Stand With Big Bend Times Against Jeff Davis County Corruption
October 2023 gift of local treats aimed to foster goodwill before unlawful bans, false arrest, and courtroom exclusion followed
In a lesser-known moment of attempted reconciliation, Big Bend Times publisher David Flash hand-delivered a $100 peace offering to the Jeff Davis County Sheriff’s Office in October 2023—months before the county’s campaign of retaliation escalated into false charges, unlawful exclusion from public buildings, and a highly publicized arrest.
On October 20, 2023, Flash purchased a large assortment of goods from Davis Mountains Nut Company and brought them, along with a signed card, to the sheriff’s office. At the time, only Justice of the Peace Mary Ann Luedecke, County Attorney Glen Eisen, and his assistant Lisa Dennison had taken adversarial actions toward the journalist, while Sheriff Bill Kitts and his deputies had maintained a professional demeanor on the surface.
Communications Specialist Priscilla, who accepted the delivery, had regularly assisted Flash in checking for potential warrants—something he felt compelled to do daily following repeated threats from Eisen that charges might be filed at any time. Though no such charges were filed at that point, the lingering threats took a toll.
“I was just trying to deescalate things,” Flash said. “I didn’t want to assume that every person in the courthouse was out to retaliate. I thought maybe if I extended a gesture of goodwill, it would help.”
Notably, it was Sheriff Kitts who initially acknowledged that Judge Luedecke’s October 18 attempt to detain Flash for photographing a sign outside her office was unlawful, and that the matter might warrant a Texas Rangers investigation. But just five days later, Kitts’ office opened its own investigation into Flash for evading arrest—based on the same incident, despite Luedecke not being a peace officer and no legal authority justifying a detention.
That investigation, like several others uncovered through public records requests, resulted in no charges.
“It seems they kept files open to maintain a narrative and use the threat of prosecution as leverage,” Flash said. “They tried to make me into a criminal for doing my job.”
Despite the subsequent escalation—including courthouse bans, false warrant notices, and a highly contested arrest—Flash believes the record should reflect his early efforts to maintain civility.
“I brought snacks and a thank-you card,” he said. “I tried to build bridges. I think that matters.”
Big Bend Times continues to report on the timeline of events and ongoing litigation involving Jeff Davis County officials. A series of judicial conduct complaints, one federal civil rights suit, and multiple public records battles are underway.
For more on the timeline and recent filings:
Fourth Judicial Complaint Filed Against Jeff Davis County Judge as Pattern of Misconduct Emerges
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