What started as a contentious post on Facebook has transformed into a significant legal ordeal for a judge from West Texas. Currently, he is embroiled in a federal civil rights lawsuit and is also confronting a unique bid led by his own district attorney seeking his removal from office.

Judge Terry Johnson of Midland County is under scrutiny for allegedly disclosing a political critic’s sensitive information, including their Social Security and driver’s license numbers, along with their birth date. These details were posted mere hours after the critic made public some federal court records connected to Midland County.

“Nino America,” the online persona of Christino Rodriquez, claims in a detailed 26-page federal lawsuit that Johnson acted in retaliation. According to Rodriquez, the judge misused his authority to access private information, broadcasting it in response to criticism of local governance.

The lawsuit describes an incident where Johnson allegedly shared a 2015 arrest warrant on his personal Facebook page with the caption labeling the individual as a “Convicted felon trying to be a player.” However, the complaint points out that the charges from that warrant were later dropped, and Rodriquez was never convicted in relation to that case.

The filing also points to what was redacted — and what wasn’t.

Rodriquez’s home address and telephone number appeared blacked out, while his Social Security and driver’s license numbers remained visible. The lawsuit argues the selective redactions support its allegation that the disclosure was intentional.

James “Trey” Trainor, an attorney representing Rodriquez, told News Media the case goes beyond one Facebook post.

“The lawsuit is really about retaliation and abuse of power,” Trainor said. “It’s kind of secondarily about First Amendment rights and the ability of people to actually criticize government without having government being used as a weapon against them.”

Trainor said Rodriquez is active in the Midland community, attends public events and speaks out about local government.

“At the end of the day, he did that and he upset the county judge, and the county judge thought it was time to retaliate against him,” Trainor alleged.

Trainor said Johnson had an employee access a criminal justice information system to obtain information about Rodriquez.

The federal complaint alleges Johnson obtained the unredacted warrant either through his own official access or through county personnel acting at his request or direction.

Trainor said the disclosure has left Rodriquez and his wife worried about identity theft and where the information could end up.

“This is probably the highest form of doxxing that you could ever engage in by putting this type of personal information out there,” Trainor said.

“We don’t know how many pictures were taken, how many screenshots were saved, all of those types of things,” he added. “So we really don’t have an overall understanding yet of how broad the damage is.”

Trainor said his team has begun discussions with the Social Security Administration about potentially changing Rodriquez’s Social Security number.

The lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages and other relief, including lifetime identity-theft protection and credit monitoring. No dollar amount has been attached to the case.

“We’re still looking into how much it’s actually going to cost and talking to experts on what the overall negative effect on Nino’s life is going to be,” Trainor said.

For Trainor, the case also raises a broader question about what happens when citizens criticize those in power.

“We need that information to be available to law enforcement to track down the bad guys,” Trainor said of criminal justice information. “The only difference here is that my client wasn’t a bad guy. He was just somebody who decided to speak out about a local issue.”

Meanwhile, the separate effort to remove Johnson from office is also evolving.

Midland County District Attorney Glenn Harwood filed a petition Aug. 6 seeking Johnson’s removal, the first step under Texas law in attempting to oust a county-level elected official.

“There’s a lot of gates that it has to go through before it actually gets to a removal action,” Harwood told News Media.

Harwood said the petition goes to the region’s administrative judge, who can dismiss it or assign it to another judge. An outside prosecutor would also have to decide whether to pursue the civil action.

Now, Midland ISD Trustee Brandon Hodges has moved to intervene in the case, arguing his involvement could keep the removal effort alive if a legal challenge arises over Harwood’s dual role as district attorney and the resident who initiated the proceeding.

Hodges’ filing says he is not seeking to replace Harwood or add new allegations against Johnson. Instead, he is asking to join as an independently qualified Midland County resident and adopt the same grounds for removal already alleged by Harwood.

“I intervened so this removal case does not die on a procedural technicality tied to Glenn Harwood’s dual role,” Hodges said in a statement provided to News Media. “If the court rules against him on that issue, the case still needs to move.”

“Midland County deserves a real decision, not delay, excuses, or a quiet escape hatch for insiders,” Hodges added. “I filed to help make sure that happens.”

The 16-page filing argues Harwood occupies an unusual position because he initiated the removal proceeding as a Midland County resident while also serving as district attorney and swearing that the factual allegations in his petition are within his personal knowledge.

Hodges does not allege Harwood acted improperly and is not asking the court to remove him from the case. His filing instead describes the intervention as a way to prevent a potential dispute unique to Harwood from derailing the removal proceeding.

Steven Villela, a candidate for Midland County Commissioner Precinct 3, also joined those calls in a Facebook post, saying he agreed with Harwood that Johnson should resign.

“No elected official is above the law, and every public servant has a duty to protect the rights and confidential information of the people they serve,” Villela wrote.

“Accountability isn’t about politics, it’s about doing what’s right,” he added.

Harwood emphasized that the removal effort is separate from Rodriquez’s federal lawsuit, saying he has “no role” in that case.

He also acknowledged what he described as a “potential criminal case,” but declined to comment further because “nothing has happened on that front publicly yet.”

Trainor separately told News Media that he and Rodriquez were interviewed by a Texas Ranger.

