Sentinel Alert - East Texas

SENTINEL ALERT

11/3/2022 POLK, TRINITY AND SAN JACINTO COUNTIES

COURT DOCKETS MOVING FORWARD, SJC LAGS A LITTLE

Long standing issues with a sluggish dockett under soon to be former Polk Co DA, Lee Hon have been addressed and much done to relieve the back pressure since Hon's defeat in the last race. Trinity County is making good progress and Polk County has had a great turnaround due to several factors that have changed or been streamlined since the last elections. San Jacinto County has not made the same progress and The Sentinel has delved into the reasons why. "Every body deserves a speedy trial" one Criminal Justice worker stated as we interviewed and questioned several who hold key positions that can make or break the forward motion of our docketts.

Hon, who is infamous for holding suspects for years in jail without a trial and with no evidence then dismissing at the last minute is obviously the main culprit. Hon has stacked up THOUSANDS of backlog cases during his long tenure as the self professed, self labled "Prince of Polk County".

In our quest for answers, The Sentinel went right to the folks that know and asked questions.

The substantial progess in Polk County is based on several factors. We are not going to name names but will share the observations of people involved in the process. One of the greatest advantages that Polk Co has is that both district judges office in the Polk Co Courthouse and the District Attorney's office and the Distict Clerk's office there have immediate access to them and their respective Court Coordinators.

Another major advantage that Polk County has is having the County Court at Law Judge position. In the Texas system, that court can hear many cases prior to them being in District court where as, even with the San Jacinto County Judge Faulkner being a licensed and practicing attorney, he is limited in what cases he can hear.

In our research project, we have learned that efiling is playing an important role but does have it's pitfalls. Working from paper files has its advantages but instant delivery is not one of them.

The biggest concern The Sentinel has with efiling is that the judge might inadvertantly see files that he should not see prior to the case being brought before his court.

One major change that has taken place in Polk County allowing the docket to move forward has been the willingness of the ADA's to work with the court more openly and professionally since the corrupt Lee Hon is no longer a long term threat to their career. This has led to the ADA's forging a more professional and trusting relationship with other members of the Criminal Justice system in Polk County.

The Sentinel has never had complaints on the ADA's other than Tommy Coleman.

Now that the remaining ADA's can see that the incoming DA is NOT going to follow Hon's retaliatory practice of letting the process be the punishment (years in jail before the first court date), there has been way more communication between the different offices.

CONROE 8/25/2022

SENTINEL VINDICATED FOR DARK MONEY WARNING

A dark money outfit that pretended to be family oriented and who endorsed evey candidate that ever ran against native son, Ernest Bailes for the HD 18 seat was shown their lack of discernment today by an arrest in Conroe. The director of 'Texas Right to Life', a dark money laundering outfit, Lucas Bowen was arrested in a sting and charged for soliciting what he thougt was a minor child for sex. The article is linked to the headline.

Emily Cook who ran against Bailes once was a registered lobbyist and attorney for the alleged pro life group. Cook received 80 thousand dollars from the organization in a dark money effort to buy a seat. Keith Strahan was before her and Janice Holt after her. One thing in common is they all bad mouthed Ernest Bailes with lies about his ardent pro life voting record and the other thing is, they all got their butt beat with the truth despite the great influx of dark money from a dark money outfit. These are folks that don't care where the money comes from and whose only purpose is to shield that information from coming out. Hats off to Ernest Bailes for never accepting a penny from this dark money group run by Lucas Bowen.

LUFKIN 6/10/2022

POSTER GIRL ASSUMES POSITION

The facebook live stream video that is the basis for all the charges against Stua was taken down quickley and has been hidden by the Prosecutors all this time because it proves the man did NOT commit the crime that he was initially charged with. Prosecutor Joe Martin and then Janet Cassels have refused to release the video claiming execption due to the 'investigation' value. The incident occurred in plain view of the College campus police as it was live streamed yet it took a week for them to dream up some charges to file on Stua. Anything to shut his muckraker corruption exposing, "Eastexas Reporter" facebook page down. Stua had turned in open records requests to Cassel's law firm and Judge Ball that would prove corruption if answered. Both remain unanswered to this day and both of those people were involved in putting unconstitutional bond conditions on David Stua. Enter The Sentinel. That was the first story I wrote calling for both to recuse themselves so that justice might be served.

Instead they doubled down on Stua stacking multiple charges on the original.

