(FORT BEND COUNTY) – Media consultant and former television journalist Wayne Dolcefino plans today to request records from the Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office after charges against a Harris County judge were dismissed by the Fort Bend DA’s office despite an indictment from a Harris County grand jury. Fort Bend was asked to handle the case once Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg recused her office from the prosecution.
Judge Darrell Jordan was indicted for official oppression by a Harris County grand jury after a lengthy investigation into a June 2020 incident in which Jordan held former journalist Wayne Dolcefino in contempt of court. Dolcefino was jailed for three days after the judge accused him of interrupting court proceedings while Dolcefino was questioning the judge about a request for documents. Dolcefino recorded the incident which lasted about two minutes.
“The conviction without a trial is a matter of public record,” said Dolcefino. “The video shows what happened. So much for my civil rights.”
The Fort Bend County DA’s office presented its case to a Harris County grand jury last week and Jordan was indicted for official oppression. Soon after the indictment, Fort Bend District Attorney Brian Middleton announced the dismissal, saying his office could not prove the charges “beyond a reasonable doubt.”
“After a thorough investigation into allegations of criminal conduct against Darrell Jordan, an elected official, we presented this matter to a grand jury for their consideration,” said Middleton. “It is important to present cases implicating public integrity to the grand jury, particularly when there is some evidence to support the allegation, because they are representatives of the public. Moreover, it provides due process to the accused and transparency to the public. We respect the grand jury’s decision which was consistent with their legal burden of finding probable cause. However, prosecutors have the duty to prove a charge beyond a reasonable doubt, which is a much higher standard than probable cause. And if we believe we cannot prove a charge beyond a reasonable doubt, we have an ethical obligation to dismiss the prosecution.”
“I just don’t buy it,” said Dolcefino. “I don’t know what pressure he had from whoever, but the DA insults the grand jury, and he insults the jury that should have heard the case.”
Dolcefino says he plans to request all records pertaining to the investigation, all email communications within the DA’s office involving the case and a record of how many indictments Middleton’s office has dismissed.
Dolcefino says he has no issue with Fort Bend County investigators that worked on the case.
“They worked very hard on this case,” he said. “It’s an insult to them too. It’s a farce. It’s not transparent, it’s a joke. I am going to get to the bottom of this one way or another.”
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