Trainor said the Ranger asked questions to verify whether the information shown online, including the Social Security and driver’s license numbers, belonged to Rodriquez.

Trainor also said subpoenas had been issued to Meta seeking confirmation of when and where the information was posted and potentially viewed.

The controversy has also generated public calls for Johnson to leave office.

Midland County resident Shandi Williams called for Johnson’s resignation during a Commissioners Court meeting, according to the Midland Reporter-Telegram.

Johnson lost his reelection bid after failing to advance from the March 3 primary. If he remains in office, his term is expected to end in early 2027, when election winner Jay Marquez is set to take office, according to the Reporter-Telegram.

News Media reached out to Johnson and his attorney for comment.

This weekend, dogs will have free rein over some of Los Angeles County’s public pools.

As we bid farewell to summer, five pools in LA County are set to host a unique event on Saturday where humans aren’t allowed to dive in.

These pools are reserved for the county’s beloved annual “Pooches in the Pool” celebration. Dogs will have the opportunity to swim and enjoy themselves before the pools are drained and prepared for maintenance.

The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation, in conjunction with LA County Animal Care and Control, is welcoming dog owners to bring their pets for an afternoon filled with swimming and fun by the pool.

This canine festivity will take place at five selected county pool locations:

• City Terrace Pool in East Los Angeles

But there are rules, because even dog pool parties apparently require paperwork. At each location, small dogs get first dibs on the water from 5 to 6 p.m., followed by the big dogs from 6 to 7 p.m.

People can hang out around the pool deck and cheer on their pups, but the water belongs exclusively to the dogs.

There are a few other hoops to jump through before your pooch can live out his aquatic dreams. Dogs must have current vaccinations and owners are required to bring a completed registration form. The county’s rules and registration paperwork are available through its Parks and Recreation channels.

Allison Janney has openly shared her experience of not having children, revealing that by the time she consulted a fertility doctor, she was informed it was too late.

The acclaimed star of The West Wing made this heartfelt revelation on the Reclaiming with Monica Lewinsky podcast aired on Tuesday.

Discussing her choice to seek out a specialist in her forties, the actress, who is now 66, candidly admitted she had believed women could conceive well into their 50s.

Janney, who has never been married, elaborated on her mindset at the time, saying, “I just thought, well, I should give it a try.”

Recalling her first visit to the fertility clinic, she said, “The first time I was told that having a child in my forties wasn’t likely was in that doctor’s office. Her words were, ‘The odds are not in your favor.'”

‘And she said, “Also, where is your partner?” And the guy that I was with, he didn’t even come with me and I was like, “I guess that is a sign, isn’t it?”‘

In medical terms, expecting a baby at 35 or older is a geriatric pregnancy or one at advanced maternal age.

After this point, fertility levels and the quality of a woman’s eggs begin to decline and the risks associated with pregnancy and childbirth increase, according to Cleveland Clinic. 

The Oscar-winning star who has seven Emmys to her name has never married. 

She candidly spoke with Lewisnky about being ‘lonely’ in relationships she knew deep down were not right for her. 

‘I always thought I would get married just because at the time I was growing up that’s what you did,’ Janney explained.

‘I was like, “Okay, well, I guess that didn’t happen…” The way you feel in a relationship that you know is probably not the one and you’re kind of in it and you don’t know how to get out of it, that’s the most lonely feeling in the world to be with someone and feel alone. Oh my god, that’s awful. So it didn’t happen for me.’

Janney has been in three publicly known long-term romances.

She was linked to computer programmer Dennis Gagomiros between 1994 and 2001 before embarking on a romance with her Our Very Own co-star Richard Jenik.

Janney and Jenik got engaged before deciding to call off their romance in 2006.

She went on to date production manager Philip Joncas from 2012 to 2017.

The actress who returns as the American president in the upcoming news season of Netflix’s The Diplomat is not without love and companionship in her life however.

‘I could not love dogs more,’ she said. ‘I want to have a farm and rescue, you know,, have at least 10 dogs. I just love them so much.’

Meanwhile, the Janney is keeping busy with work. 

She is currently in rehearsals to play Silda Grauman in the Broadway revival of Other Desert Cities alongside Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Ed Harris, Joe Keery and Lily Rabe.

Previews begin September 29 for the play at the Hudson Theatre in New York City.

Janney also has a mystery role in Ridley Scott’s new sci-fi flick The Dog Stars which opens in theaters on August 28 and co-stars Jacob Elordi, Margaret Qualley and Josh Brolin.

MOKENA, Ill. (WLS) — The National Weather Service has verified that a powerful derecho accompanied by five tornadoes swept through the Chicago area on Tuesday, leaving a trail of destruction.

Residents in south and southwest suburbs are engaged in major cleanup efforts following the intense storms that tore through the region, uprooting trees, damaging homes, and causing widespread power outages.

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One of the tornadoes specifically barreled through the Mokena area, adding to the chaos.

A significant obstruction occurred when a large powerline fell across the road near St. Mary’s Catholic Church on 115th Avenue, complicating travel and emergency responses.

Witnesses described an eerie scene as the sky turned a foreboding green, heralding the arrival of heavy rain that pounded their homes with unrelenting force.

“This is the worse storm I’ve ever seen,” Ken Santefort said.

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