and end to the manhunt of Robert Fox for potential jurors to read about. If it's news 100 miles away, then why isn't it news for the only two newspapers in the county? Fox faces a specially selected jury pool of relatives of investigating officers, etc. because untainted juries are nonexistent in Cherokee County.

Any change of venue of the Robert Fox case will be argued as inconsequential. If the population can't read, how can the court expect the trial jury to have any prejudicial pre-opinions of the Fox case despite the massive newspaper propaganda campaign against him? Besides, a cousin or two wouldn’t lie during voir dire to keep themselves planted in the jury box. Not in God's Country.

In July 2008, Jacksonville Police Detective Jason Price held a press conference to detail how his “investigation had uncovered connections between Fox and known terrorists.” Actually the Jacksonville Police Department's raid on the House of Israel halfway house on a Class C Misdemeanor charge led to the discovery of Fox's political writings. Expired Oxycontin was found horded away in the Fox compound. In any other venue the man's political dribble would be inadmissible and the mention of his personal effects would be unconstitutional.

Cherokee County chose to hype the escalating raids of the House of Israel and win the local public opinion after violating the Civil Rights of its citizenry. Want to bet the House of Israel phone lines were diverted off Main Street and Fox's conversations were being illegally tape recorded somewhere? Hence the heightened yet fictitious need for the Jacksonville Police Department to go to DEFCOM 5.
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Jacksonville PD press conference (Source: Jacksonville Daily Progress)



Police avoided calling Fox violent but Chief Reece Daniel called the man a dangerous individual.

“Timothy McVeigh was the lightning,” Daniel said. “People like Robert Fox are the lightning rods that convince others to bomb buildings.”

Other East Texas media followed suit with news articles claiming Fox’s terroristic leanings.

(Source: House Of Israel Leader Has Taliban Links; Draws McVeigh Comparisons- July 25, 2008)
“JACKSONVILLE, TX (EAST TEXAS NEWS)- He's the ringleader of an anti-government group, caught here in East Texas. Now he's been linked to a major terrorist organization - the Taliban."

Tyler, TX based Channel 19 repeats the Jacksonville Police Department's claim that the indigent Robert Fox is a "dangerous individual" who was also wanted in Canada and Missouri.

(Source: House of Israel Ties to the Taliban?- July 25, 2008)
"[Jacksonville Police Detective Jason] Price said his department has solicited for assistance from the federal government. "But to this point we've gotten a lukewarm response," he said.

They hope that will change. Before this possible link to terrorism, turns to acts of terrorism.

If that is the case, then why didn't the hometown Jacksonville, Texas newspaper report that the "dangerous" Robert Fox is now sitting in the Cherokee County jail of his own volition? Why haven’t they continued their propaganda campaign ad absurdum? Because they have collectively violated the rights of a harmless blowhard and given him exactly what he wanted- another federal lawsuit to clog up the court system.

Footnote: Robert James Fox posted $30,000 bond and was released from Cherokee County jail on December 20, 2008. Still no reports from the local media.

Distraction results in successful propagandizing, no matter how absurd, e.g. naming Robert Fox as a link to terrorists based upon immaterial and inadmissible 'evidence.' This is what attorneys from out of the region should be prepared for when they argue cases in front of stacked Cherokee County juries. Cherokee County’s district judges allow the argument of “beliefs” instead of facts. Ten years ago they would have called Robert Fox a satanist. Twenty years ago they would called him a communist. Thirty years ago they would have called him a Vietnam deserter. The Cherokee County district attorney relies on the local newspaper to propagate this type of illegal smear campaign. Because Fox is indigent he will not be allowed to question or challenge these absurd accusations. The court simply will obstruct his defense. They certainly won’t allow the naming of opposing members of counsel and court officers as witnesses, even if everybody is first cousins and carpool to the courthouse. And the Defense can expect their confidential attorney/client phone conversations to be intercepted and played for the District Attorney's office.

Rusk, Texas: Warning, all roads lead to stupidity.


Everyone knows the small town media can help shape negative beliefs as much as positive ones. When Rusk Chamber of Commerce members are arrested for domestic violence, the formula remains the same: divert attention away by focusing it on someone not part of the Good Ol' Boy system. Analytical thinking is prohibited.

