Geoff Barr, President‑Elect of the Downtown Rotary Club of New Braunfels and candidate for Comal County Court at Law #1 Judge, is facing criticism for his role in a controversial prosecution that legal experts say should never have been brought.
Barr, a prosecutor with the Texas Office of the Attorney General, is leading the state’s Class B misdemeanor harassment case against journalist David Flash, publisher of Texas Reporter and Big Bend Times. The case originates from disputed statements by a Jeff Davis County judge who is now under investigation by the Texas Commission on Judicial Conduct.
Prosecuting a Journalist Despite Contradictory Evidence
Publicly available video, sworn testimony, and court records directly contradict key allegations in the harassment case. Other charges from the same wave of prosecutions — including “terroristic threat” and “disorderly conduct” — have already been dismissed, the latter after footage of Flash being assaulted by deputies during a public meeting went viral.
Despite this, Barr has sent multiple state attorneys at taxpayer expense to remote Jeff Davis County to keep the lone remaining charge alive. First Amendment advocates have warned that the case threatens freedom of the press, due process, and public trust in the legal system.
Rotary’s Standards vs. Barr’s Conduct
Rotary International’s values — Service Above Self, Integrity, and the advancement of truth — are meant to guide its leaders. Critics argue Barr’s persistence in prosecuting a journalist despite clearly exculpatory evidence stands in direct conflict with those principles.
As President‑Elect of the Downtown Rotary Club of New Braunfels, Barr is expected to represent the organization’s highest ethical standards. Instead, opponents say, he is setting an example of using legal power to pursue political ends.
Why Comal County — and Texas — Should Pay Attention
For Comal County voters, the question is whether Barr’s record reflects the impartiality and fairness they want in a judge. For Texas as a whole, it’s a warning about what happens when prosecutors with political ambitions target the press.
Texas Reporter 