Texas Reporter Media formally opposes Geoff Barr’s candidacy for County Court at Law #1
Geoff Barr, a prosecutor with the Texas Office of the Attorney General and a criminal procedure professor at Texas State University, has launched a campaign for Comal County Court at Law #1 Judge. But Barr’s announcement comes as he continues to lead the state’s prosecution of Texas Reporter Media publisher David Flash in a politically charged case that many observers say never should have been filed.
Barr’s team is pursuing a Class B misdemeanor harassment charge against Flash that stems from disputed statements made by a public official now under judicial misconduct investigation. Flash and his legal filings have pointed to numerous false statements made in connection with the charge—many of which are contradicted by publicly available video and court records.
“This is someone who saw the video, read the transcripts, and reviewed contradictory sworn statements—and still chose to proceed with prosecution,” said Flash. “That is not the judgment we need on the bench.”
Barr’s announcement makes no mention of his role in the ongoing case, which Flash and legal experts have described as a textbook example of retaliatory prosecution against a journalist.
A Case Already Falling Apart
The remaining charge against Flash is one of several filed by officials in Jeff Davis County since he began reporting on misconduct in local government. A disorderly conduct charge filed in 2025 was dropped after video of Flash being assaulted by deputies during a public meeting went viral and drew national media attention.
“The disorderly charge failed because it was on camera,” Flash said. “So now they’re clinging to one that wasn’t. But it’s just as baseless.”
Another charge—“terroristic threat”—was previously dropped by the OAG due to lack of evidence. The current charge, harassment, rests on statements that Flash says are demonstrably false. The complainant, a judge who remains central to the allegations, is under investigation by the Texas Commission on Judicial Conduct.
“These remaining allegations fall apart under scrutiny,” Flash said. “Barr has had every opportunity to recognize that—and chose not to.”
Campaigning for the Bench While Prosecuting the Press
In his campaign announcement, Barr emphasized his conservative credentials, past service as Comal County District Attorney, and recent roles leading human trafficking and election integrity prosecutions for the Texas Attorney General.
He did not mention his ongoing role in a prosecution that, according to First Amendment advocates, appears to be politically motivated. Barr has sent multiple attorneys to remote Jeff Davis County to continue pursuing Flash, often at taxpayer expense, despite national scrutiny and court rulings that have already discredited other charges in the same pattern of conduct.
“This isn’t a technicality,” said Flash. “This is a case that threatens freedom of the press, due process, and public confidence in the legal system.”
Flash added that Barr’s public role as a criminal procedure professor makes the continued prosecution even more troubling.
“He teaches students about constitutional rights—and then turns around and violates those rights in the real world,” Flash said. “No one with that record should be asking the public for more power.”
Texas Reporter Media Takes a Position
Texas Reporter Media, which operates Texas Reporter and Big Bend Times, has formally declared its opposition to Barr’s candidacy, citing his ongoing conduct and disregard for clearly exculpatory evidence.
“This is not about politics,” said the outlet’s editorial board. “This is about fitness to serve. And Geoff Barr has shown, through his actions, that he cannot be trusted with the impartiality and integrity expected of a judge.”
As Flash put it: “He’s not running for judge because he believes in justice. He’s running because he thinks no one will hold him accountable. We will.”
Editor’s Note: Texas Reporter Media opposes Geoff Barr’s candidacy based on his documented role in an ongoing prosecution that contradicts basic standards of evidence, legal ethics, and the First Amendment. Voters in Comal County and beyond deserve to know the full record—not just the résumé.
Texas Reporter 