The strangest news story probably ever published in the Jacksonville Daily Progress appeared last month. An article titled "local man found guilty of assault despite victim dropping charges" attempts to explain the first legal precedent of its kind in Cherokee County history, the prosecution of domestic violence after the victim recants her story. Or perhaps to validate why Protective Orders in Cherokee County only apply to men like the one mentioned in the article, and not to those who advertise in the Daily Progress.

The naïve reporter of this tripe begins:
(Source: Jacksonville Daily Progress, November 8, 2008)
In what amounts to a fairly uncommon legal occurrence, the Cherokee County Attorney’s office prosecuted a Rusk man for misdemeanor assault/family violence last week despite the victim’s desire to drop the charges.

Taking their lessons from the Cherokee County District Attorney and Law School 101, local reporters follow the Chapter in Negative Logic. Remember it's always someone else's fault, so blame the victim. An innocent defendant can't prove a negative, i.e. something that never happened nor be proven to have happened. Therefore any lie is permissible and admissible and should never be questioned.

Lesson One- a defendant can’t prove a negative when the judge allows a criminal case to be tried based on the preponderance of the 'evidence.' Especially falsified evidence and when law enforcement is allowed to perjure. Or the judge ignores the cousins of the Plaintiff being planted on the jury. As a matter of fact, the more absurd the District Attorney's concoction and the more State witnesses lie on the stand, the better. It reaffirms what jury members have been fed prior to the vetting process and makes for fine entertainment for everyone involved. And remember the pool of potential jury members in Cherokee County, Texas is less than fifty.

The prosecutorial example always has to be made on the lone destitute defendant arrested for slapping his girlfriend. Not on the local businessmen arrested repeatedly for family violence- and whose cases are dismissed before the Bondsman posts bail. The County Attorney’s office has also found the need to justify the lack of effort prosecuting their constituent wife beaters backlogging the docket. Drunken habitual wife beaters who actually make the cut are reported as Misdemeanor Only offenders, because all the other arrestees simply will not be prosecuted if they are related to officers of the court. The more recent and more provocative beatings are swept under the carpet while those cases postponed for years are brought to the forefront, to shunt scrutiny from recent offenses.

In the above mentioned article, the Cherokee County Attorney’s office continues the lie that Police Reports from the arresting officer are nonexistent and a criminal prosecution of assault depends solely on the continual cooperation of the victim. They promise there will be serious consequences for every S.O.B., not related to the District Attorney Investigator like Gary Helm, caught beating up their significant other.
Assistant County Attorney Kelley Peacock said misdemeanor assault cases virtually never go to trial without the willing participation of the victim, but she said the circumstances of this case convinced the state to pick up charges. Helm was arrested Aug. 25, 2007, after reportedly punching the female victim multiple times in the face.

So begins the lie. In Cherokee County the written report and sworn affividavit of a sheriff deputy dispatched to the scene of the disturbance is not good enough to prosecute family violence? Even when the offender refuses to identify himself to the arresting officer? The Assistant County Attorney continues by describing the mindset of the Cherokee County juror faced with convicting a member of the District Court's inner circle for Bodily Injury.
“There were members of the jury panel who said they wouldn’t convict a person, even if I proved beyond a reasonable doubt that they committed assault, if the victim didn’t want the defendant to be prosecuted. I feel like this is a problem in our community,” she said.

It is distressing to her how frequently victims of abuse will file charges, decide to return to their batterer and then drop the charges.

There is no mention of any silly little Protective Orders being violated by these repeat offenders because Cherokee County won't issue any embarrassing paper trail for their buddies. It is not because the female "victims choose to protect their attackers by refusing to pursue charges" as the County Attorney's office propaganda piece contends. It is because the County Attorney will not pursue criminal charges whatsoever on the family members of those with close ties to the Cherokee County District Attorney. Comments on this blog and links to pictures of local battered women prove that even with broken bones, bruises and knocked out teeth, the district attorney's office, et al refuses to prosecute their buddies for domestic violence.

It is the prosecutor, not the victim, who makes the decision to move forward with formal charges. If there is sufficient evidence of domestic abuse then the prosecutor is mandated by law to file charges, even when the victim is pressured to change her story. The State is also required to issue orders of protection upon the petition of the victim; protection orders are enforceable across state lines according to federal law. The County Attorney's office can issue a temporary ex parte order of non-contact FIRST, prior to a formal hearing or even notifying the accused. Apparently that doesn't happen very often in Cherokee County. The Daily Progress is trying to Fool 'Em All Again.

