Jeff Davis County Judge Curtis Evans recently accused journalist David Flash of disregarding courtroom rules and being disruptive—but public records show that it was Evans himself who issued an illegal courthouse ban against Flash last year, which was later struck down by a judge as unconstitutional.
In an interview aired by NewsWest 9, Evans said:
“His agenda is to be disruptive in court. He thinks the rules do not apply to him. We do have court decorum in Jeff Davis County that has been adopted by our Commissioners Court, and he was violating it.”
The comments followed a June 27 budget workshop at the Jeff Davis County courthouse, during which Flash—publisher of Big Bend Times—was detained, handcuffed, and cited for disorderly conduct while photographing and livestreaming the public meeting. Flash says he was silent and attempting to leave when deputies approached and physically restrained him. Video shows him repeatedly saying, “I’m not disrupting anything,” and, “I’m not resisting.”
The Judge Who Broke the Rules
While Evans publicly accuses Flash of ignoring court decorum, records show that Evans himself violated the law in 2024 when he signed an unauthorized order barring Flash from entering county buildings or coming within 300 feet of county officials.
The order was not part of Flash’s bond, not supported by law, and never served to him—yet it was posted on county buildings and enforced as if valid. On June 10, 2025, a court granted Flash’s motion for habeas corpus, striking down the ban and finding that it violated multiple constitutional protections, including the First, Fifth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments.
“The degree to which this order violates Flash’s rights is so broad, it’s difficult to know where to start,” the motion stated.
Flash’s lawyer argued that only a magistrate could impose such restrictions, and only under strict legal standards. The courthouse ban had no such foundation. Evans eventually recused himself from Flash’s related criminal case, but not before issuing and enforcing a sweeping, unlawful restriction that even barred Flash from the public library and county clerk’s office.
Retaliation, Not Decorum
“Evans says I don’t follow the rules,” Flash said in response to the judge’s comments. “But he’s the one who had to be overruled by a court for violating basic constitutional law. When a writ of habeas corpus is required to undo something you did, maybe you’re the one who thinks the rules don’t apply.”
The incident is just one of many that Flash and press freedom advocates describe as a pattern of government retaliation against a journalist for doing his job. The county has already spent over $14,000 fighting the release of public records from an earlier investigation that resulted in no charges.
Multiple county officials—including the County Attorney and the Justice of the Peace—have since recused themselves from cases involving Flash, citing ongoing civil claims.
What’s Next
Flash remains free under bond conditions that restrict contact with a specific individual but impose no limits on his access to public property or buildings. One of the original charges filed against him last year has already been dropped.
Meanwhile, Big Bend Times continues its reporting in the region, despite legal and physical intimidation. Flash says he plans to pursue further civil remedies, including claims under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 for retaliation and constitutional violations.
“This isn’t just about me,” Flash said. “It’s about whether small-town officials can abuse their power to silence people they don’t like. The Constitution doesn’t stop at the county line.”
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Court Overturns Jeff Davis County’s Illegal Ban Blocking Journalist From Public Buildings