In a nut shell, Stua was in the Angelina College library and used the word, "circumcision" out loud and was repremanded by the librarian who called the law on him. Stua's response was to print up a mocking Certificate that stated, "I, David Stua, believe in Circumcision" and displaying a copy of it under the glass on the counter in the library.

As an afterthought, Stua aporoached several people on the campus and said, "I believe in circumcision, want to see"? When they gave him a go to hell look, Stua would display the mock certificate for them to see.

Definately in bad taste and obviously attention seeking but does it warrant four years in prison?

What makes this case corrupt is that Martin got the man indicted on the charge of soliciting a minor to perform a sex act because one young man Stua approached and asked, "want to see?", was a high school student taking college courses and was the basis of the charges. From that initial bogus charge, Cassels picked up the case and ran with it stacking several more sex charges on top as that is the favorite or the corrupt.

Cassels and Ball took the opportunity to apply unconstitutional bond conditions that were more extreme that those applied to a local man convicted of Agg Sexual Assault of a Child. Even though Stua had to work and pay for the ankle monitor, he was forbidden from having a camera which had the effect of making having a phone a violation. What do you know, Stua was violated for having a phone with a camera in it and thrown in jail. While he was incarcerated the first time, a 'friend' gathered up Stua's valuables and took them home. When Stua made bond, he went to collect his belongings and the 'friend' refused and called the law and Stua was arrested for trespassing.

His attorney wrote a letter about Stua's phone and that was the basis of the perjury charges.

The recent resolution was that the DA Cassels agreed to drop 9 charges related to the sex crimes against a minor and settled for a plea deal conviction on perjury and trespassing.

What does that tell us? Riddle me this Ms. Cassels.

1) Are you loosing a child sexual predator on the community? OR

2) Did you file bogus charges with no evidence for purely political purpose to hide yours and the judges corruption?

NEITHER ANSWER IS GOOD.

EAST TEXAS 6/3/2022

POSTER BOY GIVES WAY TO POSTER GIRL

or to be P.C. "POSTER PERSON"

Long time Sentinel readers will remember the text at left that was between myself and the 501 3c specialist FBI agent sent to investigate the Linda Vincent embezzlement case. During that investigation and prosecution, Agent Carroll (retired) and I did have several exchanges including this one written in the back seat of the Constable's patrol unit immediatly after my surrender.

The comment, "It is my turn now" was no boast of my ability but rather of the absolute certanity in my Heart of God's promises and calling on my life to the jail ministry. Agent Carroll's 'Amen' was based on our serveral exchanges before he retired and discussions of the calling on my life.

Enough time has passed that all can see the absolute truth of my comment as it has come to pass EXACTLY as I asked The Lord to do.

That should be enough to make any prosecutor set up and take notice that corruption will not be tolerated but alas, Ms. Cassels apparently didn't get the message.

Why would she be so dead set on shutting the local muckracker and investigative journalist, Daid Stua up? Could it be because he asked for open records that would prove her and her husbands private law firm representing the health district in Angelina Co got their annual salary raised from 5K per year to 80K per year along with all the side charges amounting to nearly a quarter million dollars? Why, Ms Casals, have you TO THIS DAY not answered that open records request? Is it easier to just keep piling charges on Stua until he finally caves?

How can you offer a plea deal on dismissing all the heinous sex crime charges if he will plead to the perjury charge and agree to conditions that he never seek anymore open records? Is it because shutting his efforts down at exposing your corruption IS YOUR GOAL?

And you Judge White. How can you set unconstitutional bond conditions on a man whose open records request YOU STILL HAVE NOT ANSWERED? More of the same corrupt motive?

Former Administrative law Judge, Olen Underwood missed the mark when he failed to recuse you for your corrupt bias and ulterior motives in this case.

Are you trying to set a new record of keeping a man in solitary confinement with no due process? For over a year now, he hasn't seen the sun. Have you guys ever even met The Son?

The Sentinel did call Ms. Cassels and request to speak to her. The secretary did confirm she was there and went to transfer my call to her desk but came back with the ole, "she is in a meeting' line and Ms. Cassels has NOT returned my call. Hon never took or returned my calls either. Hmmmm Poster Person material here.

