Jeff Davis County officials are mired in a new scandal — accused of stacking lie upon lie to cover up the illegal withholding of $2,860 in bond funds. The money, tied to two criminal cases that were dismissed, must be returned under Texas law. Instead, officials are clinging to it through a pattern of dishonesty and misconduct.
A Cascade of False Statements
County staff and attorneys have issued a series of shifting, contradictory, and false claims:
- Invented paperwork. Officials insisted “specific request forms” had to be filed, but none were ever provided.
- Nonexistent emails. They claimed the forms had been emailed, then promised to resend them. No email was ever sent in the first place, and no follow-up email ever arrived.
- Silence when confronted. Direct requests to County Clerk Jennifer Wright went unanswered.
- Stonewalling from the top. County Attorney Glen Eisen has ignored multiple written demands, despite knowing the law requires the refunds.
Each time officials are pressed, the story changes — but the money remains in county hands.
The Law Is Not Ambiguous
Texas statutes could not be clearer:
- Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 17.02 – Bail bond must be discharged when case is dismissed.
- Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 22.13(a)(1) – Forfeiture of bond prohibited when case is dismissed.
- Tex. Loc. Gov’t Code § 117.055 – Clerk must return bond funds upon dismissal.
Instead of complying, Jeff Davis County officials are making false statements and layering dishonesty on top of misconduct.
From False Prosecutions to False Excuses
The bond issue follows a familiar pattern:
- False prosecutions forced bonds to be posted.
- Cases collapsed in court.
- Refunds demanded — ignored.
- Excuses fabricated about forms.
- False statements made about emails.
- Ongoing silence as money is still illegally withheld.
A Culture of Misconduct
What began as bogus prosecutions has now escalated into outright dishonesty. Officials are:
- Lying about documents that don’t exist.
- Lying about emails that were never sent.
- Ignoring lawful demands.
- Illegally withholding $2,860 owed back to a citizen.
The piling-on of falsehoods has exposed a deeper problem — a county government comfortable with dishonesty, misconduct, and open violation of the law.