The County Attorney's office continues the lament:
"cases in which the victim makes a claim of abuse and then recants it are a waste of taxpayers’ money because such claims result in law enforcement and state prosecutors wasting time, money and effort investigating a crime that is eventually dropped and never makes it to trial."

The only waste of taxpayer money is the dispatch of Cherokee County Sheriff's Deputy to a known wife beater's home to investigate a domestic disturbance call, booking and arraigning the guy, setting bond and then having the charges dismissed before the abuser's name hits the newspapers. It is the cover up that is a waste of taxpayers' money. The crime never goes to trial because the County Attorney's office drops the charges. Typically, Cherokee County would rather blame the victim.

The article concludes it contradictory misinformation:
"the message needs to be sent that the decision on whether a case will be tried is not just based on the wishes of the victim. As far as the state is concerned, if the evidence is there, we are going to prosecute the case.”

And if there aren't any victims as in the Robert Fox/House of Israel case, then what? How can you say you are prosecuting domestic violence when you drop the charges on 99% of the offenders? And cover up the fact that you embolden them to keep kicking their wives around because you simultaneously call the same closet wife beaters for jury duty?

The fact is jurisdictions outside the Good Ol' Boy network routinely prosecute domestic violence without the help of the forgiving victim. Family violence charges can be either a felony or a misdemeanor. Repeat offenders in Cherokee County never have to face the more serious felony charges when the abuse cases are wrongfully delayed or ignored all together by the court system. Domestic Violence is a serious crime and other counties outside Cherokee County aggressively prosecute spousal abuse to fullest extent of the law. And they are proud of it. The newspapers in these areas, such as Tyler, Houston and Dallas, educate the public in the seriousness of domestic violence instead of whitewashing the problem.

The local Cherokee County media wants everyone to ‘feel’ the truth, as opposed to actually reporting it. The District Attorney programs their state witnesses to testify under oath as to what they “know in their hearts” instead of what actually is reality. Family-owned news agencies planted at the root of the problem follow suit. The more absurd the argument, the more it must be true because they publish this nonsense in the local papers. Especially when they attempt to justify dropping domestic violence charges on their own nephews and cousins.

That’s why news agencies such as the Jacksonville Daily Progress cannot report on the arrest of the District Attorney’s favorite grand jury foreman, most devoted trial jury advocate, etc., etc. Instead they write about the punishment phase of non-relatives like 62 year-old Rusk resident Gary D. Helm, convicted back in October in County Court for Misdemeanor domestic violence. After throwing himself at the mercy of the Judge and refusing counsel, this defendant gets to face probation for using his girlfriend as a punching bag.

American satirist Stephen Colbert and anchorman of the fake news show “The Colbert Report” brought the word “Truthiness” into the mainstream, and “truthiness” is what passes as fact in Cherokee County newspapers. On one episode Stephen Colbert explains the meaning of “truthiness:”
"We're not talking about truth; we're talking about something that seems like truth – the truth we want to exist…”

“It’s not just that I feel it to be true, I need it to be true…”

You can’t prove a negative. The more absurd it is, the harder it is to prove it is false. This is a distraction technique practiced in the Cherokee County establishment to focus attention away from its blatant nepotism and corruption. And the local newspapers are the means by which they do just that.

It is also a good avenue for the DA's Investigator to get a buddy's kid off a felony gun charge, as in the Richard Cobb murder trial. The local newspapers reported the ongoing appeal process of the Richard Cobb/Buenka Adams homicide convictions, but left the part out how District Attorney Elmer Beckworth and Investigator Randy Hatch wrote a letter to the Parole Board to seek leniency for a parole violator with a gun / turned jailhouse snitch who spent time in lockdown with both defendants.

"Whatever you feel in your gut is more important than information itself. " Especially to the misogynist judicial system and media operating in Cherokee County Texas. It is only a matter of time that one of these violent S.O.B's they let off the hook kills his own wife like another jailhouse snitch named Michael Harris did in 2003. All because the District Attorney deems his courthouse informants/kinfolk too valuable an asset to be prosecuted. Especially if prosecuting their stool pigeons will result in exposing the same prosecutor. As long as the prosecutors' allies are allowed to get away with crimes against women, Cherokee County news reporters will continue to describe the prosecution of domestic violence as "a fairly uncommon legal occurrence."