One of the most outrageous aspects of this story is the so called attorney these two saw fit to appoint Mr. Stua. I am no lawyer but from where I sit and from what I have read, Charanza appears to be working for the prosecution. Here is a more indepth letter to Stua's attorney with some compelling questions.;

Mr. Charanza

I am a journalist gathering information for a story. Were you aware that Mr. Stua has been illegally trespassed from at least two different county buildings? We have been able to identify procedural and judicial misconduct in Angelina county in the case against Mr. Stua.

In your letter to Mr. Stua you state "You (Mr. Stua) are not in a position to dictate terms of a plea agreement." How do you come to this conclusion? Is it not his right to say what he will and will not accept? It is called an agreement, meaning two or more parties agree on terms. Are you saying he is not one of those parties?

You also state "I will not allow you to review my work before I file the motion with the court." This makes us believe Mr. Stua is not your client and makes us wonder who is exactly. Court appointed does not mean state defense attorney. It means the state pays you to give your client the same loyal and zealous defense you should give to all your clients.

Parsing the text of paragraph three it seems you are pushing for him to represent himself. We wonder why you would push for this? Most of your peers in the legal community we spoke with say "pro se" is just another word for inmate.

In paragraph four you tell him to stop trying to help with his legal defense and again it makes us wonder who you believe to be your client. Has your liberty or freedom ever been at stake? We understand you are a Marine and believe you took a usque ad mortem oath to protect and defend the Constitution, yet your client has been jailed over a year as a result of unconstitutional bond conditions.

You mention Janet Cassels a few times in this letter and we are wondering if you have tried having her removed? Before she was D.A. she worked with her husband as legal council for the county health district, one of the entities that had Mr. Stua illegally trespassed. You also mentioned that Mr. Stua could be sitting in jail for 2-3 years waiting on a trial he has already been waiting four years for.

You state Mr. Stua was "out of line in {his} conduct on the Angelina College campus." Do you believe his actions on December 6th to be unlawful? Or do you believe that jokes in poor taste should be punished? The First Amendment to the Constitution is to protect speech others find offensive otherwise it would not be needed.

You state "Most people will think that you are talking about showing your penis. This is perverted thinking" and go on to say this is why the D.A. believes he needs to be on some form of supervision because "most people will think.... That is perverted thinking" so you are suggesting because most people will think pervertedly, the thing that makes them think that way should be punished even though you know and state that Mr. Stua meant it as a joke? Do you advocate for the arrest and punishment of comedians or music artist too?

You also state that he made two videos of himself naked in public yet there are no charges for those videos because it is known he was not naked. It is concerning to us that you suggest your client needs to be on a sexual supervision type thing yet state that the sexual charges would be dropped. All other charges stem from that initial charge yet the D.A. has such a strong case for the sexual charges that she is willing to drop them for perjury and trespassing charges. This makes no sense to us but then again we are not legal scholars and again ask for your comment.

In your last paragraph you talk about "rules of society", "norms", and restricting Mr. Stua's freedoms until he can comply with them yet say nothing of the laws you and the courts are supposed to support and defend. While we would hesitate to question an officer of the courts integrity, let alone a Marines, these concerns do come close to making us do just that.

Taking all this in we conclude that not only do we believe you are acting on behalf of the state and not your client but that you want Mr. Stua to represent himself so ineffectiveness of council can not be grounds for an appeal as it seems it would be if you stayed in the "driver seat" of the defense. So I guess we do question the integrity of all the actors in this case including yourself. Again we ask for your comments.

Thank you,

Dick

ANGELINA CO 6/25/2022

DA AMMENDS DENIAL LETTER

Recognizing that her case to withold the video is on flimsy ground already, Angelina Co DA, Janet Cassels delivered an 'ammended' certified letter to our office today denying us the video adding that she was also claiming exemption under the, "Common law privacyrights".

After DA Cassels initial reply/request that we withdraw the request because it was exempt from disclosure, we politely declined to withdraw but did agree to allowing all the images and voice of the once upon a time, minor. and just leave the part showing David Stua intact, we thought that would alleviate her concerns about unwanted publicity for the young man.

We would point out that the video was shot in public on a community college campus. There is no expectation of privacy in public, The video was live streamed and published in a public media.

There are several elements that must be met in order to make a claim of violation of ones privacy. They are:

(1) appropriation of the plaintiff’s “name or likeness for the value associated with it”; (2) the plaintiff can be identified from the publication; and (3) the defendant received “some advantage or benefit.”

