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A video recorded live at the Jeff Davis County Courthouse in October 2023 exposes a series of false claims made by Justice of the Peace Mary Ann Luedecke—claims that appear to be part of a broader, coordinated effort to criminalize the work of Big Bend Times publisher David Flash. The peaceful encounter was captured in full on video, yet Luedecke and others later described it as a dramatic incident involving threats, shouting, and even flight from justice—none of which occurred.
The footage shows Flash entering the public hallway of the courthouse to photograph a new sign posted outside Luedecke’s office. He never enters the office, never raises his voice, never pounds on any doors, and never behaves aggressively.
The door is first opened—and then closed directly in Flash’s face—by Luedecke’s assistant. Flash, visibly surprised but calm, continues filming. Despite this, Luedecke later claimed in a sworn statement to Texas Attorney General Special Prosecutor Geoff Barr:
“I opened the door. Asked Mr. Flash if I could help him. He began to scream at my clerk about why did you shut the door.”
That simply did not happen. Luedecke never opened the door, and Flash never screamed at anyone. The video proves it.
She also alleged that Flash mocked her after being asked to stop recording:
“He laughed and mockingly stated, ‘It’s already going out on Facebook Live.’”
That line is never spoken in the video.
Luedecke then falsely claimed she charged Flash with contempt and that he fled:
“Mr. Flash, I’m holding you for contempt, direct contempt in this court… Told him that three times. He turns and runs out of the courthouse… Flash runs to his car.”
Again, the video shows none of that. Flash walked—without urgency—out of the building, calmly narrating “You can’t detain me, ma’am” after Luedecke shouted “You’re detained!” from behind him. There was no contempt charge issued, no courtroom in session, and no legal basis for detention.
Weeks later, Flash received a “courtesy notice” from the court software system, indicating that a contempt warrant had been entered. Flash had not been informed of any ruling or hearing that would justify such a warrant. When confronted, Luedecke initially called it a mistake:
“The training exercise involving any data with your name was simply that… a training exercise… The exercise was deleted and nothing exists… Please disregard any courtesy notice you were sent.”
— Email from Judge Mary Ann Luedecke
But days later, her story shifted:
“We thought we had a case against you. The decision was made not to proceed and at that time the training exercise was deactivated.”
She never explained what that supposed “case” was. Through discovery, Flash is now learning that officials were attempting to manufacture criminal charges from the incident on video alone, including harassment, contempt, and even felony evading based on a peaceful departure from a public building.
“This wasn’t just one lie—it was a coordinated effort to invent charges from thin air,” Flash said.
Luedecke also included a school-related stalking allegation in her sworn statement, claiming she had personally seen Flash near a local school.
Flash flatly denies it. “I’ve never been near any school connected to her,” he said. “She claims she saw me, but there’s no record, no time, no detail—just another vague, baseless accusation. She saw ‘a man’ and decided it was me. That’s not evidence. That’s targeted defamation by a judge.”
Flash notes he has taken photos of Fort Davis ISD buildings from public streets on a couple of occasions for reporting purposes, but never of students and never involving anyone connected to Luedecke.
A related charge of “terroristic threat” has already been dismissed. The remaining harassment charge continues to be prosecuted by Barr, after County Attorney Glen Eisen was forced to recuse due to a pending tort claim filed by Flash.
Flash has filed four judicial conduct complaints against Luedecke, alleging a pattern of fabrications, misconduct, and misuse of office.
“They tried to create a paper trail to support lies—then blamed software, then blamed training, then claimed it was a case that fell apart,” Flash said. “None of that matches the video. And none of it should happen to anyone else.”
Big Bend Times will continue to report on the case and its broader implications for press freedom, judicial integrity, and government abuse of power in rural Texas.