We have agreed in writing to redacting all identifiers of the young man. We have no advantage or benefit. If the Angelina County DA's are making false claims and filing false charges, THAT is definately a matter of public concern.

Now it appears to be something more driving her determination to keep the video out of our hands. Is there anyone out there that happened to download the video before it was removed from the East Texas Reporter FB page? Contact info is in the left column.

7/1/2022

THANK YOU FOR THE VIDEO!!!!!!

DA DUCKS AND DODGES

In a convoluted and allergic to transparency response, Angelina County DA makes it up as she goes trying to hide public information. A simple strait forward request for a copy of the video live streamed, recorded and published by East Texas Reporter, David Stua seems to keep her, the DA before her and two judges determined not to ever let the public see the video again. The problem is, The Sentinel, America White and others are just as determined to find the truth.

In a case that has been on the books for years and already resulted in solitary confinement of a man for over a year with no trial and no conviciton, that same video has been touted as the proof of his guilt.

The presentation made to the grand jury by Martin, seeking his original indictment indicated Stua exposed himself to the young man on the college campus while live streaming the event to his East Texas Reporter FB page. It didn't happen. Now that the case is disposed of, the DA's 'artistic linguism' has come to light. The video was played in court as evidence so why hide it? Could it be that it disproves the allegations of the State?

As we pointed out before, Both Martin and Cassels, Judge Ball and White were given open records requests by Stua before these charges were brought against him and they all should have recused themselves. Instead, they collaborated to impose unconstitutional bond conditions and keep the man in jail, in solitaire for over a year.

The fact that Cassels was willing to dismiss all the sexual charges (stacked 9 high) if Stua signed a plea deal speaks volumes to the lack of validity of the sex charges to start with.

The Sentinel requested the video under open records weeks ago. Ms. Cassels emailed back requesting that I withdraw the request but assuring she would seek the Attorney General's opinion if I did not. The Sentinel politely declined to with draw the request and were met with another letter from the DA declaring that the video was confidential and would not be released. Now for the battle at the OAG's office. Is Ken Paxton going to come down on the side of transparency or help Angelina County DA's and judges continue to hide the truth? We will see.

As brought out in a previous article, Ms. Cassels is trying to hide the video under the statute exemption to protect a video or audio recording SHE made of an interview of a witness while investigating a crime. That is dis honest because she did NOT make this video.

One of the more troubling aspects of this case that has recently come to light is that while the DA had access to Stua's 'East Texas Reporter' FB page to take the video down, a lot of other documents pertaining to her and the judges were also deleted.

DISTRICT 12 5/24/2022

"PROFESSIONAL CANDIDATE" SMACKED DOWN

LONG LONG AGO, in a race far away, now twice defeated candidate,

Ben 'the Li2us' Bius ran a lying political ad against a good representative, Dan Ellis. His lying ad, when exposed by The Sentinel, cost him that election. A simple letter to the editor with proof of the Bius shady money transactions were enough to knock him out of that race years ago. This most recent race proves that the track record and trust that incumbant District 12 State Rep, Kyle Kacal has earned during his tenure, both among constituents and his peers in our state government could not be overcome by the Bius money machine. Bius' self designation on the attached campaign finance report we published , designating himself as a 'full time candidate' was met with a vote tally that says plainly to Bius, "get a job'.

9/15/2021 WASHINGTON DC

WALKER CO SHERIFF CALLED OUT AS "THE ONLY ONE"

US Senate Judicary hearing into the abject failure of the FBI to adequately investigate and persue prosecution of those in a position of power who failed the female gymnasts molested by Larry Nassar named The Walker County Sheriff and his investigators as the "Only ones" who were diligent in their efforts to seek justice for these girls. Nassar was prosecuted and imprisoned but the 'networking' of people who exploit and abuse children is big business. Evidence Sheriff could have used to shine some light on who was allowing this activity to go on in the big dollar organization was withheld. From the female nurse who damn sure should have been present for any 'exam' failed. Who ever was saddled with the public trust to make sure that female nurse had integrity and character and was there failed.

None of the gymnasts were supporting or extoling the virtue of the FBI or their agents in the case and infact cited incident after incident where the FBI not only failed to investigate and interview but went out of their way to thwart the investigation and intimidate the girls in an attempt to cower them into silence. Any therapist will tell you that speaking of traumatic stress in your life is part of the healing process.

The testimony that came out in the hearing showed that Sheriff McRae and his Detectives were diligent in thier effort since the Bella Koroli gymnastic facility was in Walker County but that the FBI refused them access to the evidence they were trying to collect. That is a bass akwards approach to Law enforcement. Yeah you feds with the big bucks and hi tech labs are worth your weight in gold to a rural community but to hamstring the man elected by the people and keep him from doing the job he was elected to do is just some self aggrandizing federal BS. It is our neck of the woods, not yours.

It came out later in the testimony that one of the FBI agents who kept Sheriff McRae from getting the evidence has been charged with evidence handling crimes but has pled not guilty. Others who failed the girls were allowed to resign and collect a pension in lieu of being prosecuted.

I said all of that to say this. It was like a Deja Vu of what we have suffered in Polk county when evidence submitted to the Texas Rangers and FBI disappears and no witness is interviewed or evidence collected in answer to the outcry of the people to oust the corrupt DA, William Lee Hon for his crimes. The ignorance of those charged with the privilege and the duty of protecting we the people have instead ground a long time child advocate and civil rights activist into observing that, "Their power is in ignoring us". They have ground a 30 year retired federal agent into observing the non responsive manner of current administration to our plight.

Allowing the current state of affairs of our highest leadership to exist is an indictment of we the people who don't speak up. In that vein, Mexicans, Negroes and Caucasians have joined our voices together but still we are ignored. Male and female, fat and skinny, ugly and pretty have spoken out to no avail. One woman referred to the uselessness of reporting harrassment to Polk Co higher ups because, "They got their zipper down too".

ANGELINA COUNTY 5/13/2021

DA JAILS MAN FOR HAVING PHONE

The East Texas Reporter has been jailed on a bond revocation hearing for posessing a phone. David Stua was originally jailed in Dec of 2018 on a charge of 'Sexual Performanace of a Child' for telling two teenage minors on the college campus that he believed in Circumcision and then asked, "Do you want to see the proof?"

Stua's live stream video interviews were transmitted from the Angelina College campus where the librarian had called the law on him for using the word 'circumcision' in the library earlier that week. In protest of what he considered censorship, Stua began live streaming to FB as he asked several on the campus if they 'wanted to see the proof' after expressing his belief in circumcision. Stua would then display a certificate that stated that he believed in circumcision.

The campus cop who filed the affidavit was watching the live stream as it occurred but did not effect the arrest then but waited a week. The minors nor their parents filed a complaint according to Stua. In his affidavit (a sworn statement that would subject the affiant to perjury charges for lying), the officer stated in his arrest affidavit that Stua asked the minors if they wanted to see his genitals. Stua adamantly denies that allegation and contends the language was used to get him indicted.

The live stream video has been taken down but is in the posession of the DA. The alleged crime occured over two years ago and was live streamed but the DA does not seem able to get that case to court but instead, goes for bond revocation because the man, who is required to work to pay fees associated with his bond has a phone.

According to Stua, he was offered a plea deal that included him never asking for open records again. The kicker is, both judges involved and the DA have born the brunt of Stua's open records requests and both judges, according to Stua, refused to produce records he requested and he had written them with his intention to sue both judges for those records just prior to his arrest.

The statute used to charge Stua was written to prosecute monsters who induce children to committ a sex act so they can film them to produce child porn. The next paragraph of the statute speaks to the parents who allow that activity being prosecuted.

The judge who set the bond conditions, who had been targeted by Stua, forbid Stua to have any device with a camera or seek open records while on bond. David Stua was born and raised in Angelina county and has never been in trouble before but his bond conditons were excessive compared to past cases of actual child predators in Angelina County.

Joe Martin was the DA who accepted the week old affidavit and moved forward for the indictment without a complaint by the minors or their parents. We all know that Joe Martin was trained by the Corrupt Lee Hon out of Polk county on how to silence pesky open record seeking, proof publishing reporters. Martin used the same lying statements to get me indicted on false charges there for seeking open records and publishing proof of DA Hon's many crimes.

If the video proves that David Stua never asked the minor if he wanted to "see my genitals', the cop needs to be prosecuted for his crime. Unless he is killed in jail for the nature of his charges, Stua will get to court and possibly beat the charges but even if he does, he can't beat the ride. As is the norm for all corruption in the criminal justice system and as I have said after studying the 600 plus dismissals in four years for lack of evidence in Hon's office, "The process is the punishment".